Game Warden

[Don Miller]

There has been a lot of negative comments about conservation officers posted on this site lately. I happened to have had a different experience last Sunday while crappie fishing at Sardis. Me and a friend were pulling crank baits when two conservation officers approached us on the water. After asking some questions, one of the officers named Keith wanted to see our fish. They counted, weighed and measured the 7 crappie we had put in the cooler. I noticed that he kept one of the fish seperate from the others. At which time he said, guys, this a fish is 1/8th of an inch short. I then told him that when I measured the fish he was 12 inches. To make a long story short, the officer told me that the fish very well could have shrunk that much coming from hot water to an icey cooler. He told us from now on, make sure that all of our fish were over 12 inches before putting them in the cooler. He then told us that if any other officer checked us to have them call Keith and he would verify what had happened. He and his partner wished us good luck and then left. Me and my fishing partner looked at each other in disbelief. We just new he was going to write us a $120 ticket for an honest mistake.
The reason I posted this is conservation officers sometimes get a bad rap but Keith and his partner were very professional, curtious and made there point without ruining our fishing trip. It proved to me that not all conservation officers are out there trying to write tickets for the sake of writing tickets.
Thanks, Officer Keith

[Deagle]

Your just lucky that it wasn't Officer Rob.

[ufgators68]

You have some brown stuff on your nose.

[MudHog]

I've had a few experiences as described locally. What they ask here is a time when the fish was caught. Meaning if you caught the fish at 8AM and it's been on ice since then to 3PM when your checked, then they know it will shrink some. Now if the size limit is 12" and you keep an 11" fish, they know somethings up as it may be upwards of 2" to short and likely won't shrink that much. They also ask you what you use to measure. Ice chests are nice and handy, but it's nothing like a check it stick or something that has an edge to butt the front of the fish's head against. Ice chest leaves alot for eye sight variances. It's amazing how people are different at different places. I've been locally and had 100% butthead wardens and then gone to Rockefeller and had some of the nicest guys there. I've been checked by federal wardens at Rockefeller and nothing but good. They are all doing their job, but there are some that want to make themselves known if you want to call it that.

[deltadukman]

Exactly...if they say you can keep a 12" inch fish, based on biologist findings, then you would think they were smart enough to assume there is going to be some shrinkage due to 95+ degree weather...if they are going to be harassing people about chit like this, then why don't the smart biologist make the rule 12 1/8" fish and over are legal...this little pittly stuff is what irks me...what happened to going out and having a good time and not wondering if i'm gonna get a ticket for the slighest thing...next ill be getting a pollution ticket for oil in my bilge...


Its getting to the point to where I dont want to go anymore...i thought I would never say that, but it's regulation this, and regulation that, and your getting a citation because your not in the wrong...but your not 100% in the right

[MS River Rat]

I agree with you. Most of the officers are alright fellas. But as we all know, there are some that get off on issuing citations for stupid stuff. It really sucks when it happens to you.

I know of one retired officer in Sunflower county that would write you up for anything. That might be the reason his fellow officers didnt even care to much for him.

[SFDdelta1]

i have had good and bad experiences with all types of leo's just because they are gw's does not make them bad. This is true with any profesion. Most officers will get you the benifit of the doubt if you are not a jack ass.

btw get the brown off ya nose

E

[DUCKAHOLIC]

Its called officer discretion.........some may cite you for being in a gray area of the law some may not...........they got a job to do and most do it well......just be thankful that a memo has not come form the Jackson office that take their discretion away and they have to follow the letter of the law 100%.................God I miss that job!!!

[Wildfowler]

An 8th of an inch. That would be like getting a ticket for going 56 in a 55 way out in the middle of nowhere wouldn't it? I'm glad you didn't get a ticket for doing nothing wrong.

Come on???

[JCOOLEY]

Its called officer discretion.........some may cite you for being in a gray area of the law some may not...........they got a job to do and most do it well......just be thankful that a memo has not come form the Jackson office that take their discretion away and they have to follow the letter of the law 100%.................God I miss that job!!!

you cant miss it that much!!!!!!!!!!!

[missed mallards]

Its called officer discretion.........some may cite you for being in a gray area of the law some may not...........they got a job to do and most do it well......just be thankful that a memo has not come form the Jackson office that take their discretion away and they have to follow the letter of the law 100%.................God I miss that job!!!

Being I was the one who brought much grief on Wingman and other LEO's, this may sound crazy, but I actually thought about doing it. My sophmore year at MDCC, I spent a few days at MSU talking to advisors trying to get my "plan" ironed out. I love the woods, hunting, fishing, and pretty much anything that goes along with it. I caught much grief from parents/friends when I didn't want to do it. Two things stopped me. 1) pay. compared to now, well...anyway and 2) I don't have the temperment to have someone cuss me. I have seen people loose it on a LEO, and I mean cussing them for everything their worth. Me, I can take a lot of things, but to have someone cuss me, doesn't sit well, at all. I took a daily lashing for some 4 months and don't wish to take that path again.

Anyway, they have a tuff job, and a very thankless job. Truth be told, I hate being checked. I get nervous as hell and look as though I'm hiding something. One cop asked me to sit down on my tailgate as I looked as though I was about to pass out I was so nervous LOL. Pretty cool guy after the truck search, the field sobriety test, and even told my boss (who happened to be driving through) that I was good to go!

[DeltaCotton12]

I have been checked several times as well and only 1 ticket. It was my fault I was a life jacket short. Usually carry 3 and one was accidentally taken out and not replaced. 3 hunters and 2 life jackets. My fault. Paid it and moved on.

But I'm with missed mallards. I get all nervous and jumpy. Always have. Road blocks, boat ramps, hell even buying my favorite beverages. I just feel like something is gonna go terribly wrong. I don't know why but I just get jumpy.

[turkeyman]

that sounds like the keith thats from winston county that used to run Noxubee refudge and may still do. he will write his own mother a ticket

[Seymore]

For the most part they are just doing their job. One with low pay and a lot of hassle at that. I got pulled over in Hattiesburg by the Hattiesburg cops when I was in school in the middle of the day. The young guy looked in the back of my truck at all the beer cans and assumed I'd been drinking. He starts running me through the ringer and I tell him if he had ever driven a truck on a college campus, he'd know what a pain in the booty it is to have to clean all the beer cans out people through in the back every night. His older partner told him that was the end of it because he could tell I hadn't had a drop and said he knew people using truck beds as trash cans was a pain.

What I learned from that is that for the most part, the veterans have grown out of the super cop stage. They have a job to do and just want to make it home each night. Sure, you will have some young guns that are all full of piss and vinegar. The older guys usually simmer them down or they let their enthusiasm get the best of them and do something really stupid.

[davidees]

One time years ago I was running trot lines in the backwaters of my favorite lake. Myself and two of my buddies put the boat in from an access area and took off. When we got back we loaded up the boat and was preparing to leave. Just as I was about to get in the truck, the GW pulled up. This particular GW had checked me about a dozen times in the last couple of months, to a point where it seemed as though he was following me around. Anyway, he checks me for license, looks at my fish, the whole nine yards. He looks in my boat and discovers only two life jackets. He asked, "Where's your third life jacket?" I replied, "I only have two." He immediately broke out the ticket book and without any hesitation began writing me a ticket. "Wait a minute now, what are you doing?" I asked. "There are three of you and only two life jackets, Im writing you a ticket." I replied, "You are correct Sir, there are three of us...in the truck. But did you physically SEE three of us in a boat?" His reply was, "So you are telling me that only two of you where in this boat?" I said, "I'm telling you that I know for a fact you can't prove that there were three of us in this boat."
His face turned a bright red....he began to tremble a bit as he clenched his teeth in growing anger. Then he erupted, "I think you are lying to me and I HATE A GD LIAR!!!!" He then did an about face, jumped in his truck, threw it in reverse, floored it, and spun out backwards from whence he came. When he hit the black top, he threw it in drive and spun out as he took off down the highway. I never saw said GW again.