EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I'd love to hear your "frank" thoughts on things if you don't mind..... straight from the horse's mouth.......

i hope not lol

Well game wardens are people to you got good ones and you got bad ones !!!!! You got ones that think they are the law and you got ones who follow the law !!!!!    My problem is most of the time they beleave or side with the person who tattles or call them witch is not usally us but it don't mean we did anything wrong just seems the way it works..... I had a run in with a gamewarden witch was not good but got it solved finally then my uncle called the same gamewarden that I had a run in with for someone that he THOUGHT shot a cow the same game warden was an a$$ to the guy come to find out that guy did not do it!!! So they..... not all of them.....need to take and listen to both side  all the way before they convict someone that is not guilty...

I've only had 1 bad run in.   But many good respectful ones.

 The one in Foard County named Matt is a great one in my book.

What are you looking for?

If a person isnt doing anything wrong...a Game Warden isnt going to bother you. My local GM helps find places for me to hunt as well as the GW from the neighboring county.

They are always helpful and respectful...if the laws are obeyed and a hunter communicates....they could be the best allie you have.

I let the GW know what ranches I hunt and call the neighboring land owners to let them know what Im doing and the chance of dogs getting on their place.

Rex, I agree with you for the most part.  I have been fortunate in that I have never had to deal with one other then to check my license and they wish me luck and send me on my way.  Having said that there are some around here that will openly admit they don't care for dog hunters and make "our" lives harder.  Also, while in the national forest this year a federal game warden went to tell us that we were the problem and we had created the hog problem as it exists now and that we will prolly lose the right to hunt with dogs there because "we" help perpetuate the problem.  I have a lot of respect for the men and woman that do the job and I would not want to do it but it is like every job out there, there are some folks that should not do the job....
MG 

Matt, did the warden explain why he felt that way.  I'm trying to figure out how dog hunters created the hog problem.  ???

Turning hogs loose to hunt....

Good cop bad cop thing. Every game warden I’ve come across has a different opinion on every aspect. Just like everyone else some like there job, some hate there job and no one truly loves there job. The game warden in one county helps find us places to hunt, while one in the next county never wants to here from us. My opinion is some get off on trying to catch someone screwing up and others truly care about the wildlife….

I belive we have one on hear from la. But i am all for game wardens though like many said there is good and bad ones but more good if u ask me, i cant say that about other law enforcement departments. Our local warden is actually really flexibale with where i can shoot a deer cause dallas county is no deer season and ellis is and the line splits my place

I used to work for my state's fish/forest/wildlife management agency doing outreach and education work and also working as a rifle/pistol range safety officer, and because of this I often worked closely with conservation officers. I can't speak to Texas specifically, but the overwhelming majority of wardens I know are avid hunters/trappers/fishermen. If you're a hunter, and you're playing by the rules, they're on your side because they are one of us.

In private conversation, many will tell you that they have the same complaints and frustrations about government/politicians misunderstanding/mishandling of wildlife and conservation issues.

Sure... a few of them are egomaniacal a__holes, but most of them would rather be in the woods on a trapline or behind some good hunting dogs, than they would being in the woods writing tickets.

I guess I am talking about my area....I believe that happened but cant believe a SOB can be that sorry. Im pretty fortunate to know and be friends with many Game Wardens. Besides being friends...dog hunters in my area are not very popular and pretty much unheard of. The education and experience the local game warden gets here are through what they have seen with me. Hopefully that is positive and they have a good feel for what we do and not some rare incident from a bad circumstance.

We do TPWD youth deer hunts every year and I took about 7 game wardens and a few biologists hunting this past winter. After we hunted I did have one of the game wardens tell me that he liked the way I hunted and had a little better outlook on dog hunting.

I thought it was a little odd but didnt think much of it...guess he was one of the bad ones.

The last ranch I managed had a lot of game on it. It bordered other large ranches on two sides, but had roads on two sides. Because we had a lot of game, and some open pastures, the game was visable from the roads at times. Therefore, we had poaching problems.
I invited our local game warden and his son, to hog hunt with me at the ranch. They were good people and while the game warden was not all that into hog hunting, his son (who was in high school) was. So they came out every week or so and went hunting with me at night. Once the poachers heard that not only was the game warden watching the place when he was on duty, but was hunting the place with his son, when he was off duty....it slowed the poaching way down. No one wanted to get caught poaching the game wardens hunting spot!  My game warden even asked of he could bring a game warden from TN out one night and take him on a hog dog hunt. The TN GW had never seen a wild hog or hunted with dogs. We bayed and caught several that night and caught a 230 lb barr we gave the TN GW as he had never eaten wild hog before. Was a good night.

I always had a rifle in the truck, even if we were spotlighting open pastures at night, looking for boar hogs. It was against the law, but nothing was ever said. They knew me well enough to know I wasn't going to do anything I shouldn't do (like shoot a deer at night) so they never mentioned it.

So I will have to say that if you get to know your local game warden, and keep your nose clean, they can be good guys. I am sure there are some that are aren't, but I have had good relations with most.

I still to this day 2 gws that are friends of mine that i hunt with. They are not all bad.

i buy hogs for southern game!!! a man called and i met him in town to got weigh the hogs- when i got there the game warden was already there harressing him  so i pulled up  to help --the man told the game warden he was selling the hogs to me and I  said that was right- he then said did i have a hunting license  i said i do but why would i need them i am a licensed buyer through the state of texas to buy the hogs- he said he didnt care what i had i better have a license to posses the hogs and the same way with the man who i was buying the hogs from---- we  both had license  but that was not good enough he took my drivers license and called in to check me out after about 15 minutes he came back and said well you dont have any warrents on you and then i was mad!!!!! THE NERVE OF THIS GUY HARRESSING US FOR NO REASON  I AM 56 YRS OLD I HAVE A CONCEALED HAND GUN LICENSE  I AM BEST FRIENDS WITH ALL THE COPS (CITY-COUNTY-HIGHWAY PATROL)  THEY ALL HATE HIM AND THINK HE IS A A_ _ HOLE  i do know not all them are bad but i do believe and i have been on the city council and have helped hire city police that  ONCE THEY PIN A BADAGE AND GUN ON THEY THINK THEY ARE THE LAW-- NOT JUST HERE TO ENFORCE THE LAW  he also said and i will give you his name and number if you dont believe  me  you can call him  IF YOU KILL A HOG AND LEAVE IT LAYING HE WILL GIVE YOU A TICKET FOR WASTING MEAT!!!!!!!!!! if you want his name and number  pm  me and i will give it to you   thats in callahan county    SO YES THERE ARE SOME BAD WARDENS AS WELL AS COPS  i called his superiors and they said if i ever had trouble with him again to call their office from my cell phone   ANY WAYS THATS MY STORY  THANKS FOR READING

I guess I'm very fortunate, but the county I live in does not have a warden but all four surrounding countys do, and all four of them are as nice as they can be and I'm good friends with all of them, and have hunted with all of them but one.  The one I haven't hunted with was raised in my little home town and is the warden in next county to the south. Two of the others are father/son and in adjoining countys north and west, three were replacements in the past ten years or so and they all three replaced good guys that did their jobs well, but didn't go to extremes unless they were after someone that they knew broke the law andhad proof of it.  But as has been said several time already, there are some good and some bad, but for the most part, I think there are more good than bad. JMO

It is one living just a few miles from me. He is a good guy. He has a few hogs on his deer lease and gave me permision to go on it anytime other than deer season. Went hunting next to a WMA couple weeks ago and the dogs wound up in the restricted area of the WMA. We was standing on the road trying to call the dogs out and a GW pulled up to where we were at. Just asked what we were doing. Told me one of our dogs had come out in the road. Also told us to go on in the woods and get our dogs if we needed to. I would say that the ones I have met are pretty good folks.

I actually had a GW come out to my place yesterday and check out my hog pins and asked me questions about how i catch the hogs,and if i sell them? after being completley honest with him he then took me to his truck and gave me alot of numbers to call that were haveing hog problems and told me to tell them that he refered me to call and now i have four new places that i called and they want me to come and remove as many hogs as i can!! he also gave me the new regulations on transporting them from place to place!! so I guess i can say the GW I had to deal with was a nice guy and i hope when i run in to him down the road he will know im out for hog and just gives me a hand shake and not a ticket!

That's Awsome! wish they were all like that

Im almost done with my law enforcment schooling, My plan is to get on as a game warden. There be at least one GW out there Hog Hunting. No matter where I end up I will always be back to kill some pigs.

Only problem Ive ever had was when I was young and knew it all.Now that Im older these guys have a job and thatas the bottom line and its a tough one.

Yes there are bad apples in every bunch. All the game wardens I know and deal with are good people.

And yes Noah, there are game wardens that view these boards along with various law enforcement offers with different agencies.

THE ONE WE HAD IN GUADELUPE CO. WHEN WE WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL USE TO HELP US FIND PLACES TO HUNT.  WE GOT CAUGHT TRESPASSING INTO A MANS HAY GRAZER FIELD BY 75 YDS. HE CALLED THE GW AND HE HAD A TALK WITH US GAVE THE HOG TO THE LANDOWNER, AND TOLD HIM WHERE WE WERE HUNTING. GET A CALL 3 MONTHS LATER FROM THE SAME LANDOWNER WANTING US TO HUNT HIS FIELDS CAUSE THE HOGS WERE TEARING UP HIS FIELDS.

MR. BEALE IS A VERY GOOD MAN AND I GUESS IT HELPED BEING FREINDS WITH HIS SON AND DAUGHTER ALSO.

Mike, I wonder why a viewing warden would be hesitant to speak up to befriend such a common acquaintance as a hog dogger?   I would imagine there are a lot of questions we all would love to ask them... which might educate and help avoid problems in the future...

In private, one-on-one talks, they'll advise you tell you anything you want to know.

But no law enforcement officer will come on a public forum and offer advice.

Also, the reason we run such a tight ship on here is because all hunting forums are watched for laws being broken. :o

I'd like to hear one explain why.   

Because they could lose their job... most state DNRs/Depts of Conservation/Fish & Game/Parks & Wildlife/etc have policies against it. When I was an employee of my state's DOC, as a matter of employment policy, we were not allowed to have any involvement in political campaign activity while identifying ourselves as such, nor were we allowed to speak for the dept or identify ourselves as employees of the DOC in a public forum or media outlet without prior approval. The only thing we were allowed to do was direct someone to published info on the DOC website, to the press/PR office, or the legal council's office.

Just like WAARHEID said... they could loose there job from what I understand. Their job is to enforce the law... not advise it.

Maybe some of our LEO members can elaborate on this??????

Noah, what is it you would like to know from a Game Warden? Maybe someone could ask one privately and find what you are looking for?

And therein lies the problem.   Without a way to openly communicate with the public on a regular basis, there is no way that the public can be held accountable for "lack of understanding" of some laws.... Laws that wardens are quick to arrest for, but can't openly explain????  Bull Sh~T.  The fact of the matter is, some laws are so antiquated, and complex, not even a judge knows how to interpret it.... but game wardens sure are quick to arrest, and or, give ticket for it, without remorse.  The sad part is, it's usually the young, or uneducated that just take it... not knowing that they could challenge an unclear law and win.

I've talked to game wardens more times than I'd like to remember... EVERY TIME I ask the same questions, EVERY time I get the same "vague" answers.   

"Give 'em the ticket and let the judge figure it out", that's what I think a lot of wardens go by.

Mike, there's a lot of "grey area" laws here in Florida that have plagued the hunting community for years, some of which not even the game wardens want the public to know about for fear of more problems.... so, they just "don't talk about it".

i know i can just go to walmart and pick up my free texas parks and wildlife book and it always answers my questions
or i can get on the web and look up anything

If it were only that simple...

why is it not?

Sorry to hear that Noah... most of our laws here are pretty simple and straight forward.

So I've heard.... I sure like the sound of that "make my day" law over there ;D  "In Texas we have a thing called the death penalty... AND WE USE IT" (Ron White)   ;D   

Hey Noah I am a Louisiana game warden and a hog dogger as well.  We do have to watch what we say on public forums but u can call me anytime.  225-937-6251 I can go into detail on any law out there but it will only pertain to Louisiana . I am all for hog hunting with dogs but I run into both sides all the time.   Also there are always 2 sides to everystory ... It's always best to form your own opinions and not believe every story u hear.   

I know exactly what your talkin about Noah. If you ever look at the law on paper it will say one thing and contradict itself in the next sentence, it kind of makes the choice up to the game warden with what he wants to do.

Noah I will tell you my run in with the game warden that got pretty heated...Not all game wardens are this wat but this one was a complete a$$ ....And treated me like a crook...I hunted my personal ranch and I had a friend who need a cuple of hogs to work his young dogs on so I was bring 2 sows home he seen them in my trailer and pulled me over I had my dogs and he new I had been hunting....This was october and it was bow season hear he made me get out of the truck walk to the back and put my hands on the side of my trailer and patted me down 2 people I new passed that was embarassing ......They called my wife and ask her what was going on and she got upset because he would not let me answer my phone ..... Now this was the problem  it was october and I had not bought a hunting license I don't care much for deer hunting so I don't by one until about nov. every year ......Well he said I had to have a hunting license to hunt hogs and he was going to write me a ticket for no hunting license...I said I did not need one to hunt hogs and he lit in to me  about hog hunter think they know everything and you have to have a hunting license to hunt a bull frog.. Well that is when the smartass came out in me he hit the button.Well being you gamewardens think you know it all you need to go and read your hand book...The book says you have to have a hunting license to hunt feral hogs in texas... UNLESS you are hunt private property that they are damageing I was hunting my ranch witch fell under that catagory.... A county dept. seen it was me and came back and told the GW that I was a good guy and would not cause any harm..He laid my drivers licnese on the side of the trailer and left not aother word to me...I thought that was very disrespectful and unprofessonal...So I understand about how the laws read!! Now I HAVE DELT WITH SERVERAL OTHER GW'S AND THEY WERE VERY NICE JUST THE 1 WAS AN A$$! 

Yes sir I understand were you are coming from but you would have had to here this guy and the way and tone he talked to me. When he left the dept.. told me that he was a handful and he had herd he had several complaints against him he is no longer a GW why I don't know....I try to follow the law as best I can and read my hand book every year to make sure there is no change... Like I said he was the only bad one I met...All the rest have been extremly nice. I am very respectful to all law men never rude....But when someone is a smarta$$ to me law or no law then they have hit my smarta$$ button there is no need in someone being ugly for no reason at all..I have never been to jail nor any trouble...But I will not be talked down to and I don't think anyone else would either.. I'm sure GW get talked down to and its not right either....

 here i am again,i read all your post and i do believe game wardens are just human too!!!! but there is no reason to be rude or pat someone down if they havent done anything wrong-- they cant treat every person like a criminal  BECAUSE EVERY PERSON IS NOT A CRIMINAL!!!!!!!  i have 2 friends who are wardens  they are regular guys but i know one who i have had about 3 dealings with who is a  A__ hole deluxe and all the other police agencies hate him as well!!!!!!!  NO GAME WARDEN HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE THE LAWS AS HE SEE FIT PERIOD!!!!!!     ((((( THEY AINT THE LAW  THEY JUST ENFORCE IT))))) and your ight you DO NOT have to have a liscense if your doing damage control on private property!!!!!

One of our close family friends is a game warden and he isn't out there tryin to give hunters, of all kinds, any trouble he just wants everybody to follow the law. He is definintly on the hunter's side. He lives on some land adjecent to our camp in camden, al and he hunts deer during season and pigs the rest of the year and he has taught me alot about the sport. So at least there are some good ones out there but there are alot who just like to give people (hunters) a hard time.

It is as important to advise the law as to enforce it.  i work for the sheriff's dept,  we have people who we deal with who are know it alls and say their gonna do this or do that, we have to explain the law to them and the consequences they could face. 

As many bad run ins as I've had with wardens/marine patrol, I cannot imagine doing their job... it is an extremely dangerous job, dealing with some(potentially) deadly suspects... suspects that could kill you over, nothing more, than a poached animal...

I respect the law, and those who enforce it... as long as they have the discretion to differentiate between "habitual" and "uneducated".   I encourage all game officers to look at the "big picture".  Our youth deserves a greater "tolerance" to infractions than the "educated" habitual offender.

As most know as well, there are many laws that are passed because of miss informed or corrupt beaurocracy, by which wardens are put in the precarious position to enforce unjust laws.

Bayed up, I appreciate the acknowledgement, I wish more wardens could feel comfortable enough to speak to the public to build that relationship.  Our society has somehow built a wall between us however....

Our local game warden is absolutely straight as an arrow.  Period, end of story..... obey the law or else.  He would probably write his own mother a ticket.  I love the guy.  We get along like peas and carrots.  Heck, I figure as long as you know how he is & that he'll treat you the same as he would anyone else, what've you got to complain about?  If you ain't breaking the law, you ain't got a problem with this guy.  If I ever have any question about the legality of something, I just call him and ask.  He knows me and he knows I try to follow the law.  He's told me a few times that what I was going to do would get me into trouble, and he's told me a few times that what I was about to do was fine.  He also helped us get a law changed in Oklahoma, allowing us to catch bait easier for catfishing use. 

Most game wardens are a lot like us & they've got a great head on their shoulders.  They aren't goofy "clods" out there trying to ruin our good time.  Most of the time, anyway.  I know of one warden in an adjoining county that is an idiot, but heck.... who can't say that about any other profession?  If it makes any of the other Okies feel better, I called in on this warden that gave some friends of mine fits & the head of the wildlife law enforcement division addressed the situation & within 10 minutes called me back and told me it had been fixed & to call again with any other problems.  Our state dept. of wildlife is full of great folks & they're on our side.  We just need to remember to be respectful and informative to them, and help them to understand how we hunt as well.  Not all of them know or understand what we do.

I run into a few game wardens that hunt hogs with dogs, even sold one a dog... its just like anything else tho, some are good and some are bad, and I have had plenty fines from them!!! some of them just hassass folks for no reason, but for the most part they are just doing their job and protecting our way of life, without them the woods would be corrupt in most places... they are sneaky tho!!! Had an hour long visit with one about his dogs and hogs he caught... traded stories, was a real good guy, then suspended my license for not having a hunter safety card!!!  ;D

I've been in Law Enforcement since 2000 and have worked with other officers both good and bad.  LEO's are people too.....good apples and rotten ones. 

There is a difference in stating and explaining the law vs. giving personal opinion.  As a cop I have an obligation to explain the law to someone I feel does not have a clear understanding.....This is done for the benefit of the individual more than anything.

Here's an example:

Pull over a motorcyclist on his Harley and explain that going 20 MPH over the speed limit is against the law.  May thow in something like, "Speeding is the number one cause for accidents on this stretch of roadway." or something similar.

Pull over the same motorcycle and say something like, "Motorcycles are the reason there are so many accidents around here.  I cant stand people riding motorcycles....would like to give them all tickets."
NOW I've crossed a line and went from enforcing law to enforcing a personal agenda...which borders on profiling and civil rights violations.  BIG PROBLEM!

If a Game Warden made a comment like that to me I'd ask for his supervisor's name and contact number and definately get the Warden's name and badge number.  An official complaint would be made with both his supervisor and with headquarters in Austin the next morning.

Other issue:

If the officer remains correct in his actions and comments I see nothing wrong with being extra cautious like a frisk for weapons.  I frisk a large percentage of people I stop (outside of a traffic stop) under the umbrella of "officer safety".......Have someone pull a gun and shoot at you during a call will make anyone a little extra cautious.....TRUST ME.........If it is done for officer safety I see no problem with officers going the extra step to stay safe......

Cody I like that anology, I think that there is a real problem when LEO's start pushing their personal opinion.
MG

One of our notorious old game wardens around here was chosen because of how well he poached... he had done everything imaginable and it made him especially good at knowing who, what, where, and when to look for ;) 

This old guy took to hunting people just as he did to hunting animals... no holds barred