Game Warden in Hancock Eatonville opening morning

[Old Man Yager]

Pulled up to the drop box on Saturday morning in Hancock, and a game warden swooped in and checked our Hancock passes. He turned one guy around, and told him to wait for him at the gate. Don't know if he didn't have a pass or forgot it or what. Nice Warden though, he's been on Rugged Justice, and the kids recognized him, so that was cool for them to see him and have a positive interaction with the law.

[Falcon]

Nice to hear a good report once in a while about fish and game. 

[Whitpirate]

Great they are enforcing potential trespassing on the private access farms.  I'm sure there isn't over 700,000 acres of public ground to take a look at as well.  I'm sure I'll get the comment "well Hancock lays for salary of blah blah blah" but I'm pretty sure our license fees still go into enforcement salaries as well.  Protect the monopolies and let the public ground get shot out further re-enforcing the need to use leases.  Glad they were polite to the kids and professional.  Too bad administrative policy is so screwed up that these are the priorities.

[ballpark]

Idaho has check points, mandatory for all hunters to stop and check in.  There are plenty of areas here on the wet side they could do the same, cover more people.  I seen it up above Spokane but not here.  Just saying.

[Old Man Yager]

Great they are enforcing potential trespassing on the private access farms.  I'm sure there isn't over 700,000 acres of public ground to take a look at as well.  I'm sure I'll get the comment "well Hancock lays for salary of blah blah blah" but I'm pretty sure our license fees still go into enforcement salaries as well.  Protect the monopolies and let the public ground get shot out further re-enforcing the need to use leases.  Glad they were polite to the kids and professional.  Too bad administrative policy is so screwed up that these are the priorities.

I was thinking the same thing, might be a lot of better opportunities for them to catch somebody on public land, just for the fact that many more people can access it. It's good that they go into private so people will keep that in mind, that they aren't above the law just because they bought a pass or a lease.

[Goshawk]

WOW!

I haven't seen or been checked by a Game Warden since George Smallwood's checkpoint outside of Eatonville.   Thought they all gave up on that.

Goshawk

[Drifterat]

During modern rifle WDFW enforcement is at the Weyco gates in Vail tree farm every night. I asked him if they are Weyco employees now and got the full shakedown as a result. They did tell me Weyco pays a small overtime contract, as there was a WSP officer there at times as well. This was all last season so I don't know what is going on up there this year.

But I agree that there is plenty of state land that needs more thorough patrols and they shouldn't be enforcing trespass laws for big business.

[fishnfur]

The only time I've seen wardens in the woods on DNR land was during MF elk - two years in a row.  I got checked and wasn't even hunting.

[floatinghat]

Interesting if it is policy?  I think Weyco / Private timber that charges access fees should be required to provide their own enforcement for access and game laws.  The lic/tax payer payed enforcement should control public property before being "gate checkers".

[Stuwee31]

If you want to charge $250 bucks plus per hunter, why not just offer a part time security gig that way you could use the PR as "but were helping to create jobs" haha

[Branden]

Last time I was checked by a warden in Hancock I asked him why he was in there. He said Hancock pays them overtime to help patrol. He said Hancock has to pay for mileage also. Seems like a good thing to me.

[PolarBear]

WDFW has been driving around in Vail this year instead of just posting up at gates and major intersections.  I think it is a good thing considering the amount of poaching that still goes on even with permit holders.

[NoBark]

Thoughts:

IF they are being paid by Owner and not WDFW to check PERMITS,  OK

If they are checking for poachers, license, tag and general infractions on WDFW dime. OK

If they are doing less of #2 above on public land on WDFW dime.  Not OK

[pianoman9701]

Last time I was checked by a warden in Hancock I asked him why he was in there. He said Hancock pays them overtime to help patrol. He said Hancock has to pay for mileage also. Seems like a good thing to me.

If they want security, they should have to hire private security. I don't care if it's off-duty DFW LEO. But they shouldn't be in uniform and using government vehicles to do it. It's hard for me to imagine that the WDFW has spare enforcement and equipment resources available which allows them to farm out gamies to private landowners during hunting season. I don't care what the compensation is. The WDFW should not be helping the very companies who blind-sided them and us by closing off access to the general public. When is our state going to stop coddling these private businesses who are making money off closing lands to public hunting?

[Goshawk]

Not off the Pigeon Springs access. Not there Saturday or Sunday.

During modern rifle WDFW enforcement is at the Weyco gates in Vail tree farm every night. I asked him if they are Weyco employees now and got the full shakedown as a result. They did tell me Weyco pays a small overtime contract, as there was a WSP officer there at times as well. This was all last season so I don't know what is going on up there this year.

But I agree that there is plenty of state land that needs more thorough patrols and they shouldn't be enforcing trespass laws for big business.