C.O. Ability to question you while hunting

[EdLongshanks]

"I would argue that it is every citizens right to hunt and fish far before it is their privilege to drive. "

Again. .not a right. You pay for priveleges. Rights are yours at birth. Animals you own fall under chattell law. Game animals are protected by the state.. You think driving and hunting are rights? Try pulling over and hunting between the north and southbound lanes of an interstate. See how your right do drive and hunt work out for you.

I didn't say either were a right. I said, I would argue that hunting a wild animal for food is more a right than driving. I know that we live in a police state and have for quite a while. We will continue to live in a police state. I'm just saying that I disagree with it and would argue that hunting and fishing for food is more of a right than driving. I feel that the founding fathers would turn in their graves looking at the current hunting regulations and laws.

 

[carnivore]

I have no problems being checked by any LEO, pretty much anytime..Im on very good terms with our local CO and several more throughout the state..I like seeing them out checking license's.
Now that all said. CO's do have a whole lot of leeway..Having trained with a bunch of different LEO's, having a lot of friends in the LEO community I even hear troopers and other officers talking about how much leeway CO's get..I knew some DEA agents who used CO's to get into a restaurant to find drugs..The DEA could not get a warrant but knew without question what was going on..So someone "dropped a dime" on the restaurant for serving illegal wild game..CO's go in looking for game(with no need of warrant), no game but guess what? Illegal drugs

I used to want to see more COs and more funding for wildlife enforcement but your post touched on something that concerns me and has happened in other states with healthy budgets for wildlife enforcement. They spend most of their time using their powers to help the DEA and local law enforcement on non wildlife issues.

 

[crestliner200]

Since u read just about every post but apparently not this one ill show u it again since u think hunting is a privilege in kentucky: "The citizens of Kentucky have the personal right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, using traditional methods, subject only to statutes enacted by the legislature, and to administrative regulations adopted by the designated state agency to promote wildlife conservation and management and to preserve the future of hunting and fishing.

"Public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife. This section shall not be construed to modify any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights, or the regulation of commercial activities."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/11/06/2...#storylink=cpy

OOOk and this adds merit to your argument in what way? This legislation did not change that your hunting PRIVILEGES can be taken away it only made it harder, for PETA and groups like them, to get legislation thru to completely do away with hunting. That was the whole intent of the bill. Please
Probably everybody on this site already knows this. So Please enlighten me on how this has anything to do with the questions that were raised in the original post.
I agree that we do not need infringement , by the government, on our rights but first we need to know the difference between RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES and what exactly each are. Also when we go into an argument we need to know what exactly we arguing about. So far , not with everybody's argument, I've seen alot of dogs (or dog) peeing in the snow.
Its kinda like going gun-hunting and not knowing you need to have ammunition also. You do alot of walking around in the woods but when it comes time to seal the deal you just can't figure out why your gun won't work.:eek-new:

 

[Lady Hunter]

For whatever it's worth, I got checked by a CO for the first time EVER last weekend. Had already gotten my buck (and had him tagged & hanging so I could go back out on doe patrol) and was hanging out in the camper for a bit when the CO knocked on the door. He was just cruising out our road, checking everyone who was hunting. He congratulated me on my buck and then asked to see my license & tags. Shoulda seen his eyes light up when I said I didn't have any (LOL!) - then I burst his bubble by explaining that I was hunting on my own farm. We had a good laugh about it & then he gave me several of his business cards & told me to give him a call if we had any problems. I thanked him & he went on his way. No problems. And I didn't feel like he was threatening my rights or anything...

I just assume it's the same as driving a car... If you do it long enough, you're eventually gonna get checked.

 

[EdLongshanks]

For whatever it's worth, I got checked by a CO for the first time EVER last weekend. Had already gotten my buck (and had him tagged & hanging so I could go back out on doe patrol) and was hanging out in the camper for a bit when the CO knocked on the door. He was just cruising out our road, checking everyone who was hunting. He congratulated me on my buck and then asked to see my license & tags. Shoulda seen his eyes light up when I said I didn't have any (LOL!) - then I burst his bubble by explaining that I was hunting on my own farm. We had a good laugh about it & then he gave me several of his business cards & told me to give him a call if we had any problems. I thanked him & he went on his way. No problems. And I didn't feel like he was threatening my rights or anything...

I just assume it's the same as driving a car... If you do it long enough, you're eventually gonna get checked.

I'm glad your encounter went well and you weren't issued a citation for a pointless infraction. I just feel that he should not stop and contact you unless a complaint or reasonable suspicion has been established. Why check you with a deer hanging in plain sight? You obviously had nothing to hide. One little breech of regulatory policy (possibly not having a carcass tag on the animal while you are inside 20' away) could cost you plenty. I'm all for law enforcement and catching scum bag poachers...I just don't think their revenue should be generated from prosecutions while not needing a warrant. Side note: I have only been checked once, as a teen on private property and the gentleman was very nice and found no violations.

 

[crestliner200]

I'm glad your encounter went well and you weren't issued a citation for a pointless infraction. I just feel that he should not stop and contact you unless a complaint or reasonable suspicion has been established. Why check you with a deer hanging in plain sight? You obviously had nothing to hide. One little breech of regulatory policy (possibly not having a carcass tag on the animal while you are inside 20' away) could cost you plenty. I'm all for law enforcement and catching scum bag poachers...I just don't think their revenue should be generated from prosecutions while not needing a warrant. Side note: I have only been checked once, as a teen on private property and the gentleman was very nice and found no violations.

I wonder how much Fish and Wildlife makes off their COs writing tickets? If someone knows please let the cat out. Just wondering what the numbers are.
Sorry not trying hijack this thread or change the argument. It was just a thought. Carry on with the debate.

 

[ptbrauch]

Is breathing a right mentioned in the constitution? How about drinking water? Are either as heavily regulated as hunting?

Ummm, you've heard of the EPA, right?

 

[ptbrauch]

So I hope now that in case someone didn't realize it before reading this, that they now realize that elections matter. All the laws and powers granted to the CO's weren't done in a bubble. People who were elected passed those laws.

 

[crestliner200]

Please someone educate me on all the special powers that COs have that other LEOs don't. I might get all fired up to once I find out what exactly they can do.

 

[ky.longbeard]

People complain when the CO shows up, and they complain when they don't show up. WOW. Stay safe our there!

Ain't that the truth !

 

[ResidentCombo]

The privilege to hunt and fish has become a right, but the same restrictions apply nonetheless as was quoted..

If you don't want to be subject to the restrictions, then don't do the act.

.......
Which things change and there's been discussions in the past involving limiting that ability. But I don't think that ever came about. Only big change in this of late was KSP had took back over water patrol where as KDF&WR were over it.

This is not true, the Kentucky Water Patrol was dissolved and all of the duties absorbed by the CO's of KDFWR. Last I heard, the dispatch at KDFWR was shut down because it was cheaper to contract these services from KSP than to hire and maintain a dispatch.

 

[littlebear]

I don't think I would question "crestlner200" on his statements. I believe he knows what he is talking about since that is what he does for a living. A game warden.

 

[wolverine1]

I'm done with the popcorn, got the wings out now...

 

[riverboss]

If you aint got nothin to hide it wont take long.

 

[ancienthunter]

I'm glad your encounter went well and you weren't issued a citation for a pointless infraction. I just feel that he should not stop and contact you unless a complaint or reasonable suspicion has been established. Why check you with a deer hanging in plain sight? You obviously had nothing to hide. One little breech of regulatory policy (possibly not having a carcass tag on the animal while you are inside 20' away) could cost you plenty. I'm all for law enforcement and catching scum bag poachers...I just don't think their revenue should be generated from prosecutions while not needing a warrant. Side note: I have only been checked once, as a teen on private property and the gentleman was very nice and found no violations.

A few years ago I had problems with OOS hunters, they bought a 1/4 acre piece of ground near me, built a hunting shack on it and got permission to hunt a 10 acre tract(which was just a grown up ticket) that joins my farm. every year for 4 or 5 years I would have to "show" them the property lines, three years in a row they killed deer, a couple of nice bucks, I finally asked the CO if he would go by on opening day and check their hunting license and see if they were checking their deer in, they usually hunted for 10 days and shot anything that moved and usually had 3 0r 4 hanging on a pole the first morning. He did, turned out they only had resident tags and license and hadn't properly tagged the one deer they had hanging on the pole. $250 a piece for wrong tags, there were 4 of them and $800 for not properly checking in the doe. I haven't had a problem with them since and they don't hunt much anymore. Based on your logic he shouldn't have checked them because there was no indication they were doing anything wrong.