Game Warden in Hancock Eatonville opening morning

[Mudman]

Agreed!

[buglebrush]

Game wardens need to stick to game rules, and not be corporate security guards.  This is what the sheriff of Cowlitz County has decided.  Our sheriff will not check permits or enforce corporate policy while on private timberlands.  They are only there to respond to calls and look for crimes.  The county sheriff's policy is to only approach someone and ask them to leave for trespassing after the company security calls them because someone has refused to leave.  It should be the same with game wardens--they check game, licenses, tags, but not enforce corporate policy on access.   Imagine the slippery slope with the multi-layers of rules that these companies put in place--rules about family relationships, photo id and paper permits, shovels, fire extinguishers, firewood collection procedures, berries, mushroom limits, open/closed roads and walk-in areas, motorized vs. non-motorized permits, hangtag visibility, different company permits in different areas. Heck, Rayonier even proposed that nobody under 18 could be on their land.   It is not the job of state employees to enforce all this random corporate  gobbly-gook.   It's should not be a warden's job to keep all this straight and be the hired enforcers for these companies (the game laws are confusing enough all by themselves).  That is a security guards job, and if they find a violation then they can call a LEO. 

Just like citizens in Cowlitz County have done, contact the WDFW law enforcement and insist that state-taxpayer funded LEOs are NOT corporate security guards.

 

[Branden]

I guess I don't see the problem. You have a warden sitting at home on the couch. Or he can be out making OT working as a sub contractor. Seems like a win for the warden and for law abiding hunters. As long as timber companies are paying for the whole thing what's the big deal? If tax dollars are being used then yes there is a problem.

[jackmaster]

I guess I don't see the problem. You have a warden sitting at home on the couch. Or he can be out making OT working as a sub contractor. Seems like a win for the warden and for law abiding hunters. As long as timber companies are paying for the whole thing what's the big deal? If tax dollars are being used then yes there is a problem.

:yeah:if the game warden is out working for Hancock on his days off then there isn't a swingn Richard that should give a rats hiny!! I would do the exact same on my days off, who can't use extra cash now days??

[Igor]

Hunted in the Winthrop area over the weekend, and a private landowner had gated and posted a road which accesses public land.  That road has been open for years.  Someone reported it to the WDFW and a game warden came out, tore down the gate, and put up a notice that the road was to remain open for access to public land.  I didn't meet the warden but he posted his business card, and his name is Jason Day.

[fireweed]

Cowlitz County took the overtime dollars from Weyco but told the company they were there to monitor and patrol crime, not check permits...and that's what they did, and Weyco still gladly paid the overtime to "hire" the county deputies.   Having WDFW LEO's check access permits is like Costco hiring police to review receipts.

[pianoman9701]

I guess I don't see the problem. You have a warden sitting at home on the couch. Or he can be out making OT working as a sub contractor. Seems like a win for the warden and for law abiding hunters. As long as timber companies are paying for the whole thing what's the big deal? If tax dollars are being used then yes there is a problem.

The difference is the uniform and the official vehicle. Tax dollars may or may not being used. Resources are and because of the uniforms and official vehicles, the county and state law enforcement agencies are on the hook for any liabilities. That's definitely taxpayer dollars when it comes to that.

[jackmaster]

Pman the problem with that is it could be said for out police as well, construction companies and pro sports teams hire off duty cops all the time, for traffic control on streets to security at sporting events 

[bigtex]

People love to complain about natural resource LEOs and where they are, and what they are doing. If I'm working duck hunters they tell me I should be working deer hunters, deer hunters will say I should be working the rivers. If I'm on the westside of the county they say I should be on the east, the eastside guys I should be in the north.

Without going into too much detail I can say that in Pierce County on the opener you had a DNR LEO working the state forest, a USFS LEO on USFS lands, a couple WDFW LEOs working the massive Hancock lands in Buckley and Eatonville (which are probably the most deer hunted areas in Pierce County..), and several others working other areas.

Officers go where the people are...It shouldn't matter if that's a WDFW Wildlife Area or a Weyerhauser tree farm, or does it not matter if people slaughter our deer and elk herds on private timberlands???

You guys make it sound like since there was one warden in Eatonville that the entire county was then vacant of coverage...

[bigtex]

Imagine the slippery slope with the multi-layers of rules that these companies put in place--rules about family relationships, photo id and paper permits, shovels, fire extinguishers, firewood collection procedures, berries, mushroom limits, open/closed roads and walk-in areas, motorized vs. non-motorized permits, hangtag visibility, different company permits in different areas.

Shovels, fire extinguishers, firewood, mushrooms, etc. are actually state laws, not just corporate rules/policies.....

[fishnfur]

People love to complain about natural resource LEOs and where they are, and what they are doing. If I'm working duck hunters they tell me I should be working deer hunters, deer hunters will say I should be working the rivers. If I'm on the westside of the county they say I should be on the east, the eastside guys I should be in the north.

Without going into too much detail I can say that in Pierce County on the opener you had a DNR LEO working the state forest, a USFS LEO on USFS lands, a couple WDFW LEOs working the massive Hancock lands in Buckley and Eatonville (which are probably the most deer hunted areas in Pierce County..), and several others working other areas.

Officers go where the people are...It shouldn't matter if that's a WDFW Wildlife Area or a Weyerhauser tree farm, or does it not matter if people slaughter our deer and elk herds on private timberlands???

You guys make it sound like since there was one warden in Eatonville that the entire county was then vacant of coverage...

You imply that is not the case.  But if we never see you while we're out there (which we frequently are), then as far as we're concerned that is exactly the case.  I'm sure that makes perfect sense.  If I spend 40 or 50 days a year in the woods and never ever see a LEO along the way......(unless Rugged Justice is riding along)......

[pianoman9701]

People love to complain about natural resource LEOs and where they are, and what they are doing. If I'm working duck hunters they tell me I should be working deer hunters, deer hunters will say I should be working the rivers. If I'm on the westside of the county they say I should be on the east, the eastside guys I should be in the north.

Without going into too much detail I can say that in Pierce County on the opener you had a DNR LEO working the state forest, a USFS LEO on USFS lands, a couple WDFW LEOs working the massive Hancock lands in Buckley and Eatonville (which are probably the most deer hunted areas in Pierce County..), and several others working other areas.

Officers go where the people are...It shouldn't matter if that's a WDFW Wildlife Area or a Weyerhauser tree farm, or does it not matter if people slaughter our deer and elk herds on private timberlands???

You guys make it sound like since there was one warden in Eatonville that the entire county was then vacant of coverage...

My complaint isn't about the natural resource LEOs, for whom I have the highest respect. My complaint is about 1. their management team, and 2. The love affair that WDFW maintains with WEYCO and other pay-to-play big timber companies after they screwed the public on land use. As far as people slaughtering our deer and elk, as I said before, if there are specific reports of law breaking, whether it be trespassing, poaching (or slaughter!), or dumping and vandalism, LEOs can be dispatched to investigate these reports as they would reports from any private landowner. Until a crime/violation is reported, they can spend their time on public lands serving the majority of hunters and fishers. If they're being hired as private security after hours (and I have no problem with LEOs getting extra work if they need it), they shouldn't be representing the WDFW or the WDP or any other government entity, in uniform. They should be private security in private security uniforms and in company or personal vehicles. Mileage can't begin to cover the initial expense of a new LE vehicle ($70-100K), or the liabilities incurred by taxpayers when they're working in government uniforms and vehicles.

[Mudman]

I get it.  Its not wrong and I get the point, its a good thing.  Yet Weyco isn't a timber Co. its a real estate Co. fleecing us and the State.  Hancock is but I feel their lands should be treated as all the rest.  No special treatment or Quid pro crap.  Wardens should do their job enforce laws, protect wildlife on all lands but not be pd. extra ot for special service on these large companies.  Their land is the same as all lands.  Does State or forest service pay extra for our public lands to get special patrols?  Enforcing their permits really ticks us off.  More than Discober pass...

[jackmaster]

I get it.  Its not wrong and I get the point, its a good thing.  Yet Weyco isn't a timber Co. its a real estate Co. fleecing us and the State.  Hancock is but I feel their lands should be treated as all the rest.  No special treatment or Quid pro crap.  Wardens should do their job enforce laws, protect wildlife on all lands but not be pd. extra ot for special service on these large companies.  Their land is the same as all lands.  Does State or forest service pay extra for our public lands to get special patrols?  Enforcing their permits really ticks us off.  More than Discober pass...

those companies that the off duty wardens are working for are paying the O.T, I don't know about you, but I would do it for the extra money, who wouldn't ?

[Mudman]

Yeah but who paid for their equipment, trucks, training etc.?  We did.  Why do they have a union contract protecting them from OT abuse hours worked etc. when they can freelance for more OT?  Why do we get told we need more Officers if they have the time to collect OT like a merc?  Conflict of interest isn't it?  Sorry but these aren't public places like Walmart, they are private lands and should hire private security.  Timber lands want their cake and ice cream too.  They should manage their own security and be prosecuted/fined if they don't do a good job of it.  Would I get in trouble if I charged hunters to hunt my land and allowed them to poach?  It seems possible.  Its a slippery slope and I found that the public usually suffers when this occurs.  I feel wardens should patrol all land but no special treatments and $ and OT.  They should hire own security to protect their business profit making permit scam.