SFR Most Aggressive Wildlife Agent

Sorta fishing-related
There used to be a guy that worked the eastern OP back in the day. He checked me several times. Really gruff and demanding.
Other than that officer, all my encounters have been pleasant. I recently saw a gamie standing in the woods eyeing folks with binoculars. He had checked me on the same beach a year ago but didn’t check me that day. He seemed more interested in the clam diggers.
I’ve been checked four times in recent years.
SF
 
Breck said:
I caught a little flack from a sheriff's deputy at the Warm Springs boat launch a few years ago. I had a 1911 in a chest holster in the bow of my drift boat. He didn't seem happy about it. Kept asking me questions about it. "What caliber?" "Manufacturer?" things like this. There had been a homicide in a train tunnel along the river close by just a few days prior to that, so I was just taking precautions. He asked if I had a pass to fish the tribal side of the river (I didn't and hadn't planned to). He said "don't get caught with the pistol on tribal land by tribal law enforcement." "They don't take kindly to white folks with guns on their land." He just seemed a little worked up about someone legally carrying a firearm.
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There had just been a murder, so he wanted to know how much you knew about the gun you had, ie, was it your's, if yes, then you would know the make, model, caliber etc. You're on the Reservation side but don't have a permit (seems like a reasonable question).

Maybe I'm on the wrong side of this, but if that's what you call aggressive and that's what get's you worked up, maybe you're the one that's a little too touchy.
 
Canuck from Kansas said:
There had just been a murder, so he wanted to know how much you knew about the gun you had, ie, was it your's, if yes, then you would know the make, model, caliber etc. You're on the Reservation side but don't have a permit (seems like a reasonable question).

Maybe I'm on the wrong side of this, but if that's what you call aggressive and that's what get's you worked up, maybe you're the one that's a little too touchy.
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I wouldn't say I got "worked up" over it. Just thought it a little odd and a little invasive and I was on the BLM side. I didn't get a permit because I was going to stay on the non-reservation side of the river (and did).
 
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Got checked on the Klick one Memorial Day, which is kind of expected as it can be pretty busy. It was an older officer training a rookie. They were polite but they checked EVERYTHING! As in not just checking for PFDs, but inspecting the writing on the inside of each one to make sure the writing wasn't too worn which I guess signals they are expired. Probably took 30 minutes. It was a bit of a hassle at the end of a long float but gave me confidence I had all my gear in order.
 
Up in Fernie and the fly shop f’d up our permits and put some river in EBF on them, anyways never looked at the permit themselves, we got stopped by the Canadian game warden and he inspected them and told us they were on a river he had never heard of, anyways he knew it was an error but still made us quit fishing and sent us back to the shop to correct. Since I was a guest of another nation I played ball… my response/actions stateside would have been much different.
 
jasmillo said:
I had the same thing happen to me on that same creek. If your handle is the one. Also had that happen in CO on the Arkansas as well.

I have been checked a handful of times on the beaches during coho season. They’ve always been professional and pleasant. Even cut me some slack fishing a barbed hook accidentally when I first started fly fishing for salmon. His reasoning: “I saw 10 guys cut off their hook or pinch the barb as I was working my way up to you but you did not”. Based on that, I’ll assume it was an honest mistake”. I appreciated that.
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How it’s supposed to be…
 
Ultimately I would like to see a more robust presence of wardens focusing on the big ticket game crime and annoying stuff. We all know of salmon rivers essentially ruined by snagging. We all know of the sled guy with more than a limit under that floorboard. We all know the gravel bar where snagging and poaching happen at night. We all know that guide who targets Chinook where is illegal. Yeah he released them but not after bait choking a dozen or so. It would be great if presence and focus was such thatv people weren't emboldened to do these things. Most of my interactions with wardens have been non events that were barely memorable. I generally inform them that I'm happy they are out and wish there was more enforcement of the actual resource damaging stuff.
 
The only time I interacted with a warden was the one time I couldn't find my license. Fortunately, that came after a pleasent interaction.

I was fishing Springers up by the Cascade (After opening weekend on a Thursday, so there weren't too many people around and despite not having caught a fish I had a great time, even saw a chrome jack roll) and saw the warden and another WDFW staff (presumably hatchery) approaching. I waved at them and pulled my gear. Made small talk with him, asked him if he wanted to check my gear. He said yes so I let him take a look. He was pretty thorough, started measuring my beads distance from the weight (Made me a little anxious since I tied those leaders the first year I started fishing when online blogging told me that I need the shortest possible leader to not snag fish, honestly that's probably why I struggle with salmon in the river lol), I chatted about the rigs, asked if spinners and jigs were legal on anti snag fishing rivers (He claimed they were not) and a little bit about the fishery.

When I couldn't produce a license, he just said "tell you what, you seem pretty legit and I am 99% sure you aren't lying about not being able to find it, let me check your drivers license and I'll look you up in my truck and if I don't see you I'll just mail you a ticket". He then asked me where else I'd fished and if I thought it looked legit. For once there weren't snaggers at the hole closer to the mouth so I said yes.

Actually a pretty decent experience. I have complicated views about our law enforcement system but out of every agency I have the most positive feelings towards Game Wardens and Park or Forest Rangers. (Coast Guard too, but they're technically the military branch I feel the most positive towards.)
 
My dad and I had a interesting run in with one around 2015 at Ringold on the Columbia.

Dad was maybe 150 yards upstream from me. I looked up and saw the game warden by him. The guy was walking all around him. Dad was out in knee deep water. I didn't have any concerns because my dad is pretty friendly and i just assumed they were talking.

So the guy comes down to me. Jumps out of truck and says, "Is that your dad? Your dad was poaching. I know he had a barbed fly on. I watched it. He's in trouble." On and on he goes. He actually said, "your dads a poacher." I felt my anger boiling up.

"Are you done?" Blank look back into my soul.

"My father couldn't have had a barbed fly on because he has exactly 3 flies on him. These are flies I tie myself and I pinch the barb on them. You are welcome to check my box."

"Well he didn't follow my commands."

I said, "My father ia hard of hearing from his time of service and like most adults his age he is occasionally forgetful. Were your commands clear?"

I went on, "We have lived in Washington for almost 30 years and my dad doesn't so much have a speeding ticket on file. He is most certainly not a poacher."

About this time my dad was approaching from upstream. The guy gets in his truck and speeds away spinning his tires.

Dad, "Did that guy harrass you? What an asshole."

Me, "Nah he was too focused on you to even check my license," 🤣🤣🤣

So dads side of the story is he was fishing and noticed his fly was gone. He goes to tie on a new fly and hears this officer yell to freeze. Prior to that dad didn't even know the guy was there.

So the guy says he saw the fly was barbed through binoculars. My dad was so perplexed he didn't know what to do. The officer then walked all around him looking for this mystery barbed fly that dad supposedly dropped in the water as the officer was watching him. Of course he didn't find anything.

Funny thing was I had a cooler of Columbia Basin trout for mom. Some of which were over 20 inches. I can only imagine how that would have gone🤣🤣🤣
 
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Billy said:
My dad and I had a interesting run in with one around 2015 at Ringold on the Columbia.

Dad was maybe 150 yards upstream from me. I looked up and saw the game warden by him. The guy was walking all around him. Dad was out in knee deep water. I didn't have any concerns because my dad is pretty friendly and i just assumed they were talking.

So the guy comes down to me. Jumps out of truck and says, "Is that your dad? Your dad was poaching. I know he had a barbed fly on. I watched it. He's in trouble." On and on he goes. He actually said, "your dads a poacher." I felt my anger boiling up.

"Are you done?" Blank look back into my soul.

"My father couldn't have had a barbed fly on because he has exactly 3 flies on him. These are flies I tie myself and I pinch the barb on them. You are welcome to check my box."

"Well he didn't follow my commands."

I said, "My father ia hard of hearing from his time of service and like most adults his age he is occasionally forgetful. Were your commands clear?"

I went on, "We have lived in Washington for almost 30 years and my dad doesn't so much have a speeding ticket on file. He is most certainly not a poacher."

About this time my dad was approaching from upstream. The guy gets in his truck and speeds away spinning his tires.

Dad, "Did that guy harrass you? What an asshole."

Me, "Nah he was too focused on you to even check my licence," 🤣🤣🤣

So dads side of the story is he was fishing and noticed his fly was gone. He goes to tie on a new fly and hears this officer yell to freeze. Prior to that dad didn't even know the guy was there.

So the guy says he saw the fly was barbed through binoculars. My dad was so perplexed he didn't know what to do. The officer then walked all around him looking for this mystery barbed fly that dad supposedly dropped in the water as the officer was watching him. Of course he didn't find anything.

Funny thing was I had a cooler of Columbia Basin trout for mom. Some of which were over 20 inches. I can only imagine how that would have gone🤣🤣🤣
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I take it back. Delete the whole agency. Less is more.
 
In Washington, I can count the number of officers who have checked me on one hand. The last was a game warden in North Richland who was checking the boat launch before heading out. We had a nice chat and he never asked to see my license. I have hunted and fished my entire life in Washington and have only been checked a few times.

Oregon has much more visible State Patrol officers who have checked me numerous times. In NE Oregon at a high elevation lake, I’ve been checked multiple times in one week. On the middle and lower Deschutes, I’ve also been checked multiple times. Last time, I was fishing below Maupin in a run for steelhead. A gray truck pulled in front of mine and I thought that I would have another fisherman wanting to follow me through the run. It turns out that it was a OSP officer who said that I didn’t need to climb up the river bank. Asked who I was and my address. Once he confirmed it, I was good to go.

All of the interactions that I have had with law enforcement officers supporting game laws have been pleasant.
 
This post wasn't meant to start a bash-fest on wildlife enforcement, just on unusual interactions.

I have one on the opposite side of the equation. Was fishing a long bar during salmon season with about 10 other fisherman can't remember the watershed.

Anyway the game warden starts checking the upstream guy 1st, looks at his papers & terminal gear then works his way down the line. I'm about #7 of 10. He gets to me, I reel in and get ready for inspection. He walks up to me, looks me in the eye then turns away to the next guy. Not 1 word spoken.

Out of the whole lineup I was the only guy he didn't check....

Must have an honest face I guess?
 
I have been almost checked once since 1976. My wife and I were parked at Bullfrog on our way back from volunteering at and packing up the FFI fair in Eburg. IIRC it was the first year of the Discover Pass in 2011(?). I decided to test some NOS Redball waders I had purchased while working the silent auction tables, for backcountry use. We ate sandwiches and I waded out and made some casts while my wife sat in the truck only 60 yards away

A Game Warden pulled in, looked into the truck, saw my D Pass on the mirror, and even though I was in plain view, got back into his truck and left.
 
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My last encounter with Oregon fish and wildlife LEO was like.
He pulled into the parking lot and boat launch and started checking the power bait crowd for lic.
I was casting a fly in a cove for blue gill or crappy when he walked up. I turned to face him and give him my lic but he saw my Trout Unlimited hat and just ask if I had caught anything.
Nice young man and he told me I was a little early for crappy. Then he told me where the rocks were where the crappy hung out.
 
I can say I've never had a problem. Good kind talk with all Gamies....... except once......

I was fishing the Hoh with a PHWFF trip. 2 Gamies came down the road to where we were off the water fishing the run there. I knew PNW of the older Gamie and a very young Gamie. I think they were just checking the new guy to try to handle people. I knew the older guy (I used to remember his name until stroke, I can still see his face) and he asked how the program was doing and was giving some info on good places to fish where they saw fish. He went over to talk to Chuck (those of you who him, Chuck and I ran the NW PHWFF) while the new guy was doing the look over my boat. He started getting ready to write me numerous things that were illegal. I keep all my stuff WELL about legal. The drift boat i was using is also the one I use a motor on when I fish the Chehalis and take the kids fishing lakes. I had just taken kids to fish Riffe, so still had some trout fishing gear in back window. So was trying to hit me with bait (in sealed containers with trout rods) and all the hook on one rod with barb. Of the 3 trout rods, not being used at all in boxes, wasn't even used for trouts or this trip. Only reason no barb it was my Dad's trout rod I thought about using. Still set up way he left it when he passed. All the stuff wasn't being used and all were dry in the box. It was a pouring down day on the Hoh, if I was using it, it would me wet. Luckily older Gamie was watching what happened and walked over at me and pulled Gamie away for a bit so others couldn't hear. Older Gamie walked back over to my boat and apologized and said have a great day and hope you get some fish. I wish I could've heard what was said between 2. The newbie did walk back to road with his head down. Again, at that time, over 40 years with zero problems. And none after.
 
Let's consider things from the perspective of a game warden or State trooper. They are few and often operating alone in a big territory. Just like with a traffic stop there is always a rare <1% chance a routine encounter will escalate to violence (probably not even related to poaching). We all know there are a few "dead enders" holed up on public lands that cause problems. Then there are the professional poaching operations illegal harvesting abalone, bear gall bladder, shell fish... The simplest part of their job is to check for licenses etc at busy public fishing access areas. Most do it with a smile and know do the difference between an honest mistake and serial poaching. Drones and stake outs help them to identify the worst offenders. The restaurants and traffickers of poached fish and game have to be investigated as well. Again, a tough task for relatively few trained professionals When you meet them please be courteous and grateful there are a few out there working for us.
 
I had a brandy-new Washington Parks guy get pretty aggressive at a parking lot one time, Discover Pass, then fishing license, then checking my box for barbs and lecturing me they all needed to be pinched (wrong). Got kinda fresh when I asked what statutory authority a Parks guy had to enforce game laws (I had some background in this) and eventually left.

Other than that, every encounter I've had in every jurisdiction has been professional and pretty friendly. One intrepid Montana guy walked about 1/2 mile through a bunch of streamside blowdown to see my license, seemed sorta sad I'd bought a 3 day license during breakup...I was touring schools with my daughter and took an afternoon to fish while she did school stuff, just because it's blown out doesn't mean you can't fish... But, we had a nice conversation, walked back to the rigs together and I shared coffee outa my thermos with him, he loved his job.

I also had a WDFW guy walk a couple hundred yards of CRP toward us as we were bird hunting, checked orange and licenses and stamps and tags and such, and checked our shotguns for shell limiters. We were fine, he said have a good day and left. I think he just wanted out of the car.

I always try to be in compliance, sometimes I'm a bit out, like out of date fire extinguisher or something, but once they see that I'm trying things generally get companionable.
 
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