Where Are The Wardens?

[Greasy B]

Now I live in the National Forest area out side of Steelville and at deer season it is like the deertona 500 by my place. Guns sticking out of every window. My wife and my granddaughter up in a stand leagle on private land just up the road from our place and they are stoppin and shooting in the field at our decoy right in front of them 100 yards.

Where are the wardens??? Are they for real??? I've told them at Rolla office and it makes no difference. Nothing has changed.

Several years ago an Ozarkian fellow I knew told me about a poaching sting the department set up on his gravel road. They set up a decoy deer in a pasture and waited with video cameras. Naturally this fellow couldn’t drive past an opportunity like this without taking a shot and he got his fine for doing so. As it turns out every one of his neighbors also stopped took a shot and received a fine. The fellow who told me the story also got an additional fine when he attempted to take a video of his neighbors being fined. Just one happy lawless, poaching, deertona 500 community.

[eric1978]

Your fishing license should cost $100 per year if you want to keep smallmouth. There's some revenue...or less dead smallies. I'll take either one.

[Feathers and Fins]

I might be wrong but when A city cop gives you a ticket the money goes back to the city, so if a mdc officer writes a ticket for wildlife violations the money IMO should go back to restitution and future protection of the resource. People will and do always cry when they get busted for something. Just seems more rational to put the money back to where it was taken from so to speak.

In 2010 there were 1,983,688 lisences sold hunt and fish combined. if you added 10.00 more to the license cost it would add $19,836,880.00 to the MDC Budget tack on $5.00 access/ launch fee at all State parks and MDC properties or a $30.00 yearly pass per vechicle I would guess that would add another 10,000,000.00 easily for 30million dollars more to MDC. OR 600 MORE WARDENS.

Granted those numbers are low im sure on the money end but with very simple cost increase it could aid in protection of the resource. Spring Summer Fall boating seasons could and would produce alot more revenue then what i estimated. I dont know, I am sure alot of people will cry about cost increases but 40$ more a year to me sure doesnt seem like much.

[Quillback]

Funny timing for this topic, today I saw my first Arkansas warden and I have lived here about 6 years now. Jeb and I were loading his boat around 1 PM at the gravel launch at Prairie creek and a warden drove in, he went over and checked some bucket fishermen that were there, but didn't check us (not that we had anything to worry about).

[Greasy B]

One of the places I get checked the most is Taneycomo. Last time an agent was working his way down the shore, he stopped to check one more fisherman before he got to us. He ended up giving this fellow so many tickets it tied up the rest of his afternoon. It seems to me enforcement is spotty at best. Some places are well covered and some places not at all. Apparently I fish in the few areas that are well covered.

[ollie]

I must say I have been checked 5 times in the past 10 years. More than I can say for most. The last time the warden said and I quote, "you just looked like someone that didn't have a license". What??? I took a little offense to that and let him know about it too! He's a young agent down in Macdonald County so I guess I could give him some slack, but that comment still burns me up. I was profiled!

[Greasy B]

I must say I have been checked 5 times in the past 10 years. More than I can say for most. The last time the warden said and I quote, "you just looked like someone that didn't have a license". What??? I took a little offense to that and let him know about it too! He's a young agent down in Macdonald County so I guess I could give him some slack, but that comment still burns me up. I was profiled!

I get checked at least twice a year. I would be offended too, when I got checked at the ramp on Niangua a while back the agent had a serious tude, he was determined to find some violation. How in the world can this guy figure I wouldn't have a $15.00 license when just the equipment I was wearing and holding in my hand was worth more than the average car parked in the lot is beyond me.

[Feathers and Fins]

Dont feel bad guys, I was checked by a Ranger at one of the trout parks that told me I had to have my license and trout tag on it and not just a conservation permit partnership card. Little Youngun didnt even understand what a lifetime license was. I swear some of these people in charge are to young for the job.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I would guess the wardens have a scientific way of deciding where to check. I have been checked a couple of times in my life and they have been some nice people. One was in uniform, and one was not easily detected (until he identified and showed his badge). The one in full uniform came upon my son and I while throwing rocks on the upper Meramec. It was youth Turkey season, and we stopped hunting to have lunch and do some fishing. We were not doing well with the fishing so decided to throw rocks (it was his weekend). Any how, he was very stealthy and my son spotted him first, pointed him out and I guess he realized that the was caught and he came down to talk. Very nice guy, asked how our day was, and even gave us some pointers on hunting the conservation area we were next to, he also explained to me that alot of the roads that are usually marked for authorized vehicles only were open for the youth hunt. He checked me after I told him that we had been fishing, but stopped. A very pleasant guy, and seemed to be doing the job appointed to him.

[UnCivE]

I would guess the wardens have a scientific way of deciding where to check. I have been checked a couple of times in my life and they have been some nice people. One was in uniform, and one was not easily detected (until he identified and showed his badge). The one in full uniform came upon my son and I while throwing rocks on the upper Meramec. It was youth Turkey season, and we stopped hunting to have lunch and do some fishing. We were not doing well with the fishing so decided to throw rocks (it was his weekend). Any how, he was very stealthy and my son spotted him first, pointed him out and I guess he realized that the was caught and he came down to talk. Very nice guy, asked how our day was, and even gave us some pointers on hunting the conservation area we were next to, he also explained to me that alot of the roads that are usually marked for authorized vehicles only were open for the youth hunt. He checked me after I told him that we had been fishing, but stopped. A very pleasant guy, and seemed to be doing the job appointed to him.

Your experience mirrors mine. I've seen em rarely, but when I do, they've always struck me as professional and courteous. I had one stop me this spring in full cammies, hanging out in the woods at the entrance to a remote river access (on my way out). He checked my boat for smallies and sent me on my way. I'd feel much better paying more money for a fishing license to fund the MDC..... hell in other states the cost is way more than ours here.