Game wardens everywhere

[lonegunnmenn]

Last night was up in capital forest trying my luck with some night hunting for coyotes got stopped 4 different times but different wardens one stop their where 5 of them. On one stand they walked in and checked us . I couldn't believe it . It was my first time up there is the pouching that bad out their or what? And the stand they walked in on I had one coming in. I'm glad they are their to protect the wild life just wish they would have radioed out that the black Nissan with marine corps plates was a good guy

[TheHunt]

I like to see that... 

[Taco280AI]

Never seen any while hunting, only fishing. Do wish I saw more of them 

[jackelope]

Glad to hear they're out there.

[KFhunter]

Last night was up in capital forest trying my luck with some night hunting for coyotes got stopped 4 different times but different wardens one stop their where 5 of them. On one stand they walked in and checked us . I couldn't believe it . It was my first time up there is the pouching that bad out their or what? And the stand they walked in on I had one coming in. I'm glad they are their to protect the wild life just wish they would have radioed out that the black Nissan with marine corps plates was a good guy

 

Each "warden" up there would have known the another warden checked you out,  it's not like each stop was a brand new encounter lol

I'd be pretty irritated if they walked all the way in on a stand after having checked you out (already knew you had a license). 
It's not like a stand lasts all day long,  park behind your truck and walk in part ways and ambush you on the way back to your truck.  Why bust a good stand?


If they hadn't checked you out and walked in to your stand then so be it, no problem with that.   Did they check you out prior to making that stand that got busted?

[lonegunnmenn]

I know they pretty much told me I was gonna keep getting stopped if I stayed. O well wasn't ment to be I guess .

[BOWHUNTER45]

Anytime you head out at night with a spotlight or just being seen in areas at night that hold big game you can almost guarantee your being watched ... I had a sheriff follow me  around one night while trying to spotlight coyotes ..he stayed just out of sight ...well he thought he was  then I turned up a side road and he flew up on us and hit his lights  he asked what we were doing with a spotlight ...we said coyote hunting ..he asked if it was legal ...we said yes ..he said have a great night    Then a couple years ago my friend and I were spotlighting and seen a herd of elk  we are checking out the big bulls when this dumb-----. pulls up along side of us ..Screaming at us that he is calling the cops on us because jacklighting is illegal  He was getting really mouthy and gets out of his truck and is screaming in our face ...I just lost it  I jumped out of the truck and told him the next time your spit hits my face you and going to be buried in that ditch ...This story went south from here  We leave and head up to a friends house to listen to sirens going off everywhere  Yep ...here they come  that little punk followed us and called the cops ... After explaining we were just watching the elk ALONG A PUBLIC HIGHWAY they finally let us go ...I was still wanting to get my hands on that punk so I could choke him until his eye balls popped out 

[Hunterman]

I know they pretty much told me I was gonna keep getting stopped if I stayed. O well wasn't ment to be I guess .

At that time I would have asked them if the term "Harassment" meant anything to them? Then the next time they tried to stop me I'd just keep on going.

Hunterman(Tony)

[lonegunnmenn]

Ya when one warden a lady this time walked in it was the 3 rd time. The first warden was a nice guy he was relaxed and told us they were gonna be out but said he would radio out and say he checked us but he couldn't guarantee that we wouldn't be stopped again the 2nd time we had just pulled over to set up a stand that's when the 5 wardens surrounded the truck it was just a mess. Only got like 3-4 stands in before we had enough and waited tell morning

[Bob33]

It was my first time up there is the pouching that bad out their or what? And the stand they walked in on I had one coming in.

I suspect that quite a bit of nighttime poaching (possibly even some pouching) goes on in the Capitol Forest. It does seem a bit odd that five different officers were in the same general vicinity.

I assume that you confirmed they were all from the same agency?

[lonegunnmenn]

Ya there was 7 the first guy told us there was a lot out there I was thinking 3-4 not that many but the second stop was 3 rigs 5 wardens

[deaner]

definitely crossed the line from checking you out, to preventing you from hunting.  sounds like the wardens need to be cited for interfering with a lawful hunt

[dreamunelk]

Nothing like a good emphasis patrol to clean the riff raff out for a while.  Saturday night!  I bet they found everything from M.I.P. to  prostitution up there.  Should be good hunting for the next few weeks. 

[Bob33]

What agency were they all with?

[lonegunnmenn]

If indeed their was pouching going on I'm glad they were out but if it was bc they thought drug use out their was a prob they should have stuck to the tweekers and leave the good guys alone . Ya your prob right about the hunting it looked good saw a ton of deer so the predators shouldn't be far behind 

[washingtonhunter121]

Saw two coming out of Lincoln creek around 5 last night. Maybe a statewide emphasis for the weekend? Also saw tons of state patrol on i5 from Olympia to chehalis..need to fill their quota?

[lonegunnmenn]

I didn't ask what agency only seen a game warden twice and once I called them

[billythekidrock]

I have been told my a couple WDFW police that they can bust poachers every night in the CF if they set up a decoy.

What they did to you was flat out harassment and I would be making a phone call or sending an email to Olympia on Monday.

[Bob33]

I have been told my a couple WDFW police that they can bust poachers every night in the CF if they set up a decoy.

What they did to you was flat out harassment and I would be making a phone call or sending an email to Olympia on Monday.

He didn't know what agency they were with, so who would he report it to?

Someone posted they saw State Patrol in the area. Could it be multiple agencies?

[robertjay53]

More than two times to me is harassment  If you wish to lessen this type of thing, I would suggest you contact Fish & Game and maybe your local sheriff and let them know what areas and what you will be driving next time you are out. Make sure you get the name of the officers you made contact with on the phone in case you have problems on them coming in on your stands. Most poachers don't call in the location  Bob

[billythekidrock]

I have been told my a couple WDFW police that they can bust poachers every night in the CF if they set up a decoy.

What they did to you was flat out harassment and I would be making a phone call or sending an email to Olympia on Monday.

He didn't know what agency they were with, so who would he report it to?

Someone posted they saw State Patrol in the area. Could it be multiple agencies?

I would be contacting WDFW and DNR.

I have never seen the State Patrol up there in 30. I have only seen Thurston County Sheriff up there a handful of times and never more than two at a time.

I know there are instances when the surrounding sheriffs officers are up there on party patrol or on a criminal investigation but the one's that I know (and have hunted) or the ones that I have talked with (about abandoned vehicles/squatters/etc) have told me they don't patrol the area. They only go to investigate a call.

You can't tell me that that many sheriff officers went to the same call and continued to check him.

[bobcat]

DNR has two or three officers that work Capitol Forest, so it was likely a combination of WDFW and DNR officers. The DNR trucks are the same color and look the same as the DFW trucks.

Is there not much fishing going on right now? Just seems odd to me. I was under the impression that game wardens rarely got out in the woods except during the deer and elk seasons.

Sorry you got harassed so much but I am glad to hear they are spending some time out there.

[Igottanewknee]

They were probably helping out with a DUI patrol!! I've seen plenty empty beer cans up there.....

[bigtex]

DNR has two or three officers that work Capitol Forest, so it was likely a combination of WDFW and DNR officers. The DNR trucks are the same color and look the same as the DFW trucks.

Is there not much fishing going on right now? Just seems odd to me. I was under the impression that game wardens rarely got out in the woods except during the deer and elk seasons.

Sorry you got harassed so much but I am glad to hear they are spending some time out there.

Bobcat nailed it. It was a DNR and WDFW patrol going on. As Bobcat said, DNR and WDFW vehicles and uniforms are almost identical. The patrol vehicles are a little different but that's about it. You put a DNR Officer and WDFW Officer in their green jumpsuit and they only way to tell them apart is the shoulder patch and badge.

Capitol Forest is in one DNR Officer's patrol area. But the DNR Chief is obviously in Olympia so he patrols it a lot. There is another officer that patrols King and Pierce counties so he's close, and another that patrols the Kitsap Peninsula. So Capitol Forest can get a lot of coverage by DNR pretty quickly, which is rare in other parts of the state.

[bigtex]

For those claiming harassment, what do you expect?

Is the agency only supposed to check someone once a day? Is there a requirement where once an officer checks someone they can't check them again? If we did that, it would basically give the individual a free pass on doing something illegal. "Oh I've already been checked, now I can go over my limit, open a beer in the truck, etc"

Now am I saying we need to check the same person over and over? Of course not and most officers would just give the person a wave.

But here's the thing, the individual had multiple officers, from at least 2 agencies working in the area. Is the first officer supposed to call all the other officers and tell them not to check this guy, and 5 minutes later don't check this guy, and 5 minutes later don't check this guy?

Plus this was in the dark, even if the officer did call the other officers and Officer Smith said don't check the green F-150 (example), and there is a dark-colored F-150 in front of Officer Johnson should Officer Johnson not stop that dark-colored F-150 because it may be the green F-150 Officer Smith stopped?

[lonegunnmenn]

I get what you are saying like I said if there is bad stuff going on out there by all means take care of it. It was my first time out there at night and I didn't know if it was a common thing out there or not the only time I thought the warden was over doing it was when she blew that stand for me. I'm not mad I just thought it was like I walked into the warden hornets nest I always roll 100% legal no beer unless I'm stopped for the night etc.

[YoteSlayer61]

Maybe next time they should spell check you!...........Busted

[deaner]

Maybe next time they should spell check you!...........Busted

careful dude, if you even so much as imply that somebody on this website is lacking in his english skills youll have a group of bloodhounds on you howling for you to be strung up from the nearest tree, then about 20 posts will be deleted, then... well, i guess i went to bed after that.

[dontgetcrabs]

Plus this was in the dark, even if the officer did call the other officers and Officer Smith said don't check the green F-150 (example), and there is a dark-colored F-150 in front of Officer Johnson should Officer Johnson not stop that dark-colored F-150 because it may be the green F-150 Officer Smith stopped?

I guess Officer Smith should have relayed the plate # along with the vehicle description. 

[billythekidrock]

This was a joint effort with WDFW & DNR. No single emphasis, but it resulted in a few contacts that night for various reasons.