Very good guys around my area. One in my County also did my CC training course and to the County South of me stopped just to visit, see if we were having any luck. Did not ask for squat, but did offer some advice on Predator Hunting.

A number of years ago a couple of friends came out to the farm every Saturday and we would go shoot ground squires every week a game warden came out to see us we had permission to hunt on the land we were on and some one next door called in about us every week. Any how the warden was very nice and after about four weeks he laughed and said that he would see us next week he never said but we all new who was calling him. The warden and the three of us all were friends by the end of the summer. Never did know what the complainers problem was.

Our Bunny cops are great guys here in Sweetgrass county, they are VERY constitutionally minded,

Been hunting and fishing for 5 decades now and have had many,many contacts with the Game LEO's here in Oregon. I have never had a bad contact experience with any of them.

I do not give them any attitude so never receive none back.
Have had some ask me some leading questions kinda like they are trying to trip me up but since I have nothing to hide or lie about they finally quit asking those type of questions and everything goes smooth.

I am of the opinion that most people but not all that get an attitude from a GW or LEO first gives one to the officer or just has a problem with anyone in authority.

Most in my area are just normal guys doing their job, but several are some of the biggest poachers in the state. You know what John Dalber-Acton said, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".

WOW! that's crazy. What happened when you turned them in???

In nearly 60 years of hunting, I never met any that were poachers. I have met some that turned into true friends and I ony remember two who should be in a different line of work. Most are helpful and doing a thankless job. I'm glad they are out there.

Yep, I'd like to hear some details too.

We got one down here that is a real lazy piece of work and is trying to pick a fight with the base.

He wants the base that has it's own program. They have a game biologist and they work out the tag numbers. There are a few tags that can go to anyone, but you have to be able to pass a background check. The majority of the tags go to active duty, retired and they have a special hunt for Disabled guys. (deer, turkey, elk)
The new guys wants the base to open it to anyone and no set asides for military. SO they increase the number of tags a little for non-military, and as always, if there are any left over tags after the draw its a first come first serve tag to anyone. They have left over bull, and cow rifle tags and usually a number of left over archery tags.

That is going over like a fart in church.

Now the base is forcing everyone no matter age, to have a hunter saftey (fine) and then come in for a saftey brief where you turn in a stack of paperwork.

But because of the hassles they are saying that now they have to hire someone and they have to charge the cost of that employee to the hunters, so next year, instead of a $30 fee for hunting on the base it could be $100-150 for the fee, above what the cost tag ($135) It won't be long before it's just cheeper to go buy a ranchers cow and shoot that.

Classified...

Why do you say he's lazy?

We have a military base here in Alberta that allows hunting on a draw system. Every year it is harder to draw a tag as more and more hunters apply. Some think it is easier to be successful in the draw than spend the year knocking on doors for permission. Because of the movement restrictions, a hunter doesn't have huge areas to scout.
There is an orientation session daily where the rules are explained and areas pointed out for access etc. And yet there are lazy hunters who go to the trouble of entering the draw, winning a tag, showing up for the information briefing and then can't be bothered to follow the rules.
The draw rules change every year here as far as number of tags available, areas that are open etc. Some changes make hunters happy and the same changes torque others.You can't please everyone. F/W operates on a priority system here. All unsuccessful applicants get one priority point for the next draw. The points accumulate year to year.Some hunters simply buy the draw application and then 999 the selection which means they don't want a tag this year, just a priority point. Some guys have 10 or 12 points and have simply paid for the point each year.In some cases like goats or sheep, because of the popularity of the draw, a person needs to live to be 437 years old to get one of the tags. We have this system because of the cry babaies who whine 'I never get a draw, but my brother gets his.WAAAAAA!" If it's a draw, then it should be random.Everyone has the same chance.

As far as increasing the fees, I have no problem with that. Let the oes who want to hunt there pay for admin costs. Why add those costs to everyone's license fees. That is what they will do to cover the cost.

We have hunters who apply for a hunt who have never taken one step in an area up for draws. They get the draw and then are on the internet hunt boards asking which landowner or area to go to for a hunt.
It's often the game wardens who help out, with contacts and info on game movements.

Reporting someone and being able to be taken serious and prove it are two different things. I'm sure every locality has police on the take, abuses of power, etc.

I have a relative that's a policeman I don't think he's out directly stealing, but I know he and his wife drive any speed they want ticket free, he eats free just about everywhere in town, etc. It's all the buddy system.

I agree. It's the same thing when you are accused. In order to be taken seriously, there has to be proof.

So you had a bad experience when you filed a complaint?

Do you have any proof that the Game wardens are poaching, or your relative drives whatever speed he wants?

I never filed any complaint, nor would I get involved the fallout from doing so, proof or not. I've known guys who hunt bear over bait (illegal in our state) with game wardens, spot light with game wardens, etc.

As far as the relative driving, I've been in the car with him. I've seen him pulled over, tell them who he is, then drive off. Anyone who has LEO as friends or family can normally attest they pretty much get away with whatever they want. There are bad eggs in law enforcement in every city and state.

[quote=Redfrog


Why do you say he's lazy?

We have a military base here in Alberta that allows hunting on a draw system. [/quote]

He is lazy since he won't show up for the meeting and just dictates what he wants..
Its a touchy situation and rather than just close it out, the base is going to make it expensive and once the numbers get low enough, or this guy gets them mad enought they will just say no, and then it's a no-go case and it's going to be closed out.
There are cry babies every where and it sure seems like there are a bunch of them in big game hunting. We have the same type of draw system here too. This base is small and only 12 sq miles (a tiny section of the very productive area where most of it is open to public) and the opens, closures, and what ever else the base does makes it challenging in it's own regaurds.
Civilians crying they can't apply for the set asside tags on the base where they store Ammunition is a case of the grass is greener on the other side of the fence deal.
This warden wants to force the base to allow open access, and the base would rather close it all together than do that.
I like hunting there, because you don't have to deal with with crazy foot race of trying to tag your animal before someone else does wild behavior I hear all the time out here during the rest of the hunts. Most of these guys are very nice and when a shot goes off usually a couple of guy show up, roll up their sleves and give you a hand.
I just hate to see that messed up.

I think you were referring to Camp Navajo in Unit 6B since that would be the small military base with elk on it. The requirements that Camp Navajo has for hunter access is extensive. Here is a link for what Camp Navajo requires.

http://www.azguard.gov/CampNavajo.htm

All of these requirements are established by the base, not by the AGFD.

According to requirement 2, the base is open to hunting by nonmilitary people with several restrictions.

The state laws established by the AGFD Commission for taking wildlife also apply inside military bases. The Camp Navajo access requirements conflict with state laws for taking wildlife. For example, requirement 7 says that predator hunting and small game hunting is not allowed on the base. Since the base is open to hunting by military personnel and others, why not allow opportunities to take small game and predators? Why prevent hunters from taking small game and predators during their big game hunt? Personally, I think this restriction is an over reach by the base.

Closing the base to military people and others for taking predators and small game has nothing to do with controlling access. The purpose for this appears more in line with an anti hunting agenda.

Look at the indecisive restrictions the base commander has put on firearms as a condition for access in requirement 9. If there was a security issue, the base can be closed to entry at any time. Designating certain areas as archery only is fine, but it appears that hunters are being purposely setup to break the base regulations when the base commander does not know what weapon types can be used before the hunting season starts and can change weapon types without notice.

You should support the game warden. They are trying to get military folks to have the same opportunities for hunting wildlife on the base as civilians have off the base. It is not fair for military people to receive less. I think the AGFD has made good progress in getting more hunting opportunities at Camp Navajo, but there is still more that needs to be done to resolve all the conflicts.