Fish Cops

grizzmoose

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Id like to know how all of you feel about fish and game officers. Im sure all of us have had some sort of interaction with them while hunting, some bad, and hopefully good experiences.

Im getting ready to graduate from college in the next couple of months, and Ive thought about applying with Fish and Game. Any sportsman I have mentioned this to has strongly encouraged me to find other employment. It seems no one likes a fish cop. So anyways, Id like to hear some of your negative and positive experiences you have had with them while in the field.

Thanks,

-Travis
 
My experience has all been generally positive, and in some cases it has been extremely positive! I recently got to know one of the AZ G&F Wildlife Managers quite well through a joint volunteer youth deer hunters camp we ran. I can say that after getting to know the officer (and others through the years...) I have GREAT respect for what these guys do.

Kudos to the harworking wildlife officers. Good luck if you go into that line of work!!!

S.

:)
 
In the three states that I have hunted/fished in I have had nothing but positive experiences with the Wardens, now this might be due to the fact that I was never in violation of any of the laws. They have a hard job, are under budgeted and understaffed in most cases.

Mike
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Positive. When I hear about people, or know of people that ##### about game wardens its usually because the game warden had just cause to be a little suspicious or give the ticket or whatever. I know several people who've got tickets for this and that over the years. Some breaking rules on purpose, others by ignorance or forgetting something...honestly. They ##### and ##### and call names and cry and moan, but the warden just did the job that we all have hired him to do!

Good Luck.
 
grizzmoose:

Having been in the business (law enforcement) for 18 years now, I think I can give you some sound advice, as I began my career as a game warden.

First off, if you're getting into this line of work wondering if "sportsman", or anyone else for that matter, is going to like you then I would say you're setting yourself up for disappointment. There will ALWAYS be some that simply do not like you because of the title you have. Whether you're prefessional or not is not their concern. I personally didn't worry too much what people thought, as long as I was professional and courteous while performing my tasks.

Now having said that, I truly believe we need more hunters/fishers in that line of work who understand not only why they're enforcing law, but also WHEN they they should enforce it. Pay scales have increased dramatically over the years and benefits seem to have increased overall as well.

The only reason I transferred to another department was because of two issues. The pay wasn't near what other nearby agencies were paying at the time and I had no time to HUNT! Yup, guess who works during hunting season.....Game Wardens. For those that know me well, you can only imagine how that drove me crazy. :)

Hope it helps in making your decision. I'm sure there's a few others here that will also have some good advice for you. (predator, etc.)

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
allot of the experience results from the interaction you have with them.. by that i mean, why was he there in the first place. I have never had anything but positive experiences with Game wardens.
Later, Brandon
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-20-04 AT 10:44AM (MST)[p]Depends on the G&F Warden. The ones around where I live are great, if you break the law they are A$$e$ and if you follow the laws they can be very helpful. I have a friend that got checked this year while elk hunting and the game warden searched them and their camp for about 2 hours and found nothing at all. When they asked why he was checking them so much he said because he could. I think a game warden like this is on a power trip. But like I said the ones I deal with are very good and extremely helpful.
Wyobowhunt
 
I recognize that being in law enforcement will put me in direct contact with people who dont appreciate the job. Usually those are the law breakers or people who have something to hide. However, it seems like I hear so many stories about bad wardens than I do about bad cops.

A few years ago, my grandfather was driving around during the rifle hunt and hit a doe. The doe was barely hangin on to life, and was in ovbious pain. He ended up using a weapon to end it its misery. On the way out from the canyon, he saw a warden and stopped to tell him what happened, so maybe someone could come pick up the deer. The warden ended up giving him a HUGE fine for shooting the doe without the proper tag.

I am glad to hear that most of you have had positive experiences with the wardens. However, the thought of working all through hunting season sounds pretty crappy!

Keep your comments coming!

Thanks,

Travis
 
I too am a law enforcement officer and can say that I'm happy to be one. I however chose a different line other than Fish and Game for the same reasons as BHNTR. Fish cops work during the hunts. If you are in Utah, it might you should know that Fish cops are one of the lower paying police jobs. You can get time off during the hunts and get paid more if you pick another agency. However, if you want to do it, go for, I still think it would be a great job. Good Luck!
>>>-----------------> Sixgunn
 
I can say that most of my interactions with G&F officers have been positive. Some of the people that I know don't like them so well, but that is because they are not the most legal of hunters. I went to college and got my degree in criminology and started applying for the California Fish and Game with no success. It is really hard to get a position here in Ca. This year I got an e-mail that they had opened the exam again and I was going to apply until I went to the Fish and Game office to get my hunting license and they told me that they were going to be getting rid of all of the Wardens that had three years and less of job time, because they weren't going to be getting the funding that they were recieving in the past. Kind of seems like a waist of a good college degree. I only wanted to be a Warden, not a regular Police officer.
My advie is to get your degree and get all of the experience in the field as you can before applying. Volunteer with your Fish and Game office in your state, whereever you live and and volunteer a lot.
I hope you have more luck than me. Being a Warden would be one of the most honorable jobs to do if you are a sportsman. Good luck and let me know if I could answer any questions you may have.

Good luck!!!!!

Muledeernut
 
Grizz I posted on a post a month ago about how some of the F&G acted towards my friend. Who has a TAXI shop. Well I have never been treated with disrepect from them except 1 officer. Who is on a power trip. Was asking about baiting bears and the officer got rude and came right to my face. I did not back down from him because I was just asking questions and even made him answer more questions and show me in the reg's his answers and he had to back up as I was trying to get info.
Anyways I talked to a couple the officers who went to my friends shop and they told me they had to because they where following orders. Which I knew was true. But they also agreed they could of done it in a different manner as the owner of the shop was not the one accused of anything. They said 2 officers could of handled going and getting the hide from the owner.
But all in all I have dealt with many officers in different offices as i try to get to know the officers in the units I hunt. They have all been very helpful and have treated me with the utmost respect. Even have one that comes to my elk camp every year for coffee.LOL
great job if you can get on. The only advice is this. If you get treated bad by a hunter is to not let that reflect what the next hunter will be like. I know some that hold bad experiences over to the next.
What state are you appling for?

fca2e9e9.jpg
 
I dont want to put A damper on things,but let me tell you what happened to my brother in the state of ca.About 10-15 years ago,my brother took the test to be A game warder in ca.1200 people took the test for 100 openings.He scored 22 out of 1200 and did not get the job,because they hired the #1 guy,then they had to hire a women,then 3 minorities,then the#2 guy, and so on and so on.I do not know if they still do this,but to me its real unfair.It hurt my brothers feelings real bad.Anyways hes a sheriff in the mountains and real happy,so it worked out for the best.good luck on your jurney.
 
I has one bad experience when one tried to give me a ticket for shooting out of the back of the truck which i never did and he even admitted that he had not seen me shot, so me and my buddy argueded with him and convinced him to dismiss the ticket and change it to a warning.
If you are a big hunter like my self it is not the job for you, they all have to work during hunting season, that is obviously when they are the busiest. just something to concider.
Shane
 
I have been doing the job for nearly 10 years. I like it, its a great career.
The good things are that you can generally spend as much time in the field as you like. The state buys the gas and gives ya a decent truck to roll around in.

The down side is that you are indeed working through the seasons with little time off. I work every weekend with very few exceptions... the family pays the price. You often get your first duty station in a place that no one else wants to work... and it can take years to get out into a good station. After 6 years in my last post, I finally got the spot I want. Now I wont leave. The next guy will have to wait 14 years for me to retire.

Remember the bullets you shoot and the ones the bad guy shoots are also real. Some people have a hard time getting that one through their head. Backup is rarely ever near.

I have to look to other states to find time to hunt, since I am working in my own state during our hunting season.

Depending on the agency, the politics can be a nightmare.

And with few exceptions the pay is marginal at best.

Bottom line, you better really like doing the job.. cause you aint gonna get rich, nor are ya gonna get famous.

Ruttinbull
PS. Almost all states are having a hard time recruiting good applicants the last few years. It seems that people are thinking long and hard about a few of the down sides that I have listed. The good side is that if you have kept your nose clean and have a good backround then you have a fair chance to get a job.

PSS
I have always treated the folks I have dealt with very fairly, however I still get stories from time to time about how I really screwed "Billy Bob." You will have to realize that no matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks they got screwed.
Case in point. Yesterday, I spanked two guys for fishing closed season ($299 each). I warned them each for another violation (another $299 if I wrote it). And I warned one of the two for a biggy (5 Grand). There is probably a few around that think I was a real a$$ho!e. WHen the story gets back to me, thats how it probably will be. Gotta learn to live with it.
 
I've been a state game biologist for 11 years, in both Washington and Wyoming. The vast majority of game wardens I've worked with have been excellent people. However, when I'm in the field checking hunters and collecting biological data, I've often had hunters ask me why the GWs aren't as "nice" as me.

Besides the stress on the family, more and more duties being piled on, political pressures, and the constant knowledge in the back of their minds that panicked or bad people - who look just like every other hunter - kill game wardens every year, I always explained it this way: "When I meet good people in the field, I tend to spend more time visiting with them; when I meet jerks, I get done with them as quick as I can. When the GW meets legal sportsmen, if he's doing his job and looking for violators, he finishes with them as quickly as possible. When he meets jerks - in the form of violators - he often spends hours with them sorting it out."

It's tough not to spend the majority of your time with violators - which is what a good game warden does - without developing a rather suspicious outlook. Believe it or not, the real poachers and homicidal psychopaths look and act exactly like regular hunters and fishermen. In addition, most cops go on the high alert at the first hint of a weapon; for game wardens, that's the norm. Think about that as a source of job stress! Not enough? Consider that most of them have a spouse who knows that too, and is scared that someday they won't be coming home, because some idiot panicked when he got caught shooting a rabbit out of season!

A good officer exercises some discretion, but their job is to catch violators and arrest them - regardless of their profession, income level, or community standing. I've noticed that a lot of the "good" people, who either gave in to temptation or made a mistake, tend to bad-mouth the game warden more than the ones who live on the edge. I've talked to a lot of people who complained about the game warden, and when I press them for details, more often than not they are angry at themselves for being stupid or giving in to temptation, and embarassed at getting caught; not at any action of the GW except for catching them, or not believing them when they lie. Embarassment and shame are often projected as anger toward the person who caught them, deservedly or not. Your intent doesn't matter - it is your actions that are regulated, and what the warden enforces.

It is a great profession, and a hard one. The GW who has given some of you a hard time that you didn't think you deserved, has had years of being undeservedly bad-mouthed by large numbers of violators, from genuine scum to good people who made an error and are projecting the blame at someone other than the violator (themselves).

There are, in my opinion, two common traits in a great game warden - they are at least comfortable with, and preferably enjoy, interacting with people on a frequent basis, under all kinds of circumstances. The second is a genuine dedication to the wildlife resource, and the knowledge that what they are doing is important and necessary. I urge you to not apply if this description doesn't fit you; it's not enough to enjoy hunting and fishing, and wanting to work outdoors.

All laws, including wildlife laws, are ignored unless they are sufficiently enforced to persuade the generally good majority to know the laws and obey them - for fear of the consequences, whether embarassment, hefty fines, equipment seizures, loss of privileges, or jail. If you study the history of wildlife management, you will learn that laws were passed to try and save declining wildlife populations long before they were decimated; these laws were not effective until they were enforced. That's the reality.

Next time a game warden contacts you, consider thanking them for doing an important and necessary job to protect the resources that are precious to all of us. Without them, that resource would be gone. That's a FACT.

To those of you who are game wardens - THANK YOU.
 
Thank you all for your comments. Especially those of you that are currently involved with this profession. Its nice to hear some honest feedback of the pros and cons of the profession. All of your comments definitely give me some serious things to consider.

Stay safe in the field, and continue doing the great work you do.

-Travis
 
I strongly suggest you read the current article in Hunting Illustrated entitled "Fear of Hunting" by Dennis Wintch. I'm not suggesting all game cops are bad, however, there are so many laws involving hunting that one can not possibly memorize them all. Dennis talks about this in his article. There have been a lot of people quit hunting because there are so many regulations, and than there is always the fear that they may be doing something illegal while hunting, even though they are pretty sure its legal. I have had a few good experiences with game officers but unfortunately the negative out number the good. I personally would never report a poaching incident to the DWR due to the fact that I have seen them let off, scott free, hard case poachers, while people who are good law abiding citizens were nailed to the wall for ticky tacky violations that should have been a warning violation due to the circumstances surrounding the violation. I know there are good law enforcement officers everywhere, but it just seems like there is also a lot of guys that become law enforcement officers because they got the $hit kicked out of them in High School and so now there going to take out their personal vendetta's on the rest of the world. And it really irritates me when they are intentionally interogating inocent law abiding citizens trying to get them to incriminate themselves. I poachers as much as the next guy, but in my opinion the DWR poaches more trophy animals every year through poor game management than all the scumb bag poachers combined. And the sad thing is is they do it in the name of money.

cabinfever
 
Is this thread a brown nosing or butt kissing contest or what?

Ugh, I'm about to lose my lunch. Never been arrested for even a small game violation in my entire life, and never had a pleasant encounter with a Fish Cop in my entire life either.

I haven't met many but here in Utah, those I have met were about as unpleasant as people come. Seeing them in my rearview mirror was the highlight of the day. There was a lady Fish cop in Utah for awhile who was the worst of all.

I have some friends in some different law enforcement branches, sheriffs, highway patrol, etc... and they tell me even most of the other law enforcement people can't stand the Fish Cops.

But that sounds like a pretty big overstatement to me. Probably a handful most likely.

Never gotten a ticket or anything like that, but every encounter I've had with them was unpleasant and I loathe them.

I got news for you amigo. Forget this butt kissing on this thread, when you are wearing the badge up on the mountain, for every 1 hunter who is nice to you, the other 9 will be silently hoping you drive your truck off a ledge. ;-)

I have heard some good things about a few in Utah, but there are some really bad ones and I don't want to get into naming names. Nothing better than enjoying your chosen line of profession so if it's something that really interests you and you want to do it, ignore pricks like me and just go for it.

But if you are doing it to make friends you are in the wrong line of work buddy!! My feelings are pretty mild compared to some of my buddies and some sportsmen I know.

I could tell you a story of an encounter my buddy had with one in Southern Utah this year and it's bad... But it's Christmas and I'm in a good mood. Remembering that story just ticks me off. :)

Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
Ooops, I stand corrected. I just remembered something.

A few years ago I ran into a Fishcop that was checking fishermen along the Provo river in Utah. I think he was from Heber. He was about the nicest guy I've ever talked to and we sat and talked for about 30 minutes.

I remember when he wandered off the guy I was with said, "Wow, I'm 50 years old and that's the first nice Fishcop I've ever met."

But that guy was as nice as anyone comes and he would be welcome in my camp any day of the week!! I can't believe I forgot about that incident.

I remember even asking him, "How come you are so nice? What the hell happened to all your co-workers?" He just laughed.

Younger guy from Heber... Don't recall the name but I do recall how enjoyable that encounter was. Looking back, I should have called the Division and told them how impressed I was with that guy. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...
 
IF YOUR GOING TO BE A BEAR BE A GRIZZLY BEAR!
I'am an outfitter and guide and some of my best friends are wardens. I had two guides that guided for us and when they finished school they went to work for the Idaho Fish and Game. Best move they ever made. Wish I would have done it when I was younger.Great proffesion but you will have to put up with some jerks but you have that in every proffesion.
 
IF YOUR GOING TO BE A BEAR BE A GRIZZLY BEAR!
Been around along time and the only people that I have ever talked to about fish cops that didn't like them always had stuff to hide. Maybe never ticketed but just not caught. If somebody hates fish cops that bad,he certainly can't be all on the up and up!
 
I had a run in with a "fish cop" in the Sierras in Calif. He was quite pleasant and gave me some good info on bears. Then he politly asked if he could check my firearms. Of course I said no problem. It is all what you want to make of it. Most law abiding hunters have no problem with Fish Police.
 
Low pay and long hours is what I see their job entails. Most have been courteous. The FED skunk sheriffs can be a pain sometimes.
 
It seems like it depends on which officer you run into. Ive never had any problems, but some of the younger gun ho officers seem like they are eager to get you for anything. Something small may get you in a lot of trouble with these eager guys, while an older officer may not be so strict.
 
You know, I really don't mind if they check me. I feel that I don't have anything to hide. But along the same lines as some of these guys, I don't feel that the majority of them like to communicate with people. They are often about as personable in Utah as a rock. Even if you are keeping with the ordenances, they often feel they need to pull the tough man attitude. But then again, I have met some that were really nice and seemed to enjoy their work. I just think that in Utah they all seem to flock to Strawberry resevoir and overlook the other fisheries that need patrolling.
 
I was 13-14 years old fishing with my dad and brother. Me and bro had tied together a log raft and push poled our way into the middle of the lake we were fishing. We had barely put our poles in the water, our dad was fishing on the bank and a fish cop arrived to check licenses. Both me and my brother had our licenses on us but the warden insisted on getting us on the bank to check our licenses. We were young and pretty mad.

The other time I forgot to license my ATV and was scouting after the snow melted. I new it was unlicensed but figured a warden would be the last person I would see that time of year where I was headed. I was wrong.

Both times I was in the wrong and the guys were doing their job so I guess they are all right.
 
The ones that don't like them are the ones breaking the law or else they suck at hunting / fishing and blame them for the "lack of game".

Don't let the poachers and fat road hunters keep you from doing what you want to do.
 
Seeing a fish cop while hunting or fishing is like seeing a highway patrol following you on the freeway. Never what you want.

Someburro,
First, of the five or six wardens Im in contact with yearly only one has even an ounce of my respect. The rest seem like Berkley Grads on some power trip.
Second, I dont break the law dont associate with people who do or have ever been ticketed or fined. Also Im about the farthest from being a fat road hunter or poacher you could find.
In CA from my experiences Wardens dont seem to be sportsmen at all more like wannabe hippies and lesbians(my opinion)
I know there needed but it seems to me that most people drawn to law enforcement have an agenda before they start. Some to do good and some for the power. You just take your chances which one youll run into.
 
The most friendly warden I ever ran into was southern Utah!
Southern Wyoming warden was an hard ass! However all were fair and cool if you kept your cool which is not easy for me! Federal
Wardens are all PR!CK'S! The worst are U.S. WILDLIFE OFFICERS
"DAN" you know who you are! Drive it home on the guys who deserve it and let us hunt! This guy had my and two buddies strip outta waders in a driving rain before shoot time to shell check us and dump all decoys and then put them back one at a time, had check are coffee thermos be dumping them out!
jack
 
RE:

IF YOUR GOING TO BE A BEAR BE A GRIZZLY BEAR!
I have never heard so much whining about game wardens in my life. If I wanted to hear all the negetive comments all you guys make about law enforcement I would go visit a county jail. Jesus guys get a life! This site is suppose to be about hunting not whining.
 
RE:

been there! done that!(a few times)
had nothing to do with hunting!
whinner about whiners!
and my life is great!
my comment went both ways jerk!
Jack
 
Sumeburro-It seems your login really does describe you. I don't feel that everyone needs to love the wardens just because they hunt. Many would rather they leave them be but of course they are doing their job so one cannot get too upset if they have to converse with you. By the way, I bet that roadhunters on this site have shot many more deer than you. Stick to your squirrel hunting.
 
I'm in law enforcement, not wildlife though, but in way it's all the same. If you are serious about getting into the line of work you need to realize you are going to be spending a ton of time away from your family. Lots and lots of time by yourself as well. People are going to treat you with respect as long as you give them the same. There are some people that are going to hate you just because you wear a badge, plain and simple. They have probably had a bad experience in the past and therfore hate all cops, period!!
Like most of these other posts said, most people that hate cops have something to hide or have been busted in the past. There are some cops/wardens out there that have a big chip on their shoulder and try to screw people over any time they can as well. They are usually the ones that make everyone hate us. If you are a fair-minded person with some common sense then the law enforcement community could use you. If you decide this is what you want to do, don't expect to make a ton of money but it can be a very rewarding proffesion. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I know and associate with several Wildlife officers. They are just every day guys like you and I. They have a job to do and most take it serious. If you had to deal with some of the idiots they come across every day, you might not always be in the best mood. Over all I think they do a great job of protecting our wildlife. With the cutbacks in State spending, several positions have not been filled. These officers are spread pretty thin. Many are trying to do the job of several officers.
 
Overall, I think the Fish/Game people do a pretty good job. I do agree that they are spread pretty thin for the amount of ground they must cover. Word of advice, don't be the gung ho rooky constantly looking to bust somebody (i've met a couple), you'll only make your days harder and rub a lot of people the wrong way. 9 out of 10 times the "vet" will know who to concentrate their efforts on because 9 out of 10 times it's the same people doing what they know is wrong.
 

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