DFoster 0 Report post Posted March 29, 2022 On 3/24/2022 at 3:09 PM, niveker said: Poor Vinnie, he was never the brightest bulb. LOL LOL- he's probably spent years trying to explain! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DFoster 0 Report post Posted March 29, 2022 9 hours ago, DrLogik said: Years ago when I was solo backpack fishing deep into Nantahala forest in North Carolina for 5 days I handn't seen anyone, not even hikers. I remember a backpacking buddy of mine saying that because the area traverses the NC/TN border that most of the Wildlife Officers are also U.S. Marshall's and have cross-State authority anywhere they go. Anyway, I was fishing on a nice quiet stretch of the stream when I hear a voice behind me say, "Hello, can I see your fishing license?" I nearly jumped out of my wading boots!! He chuckled and said that he didn't mean to startle me. I figured, well, maybe he's gonna be ok. I produced my license, he asked me to empty my pockets (I was a young buck back then...), scrutinized me for a minute, asked a few questions and then said, "You know, a scruffy Hare's Ear nymph is killer on this stream". He told me to be careful since I was backpacking by myself and left. BTW, he was right about the Hare's Ear nymph. I tried one earlier with no luck but it was a freshly tied fly. I scruffed it up some after he left and presto! Cool guy. I would imagine that game wardens are probably relived when they check people who are doing it right. Confronting lawbreakers alone in the wilderness who are likely armed with at the minimum a knife has got to be stressful. It's not a job that I would want. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Poopdeck 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2022 22 hours ago, DrLogik said: I produced my license, he asked me to empty my pockets (I was a young buck back then...), scrutinized me for a minute, asked a few questions and then said, "You know, a scruffy Hare's Ear nymph is killer on this stream". He told me to be careful since I was backpacking by myself and left. Was he checking for undersized fish? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2022 22 hours ago, DrLogik said: I produced my license, he asked me to empty my pockets ... He told me to be careful since I was backpacking by myself and left. Whew, good ending. For a minute there I thought banjo's were gonna start playing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WJG 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2022 We have provincial and federal wardens here. Different jurisdictions but many overlaps. Lately some of the Provincial are carrying sidearms and humping body armour. (Mostly cop wantabe's) I am all for more enforcement of the rules, but some of the young bucks are too full of themselves. Over the years, complaining about not being approached on the stream, I have learned that officers see me much more often than I see them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DFoster 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2022 10 hours ago, niveker said: Whew, good ending. For a minute there I thought banjo's were gonna start playing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
utyer 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2022 I have had the opportunity to fish in at least 7 states, Canada, and Mexico. I have had a lot of encounters with rangers, wardens and other enforcement personnel. When I first went back to PA, I was paddling my pontoon kick boat and a warden flagged me in to check my "boat registration." I had my out of state license, and my reading of the proclamation said "personal watercraft" did not need a license. The warden told me that personal craft meant belly boats and inflatables towed behind other craft. He did cut me a break and didn't impound my pontoon. I got it registered, with a "fake" serial number from the maker. and no more issues. In Michigan, we were fishing the Pere Marquette, and in getting the rods out, someone knocked down my parking pass. I had a citation in the car when I got back. I went to the office in Baldwin and showed my lifetime parks pass. They said only the issuing officer could cancel the ticket, and he was on patrol. Driving down to our cabin, I spotted an official car and stopped to ask if they had been the ones who ticked my car. My good luck, they were, and they did take back the citation. Most of the time when I do encounter fish and game wardens, it usually to see how I did, and take a survey on my fishing results. Since I don't keep fish often, never a problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2022 Tennessee requires any watercraft under any type of external power as electric, gas or diesel to be registered and display the registration numbers on both side of the front/bow. If you by a kayak, sailboat or canoe and put any type of motor on it, it has to be registered. BTW, they are strict on this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
utyer 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2022 Sleet3t, I corrected my post to reflect that I was not under any sort of power other than me. I was quite surprised to find out a NON powered craft needed to be registered. I had been fishing it for 5 years in at least 3 western states without any registration. Live and learn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2022 2 hours ago, utyer said: Sleet3t, I corrected my post to reflect that I was not under any sort of power other than me. I was quite surprised to find out a NON powered craft needed to be registered. I had been fishing it for 5 years in at least 3 western states without any registration. Live and learn. I think this is wise. In Wisconsin all watercraft need to be registered. When the DNR or another boater finds a floating boat without an occupant, the possibility exists that someone fell out of the boat and drowned. So the registration is a way for authorities to check on the owner and whether the boat floated away from a dock or the person who used the boat is missing and drowned. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2022 A boat was found in Chickamauga Lake with no one on board. Search started. Got the owner's name. Later found him in a bar. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2022 A sandbar? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeet3t 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2022 4 hours ago, niveker said: A sandbar? It was a bar but no sand. Bars used sawdust in days gone by. Boat was drifting in the lake, if I recall correctly. That is what raised the red flag. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrLogik 0 Report post Posted April 6, 2022 Poopdeck, "Was he checking for undersized fish?" No, drugs and alcohol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Mad Duck 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2022 I 've been checked by State/Federal Game Wardens, Military types as well as Coasties. I get checked more while waterfowl hunting than anything else. Me and anyone I hunt/fish with try our best to comply with fish and game laws. The scariest contact was 70 miles off shore. We were boarded by the Coast Guard at 3:00 Am in full battle mode, kevlar vests,automatic weapons and 50 cal saws on the cutter. They herded us up into a corner of the boat under drawn weapons. They tore the boat up looking for guns and or drugs for the better part of an hour. They thanked us for our cooperation then offboarded and left us till crapping ourselves. Funny thing, 2 years later we did some testing with the same Coast Guard unit. They were much friendlier then Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
