Statistically, fish and wildlife law enforcement is said to be one of most dangerous LEO specialities.
Running into fishing enforcement on my first day flyfishing...
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
Uptonogood
PNW raised
Here’s another one:
Two of my buddies and I are hunting a thawing small pond on a creek near Centralia. The ducks are going to be flying and they’re going to pour in. It’s very low overcast, about 35 degrees, calm. A buddy shot a duck and I have my Lab out, casting to retrieve the bird.
I glance down the way to where the access road breaks through the woods and about 200 yards away I see two men standing there looking toward us. I immediately take them to be FWC agents. I wave my arm at them, motioning they to come up to us. One LE guy heads an our way. I yell to my buddies behind me we’re going to be checked, I tell’em to come on out.
The LE guy, a sergeant, walks up and starts talking, asked me how we’re doing. I tell him we have five ducks, my buddies are coming out to join us. The Sarg checks my gun for a plug and non toxic shells. I reload and here comes mallard straight into the decoys about 15 yards away. Remember, we’re standing in the wide open and that bird sailed in and landed. I glanced at Sarg, he’s got this quizzical look on his face, “Aren’t you gonna shoot it?”. “Naw,”I said,”It’s a hen.” Right then he knows we’re different.
The hen leaves, my two buddies arrive. Sarg asks for their licenses. One buddy, Bill, says “I left mine in the truck.” “We’ll, go on and get.” Sarg is a little irritated. Bill heads the quarter mile back to where the vehicles are parked.
Sarg shakes his head and turns to my other buddy, Mike. Mike hands him the handful of licenses he has. Sarg starts looking through them. Mike has licenses and tags for hunting deer, bear, mountain lion, elk, you name it. The Sarg looks through it all twice and says,”I don’t see your State Migratory License.” Mike stammers and says “what are talking about?” Sarg goes through it all again and says, “Nope, it isn’t here.” Mike stammers, then telling him he knows he bought one.
Sarg looks at Mike shakes his head. I pop up and say, with fake innocence, my “I can’t let this opportunity pass” smartass active and I say, “Sarg, does it make a difference if he’s an attorney?”. Yep, Mike’s a lawyer.
I was laughing, Mike isn’t, he’s hmmm, irritated?
The game warden says, “Mike, I’m sure, looking at all of this paperwork, that you truly believe you bought the license. Go and get one on your way home and we’ll forget today.
I popped up again and said “Officer, today is the last day of duck season, can Mike keep hunting with us without his migratory permit?” Sarg looks at me, then Mike, pauses for a minute, shakes his head and says, “Yeah, go ahead. You gentlemen have a good hunt.”.
True story. And we ended up with 21 ducks, mallards, pintail, and wigeon. What a day.
Two of my buddies and I are hunting a thawing small pond on a creek near Centralia. The ducks are going to be flying and they’re going to pour in. It’s very low overcast, about 35 degrees, calm. A buddy shot a duck and I have my Lab out, casting to retrieve the bird.
I glance down the way to where the access road breaks through the woods and about 200 yards away I see two men standing there looking toward us. I immediately take them to be FWC agents. I wave my arm at them, motioning they to come up to us. One LE guy heads an our way. I yell to my buddies behind me we’re going to be checked, I tell’em to come on out.
The LE guy, a sergeant, walks up and starts talking, asked me how we’re doing. I tell him we have five ducks, my buddies are coming out to join us. The Sarg checks my gun for a plug and non toxic shells. I reload and here comes mallard straight into the decoys about 15 yards away. Remember, we’re standing in the wide open and that bird sailed in and landed. I glanced at Sarg, he’s got this quizzical look on his face, “Aren’t you gonna shoot it?”. “Naw,”I said,”It’s a hen.” Right then he knows we’re different.
The hen leaves, my two buddies arrive. Sarg asks for their licenses. One buddy, Bill, says “I left mine in the truck.” “We’ll, go on and get.” Sarg is a little irritated. Bill heads the quarter mile back to where the vehicles are parked.
Sarg shakes his head and turns to my other buddy, Mike. Mike hands him the handful of licenses he has. Sarg starts looking through them. Mike has licenses and tags for hunting deer, bear, mountain lion, elk, you name it. The Sarg looks through it all twice and says,”I don’t see your State Migratory License.” Mike stammers and says “what are talking about?” Sarg goes through it all again and says, “Nope, it isn’t here.” Mike stammers, then telling him he knows he bought one.
Sarg looks at Mike shakes his head. I pop up and say, with fake innocence, my “I can’t let this opportunity pass” smartass active and I say, “Sarg, does it make a difference if he’s an attorney?”. Yep, Mike’s a lawyer.
I was laughing, Mike isn’t, he’s hmmm, irritated?
The game warden says, “Mike, I’m sure, looking at all of this paperwork, that you truly believe you bought the license. Go and get one on your way home and we’ll forget today.
I popped up again and said “Officer, today is the last day of duck season, can Mike keep hunting with us without his migratory permit?” Sarg looks at me, then Mike, pauses for a minute, shakes his head and says, “Yeah, go ahead. You gentlemen have a good hunt.”.
True story. And we ended up with 21 ducks, mallards, pintail, and wigeon. What a day.
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The Coho King
Smolt
Beware of Grays Harbor wardens. Only time ever approached in 20 yrs the guy said he would mail me citation for keeping a jack. Ended up with 3 made up charges. Had to fight in court but no witnesses. Moral, when you are fishing alone, video or use recorder app. Many of the wardens are wsp wanabees....notice there first to a car accident.
Had a Fed Warden attempt to ticket me for no state duck stamp. I told her all that is required was the Fed stamp. When her partner came over, she apologized to me, and told her rookie partner to cancel the ticket. The rookie gave me dirty looks, but no apology. She checked my license 3 other times that season . . .
Had my license checked by a National Park ranger where Sulfide Creek enters the Baker River 35 years ago.
But I have also “fished” closed waters in the SF Nooksack with a fly after clipping off the hook. I can’t imagine I’d ever see a state warden up there, but the water is awfully pretty. I’m not taking a chance. I guess I could be charged with “molesting salmon“. I think it is an actual charge in the books. I told a warden friend about my practice, and he said that if I ever get stopped and get a ticket, I should insist that they seize the defanged hook as evidence, and give you a receipt for it. He knew the warden who had jurisdiction, and made a few critical comments about him. But this was 30 years ago
But I have also “fished” closed waters in the SF Nooksack with a fly after clipping off the hook. I can’t imagine I’d ever see a state warden up there, but the water is awfully pretty. I’m not taking a chance. I guess I could be charged with “molesting salmon“. I think it is an actual charge in the books. I told a warden friend about my practice, and he said that if I ever get stopped and get a ticket, I should insist that they seize the defanged hook as evidence, and give you a receipt for it. He knew the warden who had jurisdiction, and made a few critical comments about him. But this was 30 years ago