Fisherman/floaters Legal Rights

[Al Agnew]

Now that brings up a whole 'nother question. Like Coldwtrfsher, I would not have agreed not to float that stretch if it was one I floated a lot. I think I would have insisted the sheriff inform the landowner of the law, so I wouldn't get harassed whenever I floated it again. On the other hand, if it was a section I did not float a lot and I figured I wouldn't miss floating it, then I'd go along to get along.

At some point, given the soon to come campground and canoe rental that will be putting canoes in for that stretch, the sheriff is going to have to sit down and have a heart to heart talk with Prater, or else there will be big trouble brewing. Seems to me that this would have been a good time to do so.

[dennis boatman]

...it's all fun and games till somebodys weiner falls off...

[Trout Commander]

I see it as a request by a gentleman accepted by another gentleman. Not a sheriff saying stay away and a citizen doing what the sheriff said.

[ColdWaterFshr]

You're right, Al. Float season will be in full swing here in just a few weeks. Sheriff and all the other authorities need to get together with the land owner and the canoe livery and nip this thing in the bud.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I see it as a request by a gentleman accepted by another gentleman. Not a sheriff saying stay away and a citizen doing what the sheriff said.

Seems like a lopsided request. Stay off the river for the summer. What did Chief get in return? He got owned, thats what.

[Chief Grey Bear]

You are a piece of work, Chief.

And you are a piece of .

I persoally, will float that section long before October. Since you have trouble keeping up, October happens to be when I will be hosting my next float.

[ColdWaterFshr]

[troutfiend1985]

...it's all fun and games till somebodys weiner falls off...

No, it's all fun and games until someone gets shot. I can see why Chief would uphold a request by the sheriff, its called winning an ally. Good grief.

[Mitch f]

Seems like a lopsided request. Stay off the river for the summer. What did Chief get in return? He got owned, thats what.

It's easy to play Monday morning QB, but I respect Chief for doing this, most others are just a bunch of talk.

[Smalliebigs]

To address a few questions/comments that stood out as I browsed this train wreck...

It was me doing most of the talking in the video (my handle on here was JDC ((my initials)) prior to my taking on my current handle.

The camera was rolling because we had already been harassed once, and I had been threatened previously.

Ness, you think I am a smart butt for my actions in conversing with the deputy, I think you have a lack of testicular fortitude for the way you would have presumably handled the situation. Call it even? I "pressed the issue" with the two inches of water comment because the deputy had stated we would be trespassing if we beached our boats on the gravel bar (which we know is contradictory to Missouri law). Before continuing our conversation I wanted to ensure that I wasn't breaking his facetious law.

As far as to me asking if the CP was also an MDC agent, I had specifically asked the deputy which agent he spoke to and Prater replied with the Joe Schmo CP remark, so I asked Prater, not the deputy, if the CP was an MDC agent too.

SOMETHING, was making Prater feel like a bigger man, you should have seen the way his chest was all puffed up.

Again, it was my comment that I knew him from the internet. That was no lie or stretch of any truth. I met him for the very first time at the Lime Kiln access the morning of the float. When we were harassed the first time I had to use my deductive reasoning skills to figure out that Britt was his name even.

Also, as a footnote, the "are you going to stay" at the end of the video was directed at a fellow floater, not Prater or the deputies.

Jason, after listenig to the audio from the clip in my opinion you were in no way a "smartass" as some freaks on this forum would accuse you of. If I would have been there with camera rolling you would have heard a "smartass" make some comments. I really feel for you guys that you were harassed by a gang of ignorant power playing locals including law enforcement......very pathetic!!!!

Your comments were not "smartass", I feel you were very composed considering what I would have been like in that situation.From what I have heard this Prater only owns roughly 100 acres along Shoal Creeks banks, that is small stuff when it comes to owning land.This behavior from Prater is very typical of landowners who's ego's are much larger than their property.Having an armed friend patrol your land and screw with people floating down the creek explains everything you need to know about these turd bags.

I am plannig to float Shaol Creek the third week of May with a friend of mine who is in law enforcement.We will be floating the Elk,Big Sugar and Shoal as well as some other small creeks in that area I have been granted access to fish from. I really hope we come across this "Prater" when we do the Shoal. Sorry Chief but, I'm not going to let a cooling period stand in the way of me and my friends week long floating bonanza.Chief, I will be calling you to hit the Center Creek we spoke of and you are more than welcome to come with us on any of these floats especially Shoal.

If anyone else has any more questions or already asked one that I didn't respond to feel free to ask.