Wardens in the woods

[huntnnw]

I dont think he can check u driving...how the heck does he know that your hunting?? now if you were walking up the road or walking up to your rig with a weapon yes

[steeleywhopper]

I was checked last weekend on the ferry home from Friday Harbor. Warden asked who in the rig had been hunting, we told him, he checked our licenses and thanked me for taking out the youngsters and getting them involved with the outdoors. Can't remember the young guys name, but he was a class act.

[Deep Forks]

Wardens don't stop you "for no reason", they stop you because you are engaged in hunting or fishing activity. Driving one the back road in hunter orange with a rifle on the front seat. What else would you be doing? Perfectly reasonable to expect to be checked out. I've never had a warden stop me and the family out on the highway driving to the grocery store; but motoring around the lake with a pole in the water... different story.

As far as people skills... remain professional, maybe a little personable, but have a plan to kill everybody.

Have a plan to kill everybody? Seriously.......  with that attitude you'd soon have everybody with a plan to kill you out of self defense.
For your info, we weren't engaged in hunting at the moment we were stopped. We were just driving in. We could have been out picking mushrooms or just out for a Sunday drive. No hunter orange on or any guns out.  They didn't "know" we were hunting until they asked us (as expected) and I confirmed it. So the confrontational attitude was a bit extreme in my opinion. But again, I was glad to see them out showing their faces.

I am thinking that in your particular circumstance, the vehicle you were in, may have been a match or similar to a suspect vehicle in the area, which is why the acted a little more aggresively. So if that's the case, that would have been the reason for the check. If your vehicle or persons match what might have been reported by someone, then it becomes probable cause and they can stop you for that reason, even if you think they stopped you for no reason. Just my

I know I'm late to this dance but better late than never.  Is there a problem with being prepared for the worst case scenario at all times?  Whether i'm at home, public or in the woods I'm constantly assessing the situation, thinking "what if" and "how to overcome" regardless if i'm alone or not.  If I have my wife and children then i'm constantly on alert and ready for any situation.  I give everybody the benefit of the doubt and greet with a smile and handshake but, if they decide they don't care to see me or my family then who am I to change that? 

I would rather be prepared for any situation than not be prepared and "caught with my pants down", so to speak.  Don't hate somebody for continuing to practice what was instilled in them by great leaders of men.  "Pray for Peace, Train for War!"   Semper Fi til I Die!

     I've lived under these same rules since I was 18 and still live by them today.  My Sarg. preached "Pray for Peace, Train for War", and I listened.

[whacker1]

I dont think he can check u driving...how the heck does he know that your hunting?? now if you were walking up the road or walking up to your rig with a weapon yes

you would likely be wrong.... if you are driving into or out of an area prone to hunting....i.e. logging roads, wdfw, dnr, or forest service roads, you are believed to be hunting if an active season is open, and they do have the option and discretion to check you.  As part of purchasing a hunting license you are supposed to comply.

If you are driving on hwy 2 then the same doesn't apply unless you drive by a check station with antlers hanging out the back of the pickup.  they would have the probable cause to check you because you have a visible animal hanging out fo the back of the pickup.

[boneaddict]

WSP training classes are about wrapped up for the year.  I believe they are training in the wildlife department at the moment.  I am not sure they are allowed to carry firearms at the moment, they have been checked out on Tazers.   Its very likely they are riding with a seasoned game officer, hence the one trying to get their grade (bad cop) and the one laughing to himself.  The main training facility is in Shelton I believe.

[Knocker of rocks]

I dont think he can check u driving...how the heck does he know that your hunting?? now if you were walking up the road or walking up to your rig with a weapon yes

you would likely be wrong.... if you are driving into or out of an area prone to hunting....i.e. logging roads, wdfw, dnr, or forest service roads, you are believed to be hunting if an active season is open, and they do have the option and discretion to check you.  As part of purchasing a hunting license you are supposed to comply.

If you are driving on hwy 2 then the same doesn't apply .....

What legal authority are you quoting there?  US-2 goes thru and into areas "prone to hunting".  Same could be said about 90, 12, 410 and 20.  Is there a exception for those highways?

[boneaddict]

They can put a check station whereever they want.  They often have one just north of Wenatchee.  They cooperate with the WSP, so guess what, its just like a sobriety check station.  No suspicions or probable cause, through you go.....

[Woodchuck]

  ding ding ding

[Knocker of rocks]

They can put a check station whereever they want.  They often have one just north of Wenatchee.  They cooperate with the WSP, so guess what, its just like a sobriety check station.  No suspicions or probable cause, through you go.....

Which are illegal in the State of Washington

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/checkpoint_laws.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_checkpoint

[Knocker of rocks]

ding ding ding

[whacker1]

By purchasing a hunting license essentially you are agreeing to cooperate in all of these activities, game check points, game warden checks, harvest reports, etc....

I am not going to look up the page in the regs or the rcw, these are just the items I have always held to be true.  I could be wrong, but figured that this was the case as hunting is a privilege in this state vs. a right. 

[Knocker of rocks]

By purchasing a hunting license essentially you are agreeing to cooperate in all of these activities, game check points, game warden checks, harvest reports, etc....

I am not going to look up the page in the regs or the rcw, these are just the items I have always held to be true.  I could be wrong, but figured that this was the case as hunting is a privilege in this state vs. a right.

As is driving. 

But sobriety checkpoints are not legal in Washington, and the police can't pull you over to see wether you have a drivers license.

[JLS]

Enforcement check stations on state highways are not used in Washington.

[JLS]

WSP training classes are about wrapped up for the year.  I believe they are training in the wildlife department at the moment.  I am not sure they are allowed to carry firearms at the moment, they have been checked out on Tazers.   Its very likely they are riding with a seasoned game officer, hence the one trying to get their grade (bad cop) and the one laughing to himself.  The main training facility is in Shelton I believe.

Huh?

I don't believe that WSP does training with WDFW.

[boneaddict]

Just a guess?