Interesting Story

[welsh]

I edited my previous post after the fact & you probably missed it.

The FWCA does oblige you to cooperate with a CO who is inspecting licences, etc. So questions that follow from that inspection, such as "Catch any fish? How many?" are questions you might be obliged to answer. Since you are obliged to permit inspection of your catch/bag, you may also be obliged to answer questions directly related.

But as soon as you get beyond that I am sure the Charter would trump the FWCA. Invoking a right not to answer a potentially incriminating question (Where did you catch those fish?) surely can't be considered obstruction.

[Hardman]

I appreciate GW11 for sharing, also the comments from all are very interesting. I have had many interactions with CO over the years, some good, some bad. I had a neighbor file a false complaint and had the wrath of one CO for almost 10 years. The CO had never charged me or anyone in my family and had finally retired, a lot of dotting I's and crossing Ts for me during that time. My truck searched many times my shop searched my tags examined even from bucks taken from earlier years in my shop and dates checked. ( It is easy to make a mistake, eg. forgetting a device for time of Day, hence encasing early to be certain) I have since moved from that area though my father still lives and hunts in the area ( I do return to hunt when possible). New generation CO has been checking my father ( checking,not harassing) My father asked why the CO was always checking (more than 2 times in a week), the CO stated that his farm was a known hunt camp. The neighbour who had made the first false complaint has long since past. And 35 years since that complaint my family has not been charged with anything. The people on here who have not seen a CO count yourself lucky for having a quiet time hunting in the woods. Yes, I do want the CO in the field checking but I do not want to be harassed. My wife, daughter and 2 sons hunt with me now, and accuse me of being too strict, on making them know all the rules. They don't believe someone is hiding in the bush trying to ruin our day. I have had many good interactions with COs in the area I live now, and only one bad with a 6 months old lab pup growling at a CO with his hand on his glock ordering me to call off my pup. Though that CO ended that check with helping me load my canoe and decoys, puppy in the cab of the truck of course. More comments on how to interact properly with COs would be appreciated and good for all to know when the time comes that they are falsely accused of an infraction.

[Useless]

For the first post about bait I wonder if you could argue the definition of bait. If the "bait" is not edible and is not accessible is it really "bait"

[efouge23]

This was a really interesting read , thanks for sharing GW. I'm in school right now taking environmental law and hoping to become a CO or something along those lines so I'm always interested in seeing what general opinions everyone has on them, especially from the hunting community. I consider myself a genuinely nice person and hearing some of these things CO's do and how they conduct themselves really makes me shake my head...
Do you think some of these CO's are pressured to issue tickets because of a quota? some of these situations really don't add up unless the CO's are just huge dicks (which people obviously can be in any profession).

[rick_iles]

For the first post about bait I wonder if you could argue the definition of bait. If the "bait" is not edible and is not accessible is it really "bait"

Not really....a rubber cob of corn constitutes "bait"...in this instance.

[DanO]

The problem is that hiring lawyers and taking time off work is not an option for most people. LEO know this too well.

BINGO! and they assume you'll just pay the fine unless it's a serious charge.

[yellow dog]

Very interesting story GW11 and cannot imagine how I would deal with that ego driven CO. I have had only one encounter with a CO while finishing up a grouse hunt at Winchester Bog. Not much was said and he just wanted to see my license and inspect my firearm after I proved it was clear of ammunition and the chamber open. Hearing all these stories makes one wonder about what the criteria must be to become a CO. What I find unusual especially in GW11 experience is that only one of the CO's was the ring leader and the rest of the CO's were basically followers.

[welsh]

I consider myself a genuinely nice person and hearing some of these things CO's do and how they conduct themselves really makes me shake my head...

I will say that I've never had a negative encounter with a CO. Can't recall a negative encounter with a cop off the top of my head. They have a job to do. Sometimes they make mistakes, as do we all.

It's pretty rare that you have someone making a habit of abusing his/her authority.

[Gilroy]

This was a really interesting read , thanks for sharing GW. I'm in school right now taking environmental law and hoping to become a CO or something along those lines so I'm always interested in seeing what general opinions everyone has on them, especially from the hunting community. I consider myself a genuinely nice person and hearing some of these things CO's do and how they conduct themselves really makes me shake my head...
Do you think some of these CO's are pressured to issue tickets because of a quota? some of these situations really don't add up unless the CO's are just huge dicks (which people obviously can be in any profession).

Yes the CO,s and other LEO are pressured to write tickets because enforcement is a big part of the job.In the Police Service you have a Officers Performance Report that came out monthly and in it were the number of days you worked on a scout car,or on the beat or in plainclothes or the Major Crime Unit.
Basically to keep the Sergeant off you back everybody wrote 5 parking tickets for a day, maybe one or two moving violations, and maybe one or two contact card and some criminal arrests.Your yearly evaluation and where you might progress to different fields depended on good numbers.

The only problem was good officers who might work on solving and arresting a guy for 20 break,enter and thefts would only get credit for one arrest.But the case might take him several days.Guess what, he got in at the end of the month because his other numbers were low.

So I,am sure the CO,s must be expected to produce some numbers in hunting season, its just the manner in which they do this.Setting up spot checks on major roads up north in Moose season might have legitimate goals, but when guys get hit with tickets for what I call "mickey mouse" offences it leaves a bad taste.There will be CO and LEO that are very ambitious and have the "Napoleon Complex" and these guys give the others a bad reputation.The other name you give to them is well dicks.LOL

[Snowwalker]

Not really....a rubber cob of corn constitutes "bait"...in this instance.

Only if it was visible and with in the legally defined distance. But that now raises the question "If there was an old pop bottle with a yellowish label laying on the end of a field could it be called bait?"