Lanse couche couche

Actually, i would think that most folks would agree that going out in the middle of the woods without camo and walking up to people who are trying to hunt a rather elusive animalis a lot more disruptive (and potentially dangerous)than the police simply patrolling the roads. Now if the cops were driving up along side people on the interstate and making them roll down their windows and show them their license at 65mph, that might be a more apt analogy.

Paul L Mohr

I don't see where it is much different than the police doing random stops or setting up random check points to check for drunk driving or safety checks. When I am late for work or an appointment the last thing I want to do is go through one of those things, or get pulled over just to see if everything is in order. Not much I can do about it though, and it does serve a purpose. I'm sure the speeders, drunk drivers and people driving with out permits don't like them one bit either.

How do you propose the DNR does their job then? How do think would be a good way for them to catch poachers and people that break other laws if they are not in the field to check permits and observe what is going on?

You are really going to be upset when you find out they are not governed by the same laws as other law enforcement agencies and don't need a warrant to search or seize property. They can pretty much do as they please if they feel justified. At least that is how it has been explained to me anyway.

Paul

stevencm

I don't see too many DNR officers around me. When I do see them, they have no regard for driving their vehicles over your privateground to get to you. Last year one tried to drive to where I wason a ditch just to see what I was doing after we had got about 4 inches of rain. I was tracking a deer at about 10 pm. He made a little bit of a mess getting back there. Kind of made me mad because I end up beingthe one that gets blamed for the ruts. Some of them might be mine, just not all of them. If he would have just went another 100 ft he would have hit a huge tile hole and wouldn't have got out without a tow either. I probably would have left him there to teach him a lessonforbeing soignorant. It is usually just one guy that will drive through the fields. Unfortunitly he patrols the area I hunt most of the time. The other agentsseem to be respectable people when I meet them.

Lanse couche couche

Actually, my suggestion is thatall DNR folks do their jobs with the same degree of common sense that most of them already do.The ones in the part of Illinois where i grew up do road patrolsthat focus on people entering or coming out of thewoods, which is actuallymore of a legitimateparallel to a traffic safety stop.So, you dont see themwandering around in the woods without blaze orange looking for people to randomly check. I've never seen a DNR agent in that part of the country more than 50 feet from his vehicle and theyissuetheir shareof citations, poaching is minimal, and you dont get officers shot accidentally.

And I am aware of their considerable power of search,seizure, and arrest, but it has its limits. I've actually got a family member that won a case against a game warden that chargedhim with night hunting.

andy da animal

i have only encountered the game warden once. he was at the check station (before we could just call them in) and made sure we had our FOID cards, hunters saftey card and such. once he was sure we were legal he said congrats and went to check someone else at the station! i would have to imagine going out INTO the woods is just down right dangerous and fairly stupid! if someone is poaching they obviously have no regard for the law, and who knows they could go as far as shooting the warden and just leaving. not saying it would happen, but i wouldnt rule it out either!

deerwayne

Yeah, the guy is just doing his job and trying to keep everyone safe.

2006HighSierra

Here they rarely check people usually i wave them down to b.s. with them. for the most part we have good officers but there are a few who dont even know the laws they are supposed to enforce

1shotkill1993

wardens dont come onour property anymore, due to something my grandfather said/did to one of the wardens our property has kind of earned a reputation with the wardens

isatarak

The problem with our warden is that if you start talking to him you can never get away from him. He'll talk your leg off.