Utah Game Wardens

MuleyKiller

Active Member
Messages
100
I am a resident of Utah and have hunted here for 30 plus years in multiple areas and multiple species. Not once have i been checked by a Game Warden. I have only seen one once in 30 years during the hunts. I have hunted Colorado and Wyoming for the past 15 years and have seen a Warden everytime I have been to Colorado and have been checked multiple times. Wyoming I have been checked twice and saw them or talked to them multiple other times. Just wondering if others have noticed this and have any thoughts on the subject?
 
I'm 43 and have been hunting Utah my entire life. We've/I've been checked maybe 2 or 3 times.
 
What are you wanting more employees to raise the price of tags? Be careful of what you are trying to ask for.
I'll gladly increase the price of my tags to fund additional enforcement.

I've been checked once in Utah and over a dozen times in surrounding states. We definitely are lacking.

On the deer opener in Logan Canyon this year, there were 5 wardens sitting on chairs at the check station watching cars drive by. Imagine how much more could've been done with one guy at the check station and the rest in the field checking licenses, hunter safety, and just being seen for public awareness.

I can tell you with the poor deer numbers that they aren't all needed to check the few guys who stopped to have a tooth pulled.
 
I'll gladly increase the price of my tags to fund additional enforcement.

I've been checked once in Utah and over a dozen times in surrounding states. We definitely are lacking.

On the deer opener in Logan Canyon this year, there were 5 wardens sitting on chairs at the check station watching cars drive by. Imagine how much more could've been done with one guy at the check station and the rest in the field checking licenses, hunter safety, and just being seen for public awareness.

I can tell you with the poor deer numbers that they aren't all needed to check the few guys who stopped to have a tooth pulled.
So hire more to sit in those chairs at check station....it’s not that anyone needs more employees it’s the fact that no one works anymore, we all scroll through social media all day long...lol
 
My guess is that maybe one of the five was a LEO. There are a lot of folks that work for the DNR that are not LEO. Especially on the deer check stations.

I've been stopped at DNR administrative check points more times than I care to remember. Now those can tie up 20-30 DWR LEO along with a few HP and sheriff.
 
24 years here never been checked. Was just talking to a neighbor about this. Every time I've been to CO I've been checked or seen a Game Warden in the field. Utah just relies on buddies to roll on them. That's why they offer the tag for the unit you turn the poacher in for.
 
Have never been checked but have talked to the local warden twice while hunting. He never seemed inclined to need to check, just talked to him like a normal guy.

Did call him up once when we found a fawn tracking collar on my daughter's elk hunt a few years back. Didn't check then either.

Nice guy...
 
I’ve been at it for almost 50 years. Probably been checked a dozen times. Only one time did I think that the warden was less than pleasant/professional
 
Have never been checked but have talked to the local warden twice while hunting. He never seemed inclined to need to check, just talked to him like a normal guy.

Did call him up once when we found a fawn tracking collar on my daughter's elk hunt a few years back. Didn't check then either.

Nice guy...


Your post reminded me that I have run into Shumway on San Juan and La Sal and he has been excellent. He never checked my license, just visited about the hunt and whatnot. He seems like a really good guy.
 
I'll gladly increase the price of my tags to fund additional enforcement.

I've been checked once in Utah and over a dozen times in surrounding states. We definitely are lacking.

On the deer opener in Logan Canyon this year, there were 5 wardens sitting on chairs at the check station watching cars drive by. Imagine how much more could've been done with one guy at the check station and the rest in the field checking licenses, hunter safety, and just being seen for public awareness.

I can tell you with the poor deer numbers that they aren't all needed to check the few guys who stopped to have a tooth pulled.
Those are biologists and maybe... maybe one actual LEO certified Officer.
 
Hunted Utah for 40 plus years and been checked a handful of times. However, on several units I hunt, I know the wardens by name and go out of my way to make contact when I see them. They are always invited to our camp to visit and stop for a cold water or soda.

I agree in Wyoming and Colorado they are out and about much more and making contact much more often.

That being said, I see very little if any questionable situations in Utah where I hunt during the seasons.
 
2017 Elk. I called a game warden to make sure I was on a piece of property the DWR recently purchased. After I shot the elk I called back and asked him to come and check my license. Told him to bring a meat pack too. He gladly accepted. Thanks Preston!
 
Been checked a couple times in Utah bowhunting for deer and many times hunting waterfowl (almost every time I go out hunting ducks or geese).
 
Your post reminded me that I have run into Shumway on San Juan and La Sal and he has been excellent. He never checked my license, just visited about the hunt and whatnot. He seems like a really good guy.
D Shumway is a Great Guy!

One of the Best Anywhere in My Eyes!

Yep, same guy. One time on our way through between Blanding and Monticello, one of the kids had a mishap with a milkshake. Pulled over to deal with it, and Dennis stopped to see if everything was OK. Said it was and away he went.

He bowhunts as well, had a deer tag the same year I had one and we cussed and discussed a little about it one of the times I stopped to talk instead of just driving by.
 
I Get a Kick out of the Opening Morning of QUACKER Season at Farmington Bay!

You're suppose to wait till opening time!

Some Smart-Ass Cracks a Shot Off 1 Hour Prior & The ROAR Begins!

20,000 TARDS Break the Law & 5 UN-LUCKY TARDS Get Citations!

All Over a NASTY QUACKER!

JFP!
 
I Get a Kick out of the Opening Morning of QUACKER Season at Farmington Bay!

You're suppose to wait till opening time!

Some Smart-Ass Cracks a Shot Off 1 Hour Prior & The ROAR Begins!

20,000 TARDS Break the Law & 5 UN-LUCKY TARDS Get Citations!

All Over a NASTY QUACKER!

JFP!
That’s only happened once. Back in 2013 when you had to wait until 8:00 to start shooting. and there were way more than 5 who got tickets. The year after is when they changed the shooting hours to half hour before sunrise. The earliest I’ve heard at FB since then is about 5 minutes.
 
Utah just isn’t ticket happy like other states I guess.
In Wyoming you get a ticket for leaving a water bottle out in camp
 
Utah is by far the worst for petty tickets. Utah are law enforcement not public servants.
There is a reason they check waterfowlers and fishermen. Close to home and plenty of people people to find a reason to ticket.
They look for a reason to give you a ticket, then lie when questioned.
 
Utah is by far the worst for petty tickets. Utah are law enforcement not public servants.
There is a reason they check waterfowlers and fishermen. Close to home and plenty of people people to find a reason to ticket.
They look for a reason to give you a ticket, then lie when questioned.
I had a run in with a UDWR officer last January that I thought was petty...
My daughter my son and I came out of private land that only we had a key to... We had two cows loaded in the truck, loaded the snowmobiles and were just getting ready to leave ... An officer pulls up we start talking about our day he checks our tags and ID, and we start to part ways him to his truck us into mine.,..

He then comes back and asks if we were wearing hunter’s orange while hunting? I say to be honest no we weren’t we are the only ones who have access to this property... He then proceeds to write all 3 of us a ticket that ended up costing me $475.00 bucks... I thought that was looking for a quota on his part...
 
I also should say that 99 percent of my interactions with DWR officers are great... That one above just left a sour taste in my mouth....
 
I had a run in with a UDWR officer last January that I thought was petty...
My daughter my son and I came out of private land that only we had a key to... We had two cows loaded in the truck, loaded the snowmobiles and were just getting ready to leave ... An officer pulls up we start talking about our day he checks our tags and ID, and we start to part ways him to his truck us into mine.,..

He then comes back and asks if we were wearing hunter’s orange while hunting? I say to be honest no we weren’t we are the only ones who have access to this property... He then proceeds to write all 3 of us a ticket that ended up costing me $475.00 bucks... I thought that was looking for a quota on his part...
Aren’t you required to wear orange?
 
I've hunted in UT for 28 years and have only been checked once. It was on Mt Dutton (first day of cow elk and spike elk hunt). I did hear from another hunter that there was rumor that someone poached a nice bull that morning. Maybe that's why they were there??
 
Utah is by far the worst for petty tickets. Utah are law enforcement not public servants.
There is a reason they check waterfowlers and fishermen. Close to home and plenty of people people to find a reason to ticket.
They look for a reason to give you a ticket, then lie when questioned.
This is the most accurate statement I’ve heard all week
 
If you go hunting in a popular spot with only 1 or two access points, be prepared to get checked! I have been checked many times here in Northern Utah! I once had an officer pull me back to his rig and show me CWMU boundaries "just to help me understand where I could and could not hunt." I was nowhere near HIS CWMU that HE was patrolling! Ticks me off that he was more concerned about what goes on in a CWMU than policing the several hundred folks on public lands all around him!

I have seen the "Opening day trap" several times here in Utah where the DWR and sheriff will set up a blockade at around 4:00 pm and catch every Tom, Dick, and Harry that rolls out of the hills ill-prepared with expired atv registration or, you name it! I have seen the line of offenders pulled over waiting their turn to get their citations and even when you think you have done everything correct, They will dig until they can find something on you.

I had my gun in a case with the bolt action opened, no rounds in the gun. They asked to see it. I popped it open and he said it looks good. My dad had his in his case with no rounds in it with the bolt closed. The DWR officer threw a fit like he was gonna shoot the old man! He saw the bolt closed and treated it like a bomb threat! "Sir I want you to very carefully and slowly open the action on that gun. No one gets hurt if you do as I say!" Dad never picked up the gun from the case, just touched it long enough to open the bolt and let the officer pick it up and examine it.

But yes, from what I am hearing on this thread, it sounds like DWR is only checking in the easiest, most concentrated access points. They can generate more revenue with little wasted resources.

Yet another reason why our herds are declining in this state. Not enough resources to put eyes in all the remote areas, which allows poachers and other offenders to get away with whatever they want to.

WE need to do our part to police what is rightfully ours to hunt and call in what we observe and witness!
 
I agree. Rarely checked in many years. That said, I was checked, with my son, in the strangest of all places this year on our spike only elk hunt. I won't say where, but it was baffling to me to see a DNR officer in this small section of country. He had driven his truck way back in there, super rough roads. One way in and out. He could have sat at the bottom and checked everyone coming out that evening. ~ 10 guys hunting this little area total. Maybe it's a problem area(new area to us) and that is why they check it, but it was baffling to me.
 
I was fishing the green river and when I got out of the water got checked by the fish cop
Everything was fine. Packed my float tube and a few things to the truck went back down and got the rest, same fish cop checked me again when I picked up my fishing pole wanted to see my license again. Did not care he checked me 10min before and my license was at the truck. He smiled and chuckled as he wrote me a ticket.
My brother was met by a fish cop as he hiked out of a canyon. Gave him a ticket when he leaned against his ATV to get his license out. Because he did not clear his chamber when he touched his ATV.
Buddy got 2 failure to tag when he had a double doe deer tags. Drug them 10 yards to a 2track without tagging them.....10 yards = $1500 fine
 
I’ve been hunting Utah for 30 plus years and have been checked about as many times. Only once was the experience unpleasant. We had been shooting carp with our bows and this warden was positive we were shooting trout. After laughing at his evidence of what turned out to be a dead carp he let us move on. I have also dealt with Shumway in the Lasal’s and he is awesome. I would hunt there again just because I know it’s in such good hands
 
It sounds like Utah has to check more thoroughly the hunts where the bag limit is more than one.

Maybe it's a public education issue? :ROFLMAO:
 
I'm 49 and i've been hunting since twelve, fishing since five. Back in the 80's it seemed like we got checked a lot but mostly while fishing. I haven't been checked for anything since I can't remember when. I have had some chats with wardens in the field over the last few years but it was never law enforcement type talking, more hunting conversations.

I will say one thing about Utah conversation officers, I like the newer young generation we have now much more than the older guys that are now retired. In the past you had guys like Doug Messerly, Gary McKell and others. I would describe them as something that rhymes with "rock chuckers" and I don't mean the RCBS reloading press. Their attitude was everyone in the field was guilty of something. They checked everyone, treated most folks as felons and they were not above entrapment. They were not the friendly helpful type we have now.
 
I haven't been checked much. This year on the any bull rifle had one drive right by me. Maybe he was worried about the kung flu. Or just doing camp checks.
 
Been hunting Utah quite awhile; used to to see the warden on horseback every now and then but haven't for about 10 years. Been checked many, many times and only had two experiences that made me wonder wtf. Once we were about 60 yards off the road glassing a hillside and saw a bear, we bs'd with the warden who pulled over to see what was going on, even let him look at it with our binos and spotters. We then went over to his truck. He had a doe in the back and my dad asked what happened, he told us and then my dad asked what do you do on something like that. The next thing you know it was the Spanish inquisition all sorts of questions from him, have you done that? what do you think. etc, etc, etc......... I grabbed my dad and left. 2nd was I just got through putting the last load of a four point bull in my truck and the warden came over and said someone saw me shoot a cow, I dropped the tailgate and showed him that my cow had 4 points.....
 
I have been checked a bunch of times. More than a few were my fault but still not right. The most egregious happened in Wyoming... I was actually hunting in Wyoming and knew the Utah warden. He and I talked a few times. He knew the area I was hunting and said he had a gentlemen’s agreement with the Wyoming warden and “they” considered the area I was hunting as “Utah” up to the ridgeline. The problem was it was Wyoming.

I checked with the Wyoming warden and he said I was good to go. The Wyoming warden was pragmatic about the boundary. He pointed to an area where the road changes from gravel to paved. The Utah side being paved. He thought that would be pretty accurate because Utah would not pay a penny to pave a road in Wyoming and Wyoming would not pay a penny to maintain a Utah road. The exact spot they changed matched the statutory boundary of Utah and Wyoming.

That didn’t stop the Utah Warden from harassing me several times during the hunt. He said if he saw me hunting in the area he would ticket me. Said I would end up in court and would ruin my season. I explained the potential lawsuit and that his jurisdiction ended at the state line. He would actually follow me in Wyoming and would park and watch me through glass as I hunted. He made several remarks about stalks I was on and how the elk responded etc...Towards the end of the hunt he followed me for 40 mins from camp and got out of his truck like he was actually going to hike behind me for the afternoon. I was 15 plus miles into Wyoming for that hunt. In the end, the Wyoming warden had to intervene. I killed a 344 bull in Wyoming and the Utah warden was trying to demand the kill site GPS location. He tried to tell me that I had a statutory obligation to give GPS location when asked about kill site upon demand by a game warden. I killed my bull about 3/4 mile from Utah as the crow flies. I was over the ridge and actually could not even see the Utah boundary from the kill site. I gave the GPS coordinates to the Wyoming warden as a safe guard.

That next spring I had a chance encounter with the same Utah warden while I was fishing in Utah. He was an asshat and very confrontational. He said I got “lucky” and he had hiked to my kill site. He said I was too close to Utah for his liking and he didn’t like me hunting in the area. I have never had my fishing license scrutinized so much. For the next two to three years he went out of his way to check my fishing license on the river.

In the end, I had a Utah Warden upset that I was elk hunting in Wyoming with a Wyoming elk tag. Not impressed with him at all. If not for the Wyoming warden, I do believe the Utah warden would have tried to ruin my hunt and arrest me. Not sure what I did to the guy but he was convinced I was up to no good. Didn’t matter to him that I was actually a Utah Police Officer at the time either. I was nice for the first couple encounters but eventually became and ass to him. He really believed he had the authority to change the state line. The Wyoming warden told me I was not the first Wyoming hunter to have issues with him.
 
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LOL Utah400Elk!

Reminds Me of the Time My Wife Got Pulled over for Driving too Close to the White Line! (Now Just How F'N Close is Too Close?)

It's Always amazed Me that there isn't a State Fence Line around the Perimeter of TARDville!

We've got Fence Lines every where else in this State!
 
A good friend had the same Wyoming tag a couple years later and we didn’t have any issues on his hunt. He shot a 335 bull within a half mile of where I shot mine. Never ran into the warden on that hint.
 
I am a retired LEO (State Park Ranger) and worked afield in various locations all around the state. Did a stint even as a deputy warden (for issuing transportation permits and checking hunters tags for improprieties). I have even been checked a few times by rookie wardens who didn't know me (one warden was riding with his supervisor and I was duck hunting and wanted to check my shotgun for plug- I had no problem with that). And I even had one I knew quite well prank me by removing my tag when I looked away! Part of the reason the wardens might not check everyone- in Nevada they have a computer print-out of every licensee/tag holder for the particular hunts in their area- and they are looking for suspicious or JDLR circumstances. All the wardens I knew/worked with for over 35 yrs. were very diligent in performance of their duties IMO. I do know of a few instances that some were fired for improprieties that were work related- but that could happen in all areas of employment, both government and private sector.
 
Old Penrose on the cache was not fun to deal, most were glad to see him retire.
He would check your fishing liscence and come back 30 min later and ask again
 
Every time I run into jack in the field, it was confrontational. Always looking for a problem.
I only had a couple encounters with him and it was always later December- February time frame so maybe he wasn't looking as hard for trouble makers lol
 
I’ve ran into some real winners before. Most of the bigger Delta Bravos stay pretty close to the waterfowl WMAs, where they can sit in their truck and catch guys on their way down the main road headed out.

one time I saw a ticket wrote for an over the limit pintail possession, when it was 1 per hunter, per day. The catch was he had one drake pintail already, the other “pintail” was a hybrid drake mallardXpintail cross. Green head, pintail bill, feet and tail feathers. Beautiful bird. The guy was thrilled about his duck. Officer took all the guys birds and wrote him a ticket. I was 13 when I saw that. Didn’t know the guy, but I was extremely angry for him. Hope he got out of that one.

another time I saw a “failure to tag at point of kill” ticket wrote, regarding a swan on center dike. A guy sky busted one and it glided out on the ice. The dude was scared to death of ice and didn’t want his dog out on it either. His buddy offered to go get it. Left his gun on the bank. Spent 30 minutes trying to run down this wounded swan. Finally catches it and drags it back to the dike, still alive. The hunter, then takes the bird from his buddy and dispatched it, right as an DWR officer truck pulls up to them. Apparently they watched the whole thing go down and noticed the guy didn’t kill it, when he got ahold of it. Catch was, had he done so, I feel they would have nailed him for poaching, since he didn’t have a tag. As you can imagine, tempers flared rather quickly over the whole deal. I think that’s the closest I’ve ever seen someone come to going to jail for hitting a cop. The whole damn dike was getting involved on that deal before too long. It was everyone against the two cops. We left before it all was over. But the last I saw, the officer was holding the swan and being arrested was on the table for disorderly conduct and failure to comply.

I could go on for pages about these kinds of deals. Yes there are a few good ones out there. I’ve had many pleasant encounters with them. But I’ve had my fair share and witnessed my fair share of the “other encounters” as well. The one thing I’ve learned is, don’t ever admit to more than they are questioning you about and don’t give them any more information than they already have. All you’re doing is putting the noose around your neck by yourself. The little statement “tell us what happened, what you know and any other details that might be important. We will help you, if you help us.” That’s the biggest lie in the world.
 
Hey BacDoc?

What Were You Really Up too?:D
Just enjoying the outdoors with my kids. Accused me once of shooting my sons cow elk in the roadless the year before. You know my sons, think they need any help? Told him to follow us in and watch and learn. After that it was always confrontational. Could never draw a bull tag but taught the boys a lot about packing and camping on those trips. For several year had two cow tags a year, between family members. Only horns we packed out was a dead head once when it was still allowed. Now Neal Bingham was a stand up guy, and always pleasant to meet in the field.
 
Good to hear from You Bern!

Hope You're Doing OK!

If Me & You get any more Beat Up!

Our Kids Will Have To PACK & SHOOT!:D
 
I have had great interactions with a few wardens in CO. I think I caught the guy on a bad year...who knows...c’est la vie.

Well, the next draw season is almost on us. I hope everybody, even the bad wardens, have a happy and healthy Christmas. I wish everybody luck in the next draw season (just not as good of luck as I am holding out for my son and I) and hope 2021 is a bit of a better year for everybody.
 
Had one interaction and it was fishing. I made a mistake and did not realize my fishing license for UT (non-res) had expired. It had expired 5 days prior. My son and my girlfriend both had licenses and I showed him my license from the previous year.

He allowed me to buy a license on the spot and continue fishing afterwards.

Mistake on my part but at least he was good about it. I've had a license in UT for the last 6 or so years and was not trying to get one over which he must've realized. Super cool guy.
 
I’ve worked the deer checking stations as part of the “Dedicated Hunter” program so it’s not just DWR employees you see. I’ve been checked and overall had positive experiences - with a couple of exceptions.

With so many ways to report violations now a days, I’d think the method of checking people has changed. More targeted and less random.
 
I turned in a potential poaching situation a few years back, was treated poorly by the individual I worked with. Told me I should have had the GPS coordinates of the animal which I didn't have but told him I would take him to the spot myself after he chewed me out for not having GPS coordinates and telling me he was super busy. Even when we met up he treated me like crap. Will always do the right thing but it did sour me on dealing with the dwr.
 
I have been checked a bunch of times. More than a few were my fault but still not right. The most egregious happened in Wyoming... I was actually hunting in Wyoming and knew the Utah warden. He and I talked a few times. He knew the area I was hunting and said he had a gentlemen’s agreement with the Wyoming warden and “they” considered the area I was hunting as “Utah” up to the ridgeline. The problem was it was Wyoming.

I checked with the Wyoming warden and he said I was good to go. The Wyoming warden was pragmatic about the boundary. He pointed to an area where the road changes from gravel to paved. The Utah side being paved. He thought that would be pretty accurate because Utah would not pay a penny to pave a road in Wyoming and Wyoming would not pay a penny to maintain a Utah road. The exact spot they changed matched the statutory boundary of Utah and Wyoming.

That didn’t stop the Utah Warden from harassing me several times during the hunt. He said if he saw me hunting in the area he would ticket me. Said I would end up in court and would ruin my season. I explained the potential lawsuit and that his jurisdiction ended at the state line. He would actually follow me in Wyoming and would park and watch me through glass as I hunted. He made several remarks about stalks I was on and how the elk responded etc...Towards the end of the hunt he followed me for 40 mins from camp and got out of his truck like he was actually going to hike behind me for the afternoon. I was 15 plus miles into Wyoming for that hunt. In the end, the Wyoming warden had to intervene. I killed a 344 bull in Wyoming and the Utah warden was trying to demand the kill site GPS location. He tried to tell me that I had a statutory obligation to give GPS location when asked about kill site upon demand by a game warden. I killed my bull about 3/4 mile from Utah as the crow flies. I was over the ridge and actually could not even see the Utah boundary from the kill site. I gave the GPS coordinates to the Wyoming warden as a safe guard.

That next spring I had a chance encounter with the same Utah warden while I was fishing in Utah. He was an asshat and very confrontational. He said I got “lucky” and he had hiked to my kill site. He said I was too close to Utah for his liking and he didn’t like me hunting in the area. I have never had my fishing license scrutinized so much. For the next two to three years he went out of his way to check my fishing license on the river.

In the end, I had a Utah Warden upset that I was elk hunting in Wyoming with a Wyoming elk tag. Not impressed with him at all. If not for the Wyoming warden, I do believe the Utah warden would have tried to ruin my hunt and arrest me. Not sure what I did to the guy but he was convinced I was up to no good. Didn’t matter to him that I was actually a Utah Police Officer at the time either. I was nice for the first couple encounters but eventually became and ass to him. He really believed he had the authority to change the state line. The Wyoming warden told me I was not the first Wyoming hunter to have issues with him.
He sounds like the warden who my cousin messed with and had him canoeing out to check his license because he refused to come in from fishing on a lake. The warden was a jerk to my cousin the weekend prior so the next time he came out to check his license he said nope come to me. The warden came to my cousin after my cousin announced he was also LEO and going to report his conduct he stopped. He did try to give my cousin a warning about his spare life vest or something stupid like that until my cousin pointed out that he couldn’t because he wasn’t using it.
 
Kinda Funny!

I've Never had an Issue with Jack!

However!

I Remember back about 25-30 Years ago He Checked Me & My Friends!

A Few 100 Rounds of Empties on the Floor Boards!

We had 7 Guns in the Cab!

I Think He was Thinking He Had Us!

"""One of them has gotta have a Live Round in the Pipe"""

Checked all 7 Guns!

He Couldn't Come up with a Violation of any Kind!

But He kept looking at all the Empties on the FloorBoards with a funny look!

That's Just How We use to Store Our Empties back in the day!:D
 
I've been hunting Utah for 40 years and love it. I have never been checked by a warden. I'm a non-resident and have never purchased a hunting license from Utah. Best state to get away with poaching.
 
Was/is Jack a tall slender guy who works out in the Dagget county area?
He was in Duchesne and Uintah counties for along time before he moved up there. My fondest memories of him were back then . Run into him a time or two later around Manilla he hadn’t changed. Heard they elected him Mayor.
 
Right, lol even if he's joking I guarantee they are looking into it.

Personally I would be real careful what you say on this thread, I guarantee they are watching it, jokes or not.
I’ve got a couple somewhat colorful Facebook pages that are utah hunting related for waterfowl and big game, where it’s not really censored like all the others are. Anyways, people make jokes about poaching, unethical activities or other bad behavior. I’ve received phone calls regarding a few posts on both pages. They watch. I think they get that most are jokes, but there are a few from time to time that seem like there might be some truth to it, and they do follow up on them.
 
Maybe the Wardens watching you/your group and they new there was no reason to check you this way people think the Wardens aren’t around. A Warden told us that once

Joe
 
Maybe the Wardens watching you/your group and they new there was no reason to check you this way people think the Wardens aren’t around. A Warden told us that once

Joe
They aren’t. They’d have to leave their trucks for that to take place.

but to think that COULD be a possibility, will definitely keep most guys honest
 
They aren’t. They’d have to leave their trucks for that to take place.

but to think that COULD be a possibility, will definitely keep most guys honest

I know of a case that we let the Wardens know of a person that was doing this and that and after awhile we thought nothing was being done but 3 seasons later they arrested and prosecuted him. The Warden said the more times they could rack up evidence the more charges would be filed and the Judge would rule Heavy against the person, the guy lost his hunting privileges so win win
 
These are Waterfowl and Turkey violations. Waterfowl violations are a Federal Offense. I was checked by two Federal Game Warden once and these guys look like a combination of a US Marshall and an FBI Agent in other words you don’t want to mess with these guys!
Joe
 
BillyBoB, I’d say that’s because you look like a straight shooter and that maybe you had some info on some wrong doers!
 
These are Waterfowl and Turkey violations. Waterfowl violations are a Federal Offense. I was checked by two Federal Game Warden once and these guys look like a combination of a US Marshall and an FBI Agent in other words you don’t want to mess with these guys!
Joe
I tangled with a fed at bear river once over my right to remain silent when he asked what my SSN was, after he already had my hunting license, drivers license and truck registration with all my info on it. I damn near almost went to jail for it. Had another fed tangle with me once at Farmington over absolutely nothing. That didn’t work out well for him ? feds are a whole other level of azzhole when it comes to wardens! Only the elite DBs can achieve the fed rank!
 
I tangled with a fed at bear river once over my right to remain silent when he asked what my SSN was, after he already had my hunting license, drivers license and truck registration with all my info on it. I damn near almost went to jail for it. Had another fed tangle with me once at Farmington over absolutely nothing. That didn’t work out well for him ? feds are a whole other level of azzhole when it comes to wardens! Only the elite DBs can achieve the fed rank
 
I tangled with a fed at bear river once over my right to remain silent when he asked what my SSN was, after he already had my hunting license, drivers license and truck registration with all my info on it. I damn near almost went to jail for it. Had another fed tangle with me once at Farmington over absolutely nothing. That didn’t work out well for him ? feds are a whole other level of azzhole when it comes to wardens! Only the elite DBs can achieve the fed rank.
Never Never Ever Ever give a the Police or other one else your SS number!! Here’s why by having your # that is the only way they can find out past offenses driving or whatever! I had a suspended DL the Detective of this small town of 8k I had to sue to get the balance of $3,200 over him moving in the home I just completel.
So the cops were head hunting me, I had a suspended DL this other cop sees me driving follows me tells me something was wrong with my back light when I did he just turned me around and handcuffed me he didn’t even say why, So back at the cop shop he ask me for my SSN I asked why when I kept refusing him i could see it in his face ”like oh no I F*ck up! Then I knew I was on to something when he said if you don’t give it to me I’m going to take you to the Sheriffs office and have you arrested! Need list to say I laughed and said let’s go! So after an hour or so of trying to get people I know that the cops knew too to give him my # because if I didn’t he may loss his job! Guess what the cop lost his job, I’ll add more in a little while

Joe
 
Never Never Ever Ever give a the Police or other one else your SS number!! Here’s why by having your # that is the only way they can find out past offenses driving or whatever! I had a suspended DL the Detective of this small town of 8k I had to sue to get the balance of $3,200 over him moving in the home I just completel.
So the cops were head hunting me, I had a suspended DL this other cop sees me driving follows me tells me something was wrong with my back light when I did he just turned me around and handcuffed me he didn’t even say why, So back at the cop shop he ask me for my SSN I asked why when I kept refusing him i could see it in his face ”like oh no I F*ck up! Then I knew I was on to something when he said if you don’t give it to me I’m going to take you to the Sheriffs office and have you arrested! Need list to say I laughed and said let’s go! So after an hour or so of trying to get people I know that the cops knew too to give him my # because if I didn’t he may loss his job! Guess what the cop lost his job, I’ll add more in a little while

Joe
I wish I would have let him take me to jail instead of finally giving to him. That guy is a royal DB! I won’t go back to bear river because of that incident. Very unprofessional, violating my rights, threats, false accusations.... and on top of all of that, it was right after I just did his damn job and went out of my way, take an extra 2 hours of my time, to tow not 1, but 2 boats back that were broke down that he would have had to go get himself.
 
BillyBoB, I’d say that’s because you look like a straight shooter and that maybe you had some info on some wrong doers!
Last year during archery season, I was strictly there helping family and friends as a spotter because I know the unit well. We had a big buck bedded about 600 yards away as a friend went in for his first ever stalk. It took about 3 hours for him to get into position as my nephew and I took turns being the spotter offering each other breaks to stretch and such. During my break, I walked back to camp to gather some more water and snacks. The warden stopped by to chat. I told him what was unfolding as our group was waiting this deer out and the warden wanted details. Oh the irony.
The stalk ended up lasting 8 hours with no shot. It sucked!
 
Your post reminded me that I have run into Shumway on San Juan and La Sal and he has been excellent. He never checked my license, just visited about the hunt and whatnot. He seems like a really good guy.
Dennis is the only guy I’ve ever been checked by for big game... More like he was obligated than concerned? Hell of guy!!!
I’ve been hunting since I was 14, and I’m 46 years old.
 
Getting a SSN is not a big deal. As a former Utah Police Officer, it’s not needed. Not sure why they would have been so adamant about getting it when all they need is name and date of birth. DL and hunting license would work as well. They can track your driving history through DL search and arrest history through NCIC.
 
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