Violations

[Phil Lilley]

$5m over 3-5 years. Built the new section, brown trout hatchery and ladder. Increased productivity. Not dependent as much on spring-fed hatcheries for state trout.

I think it was money well spent.

Brian - not all counties have 2 agents - some only have one. I don't think there's any counties with more than 2 agents.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Well - not all counties have umpteen hundred miles of lake shoreline either ?

And they do a grand job, don't get me wrong.

It's just that the job could be done better.

Brian

[Bill Babler]

Guy's and Gal's I don't think in any way there was some kind of a deer season conspiricy or anything with folks thinking, Man the Wardens are not here, let's keep fish. It was just one of those weekends that the weather was not only short sleeve but short pants stuff and the fish were just eating at an unbelieveable rate.

I'm going to tell you that probably most every trip I take and you all know that is a bunch, I usually have to inform folks about the proper rules for the area. There were just a few more on Saturday that I truly believe were unaware of the rules or where they were. Some unfortunitly did not know of any rules. These were folks I term dumb by design.

Today was a different deal. Only myself and another guide boat on the upper lake and an odd boat or two. Fishing was still good, but not great, and the fish really littled up. Weather again was fantastic. Numbers were usually 6 fish per drift from the cable to Fall Creek most being 11 to 13 inchers. Yesterday it was 17 per drift with most being 15 inches plus.

I just told Phil this story. One of my friends was arrested this weekend and his deer conficated because he shot it off the road. Did he? You tell me. He pulled into a driveway that turns in off the roadway to open a gate on hunting ground he had permission to be on. His car was in the driveway off the road and the rightaway and across the ditch. When he got out to open the gate, he saw a deer at the far end of the field. he quietly returned to his truck, removed his gun and walked back up to the open gate. Leaned his rifle on the coner post and shot the deer. I guess the warden viewed this thru the Hubble telescope, and told him he needed to have been complete thru the gate with the truck before he could shoot the deer. Really, I mean is this what that law of not shooting off the roadway was intended to mean. I don't think so, even in the furtherest reaches of the law. The warden took the deer and gave him a ticket and told him to mail in the $135.00 fine. I can see this if his truck would have been on the public road. It was on private property, but the warden said the drive before you go thru the gate was still considered roadway. He asked, and before he said it not wanting to be Smart. Asked, what if the driveway was 1 mile long all on private property instead of 20 ft. onto private property. Warden said it would not have mattered he still would write that ticket and let the court sort it out. Warden said you don't go tru the gate, you get a ticket for shooting off the roadway. Bob then said let me ask you this, What if that had not been a gate, but just open private land, with my truck on it. Game warden didn't answer, just got back in his truck and shouted out the window, mail in your fine or you will never hunt again.

Nothing to do with taney trout, and I apoligize, but just wondered what you all thouht. Taney will be fine. We all do our part as I know the enforcement is being used all the hours it can withstand as Phil said, and I have heard from some wardens, it isnot going to get any better with the budget crunch.

[FishinCricket]

Bill- If your friend has the money, I would fight the ticket on principle.. Too bad he can't get the deer back. Was it a good one?

[strangercreek]

Last year Kansas Wildlife and Parks (or core of engineers, not sure which one) shut down the Outlet Area at Clinton Lake state park because they were sick of the violations, good for them. I am not sure how long it was shut down, but I believe it was more than a few weeks.

I am to the point that I say things to people all the time now at my local fishing lake (Leavenworth State Fishing Lake, aka "Tongi Lake"). I am just sick of the littering, stupidity, and poaching.

[eric1978]

Bob then said let me ask you this, What if that had not been a gate, but just open private land, with my truck on it. Game warden didn't answer, just got back in his truck and shouted out the window, mail in your fine or you will never hunt again.

I think your buddy caught the agent flat-footed on that question. He had a really good point. Gate or no gate, if he was on private property, he should be legal. You can tell the agent probably realized he was in the wrong by his response.

[troutfiend1985]

His car was in the driveway off the road and the rightaway and across the ditch

Might have been a public easement? I don't know, that property stuff can be difficult. If not, then I'm not sure what the agent was getting on. But I would have your friend check to see if that land had an easement on it.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Warden sounds like a doof, Bill. When plenty of opportunities are there to write the tickets that make sense, why be bull-headed on a borderline call like that one. Goats are everywhere and #'s need to be reduced anyway, so . . . I don't get it. Tell him to snap some pictures, go to court and fight it -- it will get tossed.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

This thread took a little twist and turn... didnt it ?

Bill - regarding your first post, I understand your dismay with the day to day policing of the upper end of Lake Taneycomo.

How do we get the word out to anyone who fishes Lake Taneycomo that it has a regulated section of protected trout water in the upper end ? Perhaps print it on all licenses bought with a trout stamp attached ? (the computer could spit it out - but who reads the license anyway?)

They don't even read the signs at the waters edge after they buy the license when they go to fish.

Brian

[Wayne SW/MO]

They don't even read the signs at the waters edge after they buy the licnese when they go to fish.

While that's true Brian, the signs aren't very big, and they don't list any consequences. People know what it cost to litter, if you speed where workers are present, and heaven forbid you hit one, but not violations for wildlife infractions. One of the things you're fighting is the white collar arm of tourism, who don't want any negative thoughts posted.