Call a game warden before you hunt?

[TexasJ]

I've recently established a repor with a local game warden and we both favor a courtesy call to let him know when and where I'm hunting.  I only view this practice as a positive gesture in my case.  While I know this doesn't apply to everyone and I've rarely witnessed it from others, I'm curious to know who all else is out there doing this...

[djhogdogger]

I voted "never"...not sure why we would call the game warrden. 

[TexasJ]

I voted "never"...not sure why we would call the game warrden.  

My game warden described it with a pretty good example.  He has another group of hunters that will call him before they go spot lighting for hogs.  This way, the game warden knows what is actually going on in case someone else mistakes the spot lighting activity for deer hunting and calls the game warden.

In my area unfortunatly, there are some hog doggers that will hunt a place without permission.  If my game warden knows where I'm hunting, then he also knows where I'm not hunting.  So if gates are taken off hinges and 4 whlr tracks are blazing across pastures on the other side of the county then he knows I wasn't there.  

Game wardens have a pretty tough time monitoring every time someone crosses a fence line.  If I tell the game warden the when and where of my hunt so he can make himself present if he so chooses, then I'm helping make his job a little easier.  Helps build trust and in my case, is a win win for each of us.  I de realize that someone hunting in the middle of a high fence 12k ranch has no reason to call ahead.  That's why it's a poll, to see who out there does...  

[Bump]

It is always a good idea to establish a relationship with the game warden. I do not call him everytime I hunt but let him know what ranches I hunt and if a problem as ever occured. The only time I have had a land owner upset...the warden texts me and tells me to be careful where the dogs get and to watch out for the "wacko".

I just touched base with him on wednesday. A good game warden will see that you are a law abiding hunter and understand what you are doing.

I have taken many game wardens on hunts, their bosses, family, friends and even federal game wardens. Many of the guys from the TPWD headquarters in austin have gone and really enjoyed the hunts. Anything a person can do to shed a good light on hog doggers is a benefit to all doggers.

The local game warden and ajoining county warden has called me out to meet with land owners and even got me permission to hunt on several ranches. I think it is a good move.

[Eric]

Its nice you are doing that, but I don't really think it is their business where I am hunting. Plus I don't believe I should have to call any one to cover my butt when I am not doing any thing wrong.

I believe in a good relationship with law enforcement no doubt... you have my number I have yours... but not calling them every time I go out... unless they want to call me every time they go to work... take lunch... and go home.

[txmaverick]

I didnt even know who the game warden was in my area until i donated a hunt to them last year and that is after hunting the same area for 37 years. In 37 years of doggin i have never been stoped or asked a question on a hunt by anyone from law enforcement. I was even sittin the side of the hwy one night with 8 dogs waiting on a ride when a deputy drove by, all he did was turn his lights on dim and speed up. Clearly he didnt want to do the paper work on what ever he thought he didnt want to see there on the side of the road.

So no I never call, i did ask him and he did say if i needed his help to get dogs back to call him but so for i have not had to do that.

[gardner32]

call the game warden everytime you hunt  , i see it like this, if a game warden gets a call he should go out there. say you call the game warden and tell him you are in the area, then he gets a call about shooting in the area, and its not you shooting but he decides not to make the trip out there cause he thinks its just you. then you got a crazy person shooting your deer and getting away with it. as for covering your butt the game warden has got my number and he can call and ask me about it

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

I call mine during deer season, periodically letting him know the areas I am hunting. I also call in information on poachers.

[sgt.davis]

I voted "never"...not sure why we would call the game warrden. 

X2

[djhogdogger]

I think that if i were a game warrden, I would get pretty upset having to take all of those calls. There are a whole lot of hog doggers in our county. Calls would be rolling in 24/7 at all hours.

[roughdog]

i agree with djhogdogger

[cward]

I wish the gamewarden would call me and tell me where he is going to be!!LOL I 'll call him when he calls me then we might start lieing to each other!!LOL I'll tell him I'm not hunting he will tell me he's going to bed then we meet in the woods CRAP got caught!!LOL No TexasJ You are doing the right thing I'm just jokeing!!!

[bayed up]

Cward,  now that's funny right there ..... See even a game warden has a sense of humor lol  ........... My phone never stops ringing, just part of the job....... I work 5 different parishes that have alot of hunters in them if every hunter called me before they hunted WOW, however a good game warden knows his area and has a good idea who is hunting where and what.... The hunters that are legal and and try to do right shouldn't have to worry about the game wardens..... We r on the same side ..... Plus me being a hog dogger I'm all about hunting hogs with dogs......  Hey Cward I wish the outlaws/ poachers would give me a call before they go and poach maybe even throw in some gps coordinates ... it would make my job alot easier LOL ...... However I do have people call me from time to time to tell me they picked up a new place and they will be there hunting  ...... I don't mind those calls but I don't expect every  hunter to call me before they go hunting either..      

[JLH]

once heard of some men from around Batson that would tie a headlight on a wild donkey and turn him out and call gamewarden and then they would go to other side of river and poach while game warden was chasing that wild donkey with a headlight dont know how true but it sure was a funny story

[cowcountryhogdogger]

I'm on a first name basis with my game warden because of the size of town we both live in.  That being said, I let him know the areas we hunt, day hunt and night hunt, and do not have any problems.  I don't make a phone call everytime I go hunt but do let him know of new properties we're hunting.  Especially hunting at night.

[Cajunjag]

Pretty good topic we have on this thread! Here in Louisiana, it is illegal to hunt w/ a firearm at night (except coons, and that has to be a single shot .22) so any shots at night warrant an investigation by a warden. I have never called a warden to let him know we are hunting, but I have called them several times for night activity.

Spotlights at night in LA are red flags for people up to no good, unlike someone legally shooting varmits/hogs in TX. If I get called to track a deer at night with my dog, I call them to insure if the activity is reported by a good samaritian, he at least has my contact info and area handy to help in his job. I also make myself available to them prior to the season starting in the event they need a dog to help recover a deer for a case. As you can probably tell, I hate two things:

DEMOCRATS AND POACHERS!!!

[TX HOG]

once heard of some men from around Batson that would tie a headlight on a wild donkey and turn him out and call gamewarden and then they would go to other side of river and poach while game warden was chasing that wild donkey with a headlight dont know how true but it sure was a funny story

wrong, but funny. lol

[dub]

I had a varmint hunt get messed up by a game warden that thought we were spot light'n. I guess that idiot did not know a red light don't work for spot light'n. We had the eyes all around and were just wait'n for them to come in the open when BAM bright lights shining on us with a "hey what you boys doing?" He got a few real smart a$$ responses and had some real mad hunters explaining the loud varmint call and the red lights were used for elephant hunt'n. We let him know real clear that he was stupid and should go back to the city. Now the only time I call is when I will be using any light at night even a red one or if I am hunting anything with a gun in bow season. When I was a kid on the deer lease the game warden would come by and hang out in camp. Most game wardens are good guys and love to hunt too. They just have a job to do. I do not want them bugging me so I do not bug them. They can wait for me at the road all they want and I will be very polite because they were polite enough not to mess up my hunt. Actually they wait down the road so I do not see them until I am driving out. That is cool too.

[Eric]

I had two new gung-ho county cops do the same thing to me last year. Came thru a harvested field with the lights flashing asking alot of questions trying to get in every ones business. I can't stand that. Finally told them to move on that what they were asking wasn't any of their business.

You can tell right away what kind of situation is going to turn out by the cops initial actions. I have had GWs and Cops sit at the gate and just wait for me to come out. That is a good sign because to me that shows they are doing their job but respect you at the same time. I don't mind BSing with them and letting them know what is going on, but those that come thru the fields trying to make the paper don't get the best side of me.

[chopper]

the spot we hunt we dont have to call a warden because we know he will be there anyway a cop has permission to deer hunt that spot and dosent like us out there so he puts his boys on us as much as possible hoping to catch us doing something wrong i have talked to more wardens in the last few months than i have in my whole life one told us just to not come out anymore the landowner was pissed said he has a problem with hogs not deer but he is weary of getting on bad side of cop so he dont kick him off it is sad that the cops are using tax payers money to guard there hunting spots and not service the whole community, just one case i could go on all day