# Montana gfp out of control



## walleyecandy (Aug 6, 2012)

Has anyone seen the articles on the overzealous game wardens confiscating the minnesota man's elk? Absolutely ridiculous outrageous behavior on a state employee's part! Seized the man's bull elk and gave away his confiscated meat... Then after being proven wrong -returned the antlers! He doesn't eat antlers!

Absolutely ridiculous juvenile behavior of a supposed public employee. Typical attitude of a little boy who never had any authority or control in life- harassing decent people around him.

What happened to 'Protect and Serve '?..... Or innocent till proven guilty?

Doesn't the locker that processed the meat have a cooler? The warden just takes it away and gives it to whomever he wants?

Do the wardens act that way everywhere? I know South Dakota wardens do! Guilty by Association is a legitimate excuse for writing tickets in South Dakota. Someone in the hunting party shoots a duck that locks it's wings and sails out 200 yards onto the thin ice- everyone gets a wanton waste citation, even though they were going to get a boat to retrieve it! Absolutely ridiculous.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I seen that too. I have worked part time law enforcement for 27 years and it's people like that wardem that makes everyone look bad. Someone needs to tell them common sense isn't against the law. People in law enforcement are allowed some discretion. You just have to have brains enough to know when to use it and when not to.

I think the little boy wanted to show off for the cameras.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

1 warden made a mistake = all wardens are jack booted thugs. :roll: :roll: :roll:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

the professor said:


> 1 warden made a mistake = all wardens are jack booted thugs. :roll: :roll: :roll:


No, I don't think like that, but like all groups of people there is a bad egg here and there. Unfortunately those types stand out and people make the mistake that you are humorously pointing out to us. :thumb: This same problem causes some hunters to think all farmers are bad, and some farmers to think all hunters are disrespectful, poachers and litter bugs.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

I've only had a problem with wardens twice. Both Federal guys.
One was a ticket for shooting two " black" geese with my one and only shot of the morning back when the ND limit was one black goose per day!
The second was aNP Ranger on a special Elk Hunt in Grand Teton Park. My son dropped an elk way back in the boonies, a couple of cowboys came along with horses and offered to haul our elk out. When we got back to the parking lot I gave the Cowboys fifty buck in gratitude! A Wyoming game officer saw this, said nothing, but radioed the Fed guy about us " lawbreakers!" The Fed guy arrived and in my Medical Opinion he had a loose screw! He was angry, angry, absolutely mad! Separated us all, yelled at us that the Cowboys couldn't be " paid" for hauling our elk out without being licensed, liability insurance, etc! Took my son into the woods, shook him and said " young man you are in a lot of trouble!" Up to then we were all cool wondering what the heck is wrong with that guy, but then I lost it! I made him call the head office and his boss came down and eventually smoothed things out, though the guy was, IMHO almost legally insane! Eventually they let us go, but I wrote the NP supervisor that though I wasn't a psychiatrist in my opinion the guy needed some kind of psychiatric help or sooner or later there could be serious trouble! I insisted in the letter that my letter be filed in his file in case something bad happened in the future. Never heard a word back! I always wondered if that guy was still in the NPS! Hopefully not.

But otherwise, 99.999% of wardens, especially our ND ones have been friendly, fair and pretty good guys and gals. A friend did have one problem with the Burleiegh county warden but that's another story that IMo could have been handled differently by the warden although she might have been technically correct, though that wasn't all that clear, even to me who tries to explain game laws to the Hunter Ed kids. 
Montana wardens seemed always a bit aloof whenever I was checked out there, but then I suppose their job is not supposed to be friendly or busdy up with hunters, though they always seems a bit reluctant to answer legitimate questions.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I got into a debate one day with a warden whether X bullets were full metal jacket or not. I kept asking him how could they be full metal jacket when they have no jacket at all. I asked him if a cast bullet was a full metal jacket, and why not. His supervisor was present at the time and told him to shut up. 
HH, I have all the respect in the world for our Game and Fish. They often get blamed for things they are forced into. Also, having worked part time in law enforcement for 27 years I have much respect for them. That said I think the guy you talked about is now working as a state warden in the SW corner of our state. :laugh:


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## walleyecandy (Aug 6, 2012)

I'm sorry to disagree -but the local warden in sw mn is an absolute jerk. One warden 10 years ago was the nicest guy you ever met-but if you broke the law, you get the ticket! AFTER he explained why. Fair.

So, I'm saying -they aren't all bad but there are Dbags in the herd. One out of maybe 3 are fair imo....

The guy who got his meat stolen was near retirement age and a Vietnam Vet- show some respect. The elk had not moved-use some brain matter mr officer sir! And his supervisor is a grade A a$$ apparently too.

To all the good Wardens out there- I apologize for badmouthing you, you are not this idiot in Montana! I'm not anti warden -I'm anti idiot!


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Walleye...

Is there a link or a new story about this warden in MT who took the elk??

Or was it on the TV show wardens? I am just curious because I have not heard of this.

Like others have stated 99.9987% of wardens out there are great guys and very helpful. I have run into one and it was a fed at a border crossing when I was coming back from Canada duck/goose hunting that I had a real issue with. But that is another story. He didn't issue any tickets and was just being a Dbag because he is one. I heard that from the actual border patrol agents on another crossing when I was getting the cooler ready to count and inspect the birds. The exact words were, "Yep those look like ducks and geese. If that "F-ing Prick isn't here to count them I not doing his job. Have a good day and travel safely." Also others that I have talked with that have crossed at that crossing had issues with the same guy.

*BUT* I will not hold anything against him or anyone in that field because they have a very tough job. They deal with a lot of crap and many times when they bust someone who is doing really bad things (not your normal smaller tickets)... those criminals get a slap on the wrist and are right back out there doing the exact same thing. So it can be frustrating. They also deal with lots of people lying to them nonstop. So sometimes they have a bad day or many bad days. Or they have to put on that "tough and rough" and come off as Pricks. But yes... most times you catch more fly's with honey than salt.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Yes, the majority of them, like teachers, doctors, mechanics, attorneys are good people. Sometimes they have a thankless job and are forced to do things they sdon't agree with.
Some years ago my sister died in in Canada and wanted the grandkids to have the old family piano that had been inthe family since 1905. Was made in the last half of the 1800's. When I went to pick. It up, a couple guys who I hired to load it told me that if it had real Ivory keys, which it did, they would impound it at the border and you'd never get it back. I called theUSFW guy who covered the border and. He confirmed it. Said it was a stupid ruling as the elephant that donated the ivory had been dead for close to 150 years. Said he'd love to look the other way but couldn't, but was glad I had called him. So I took the keys out of the piano, brought it down and at a later date brought a tackle box from my sister's estate across the border. When I went to go fishing, darned if I didn't find the tackle bow was full of piano keys, ivory ones, too! What the heck!?! Amazing what you catch when you go fishing......


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

I don't have the link Chuck, but the newspaper article was that the guy shot the biggest elk of his life, probably his last, and 20 minutes later was taking pictures, etc. a warden showed up with a cameraman filming for North Woods Law or something, and seized the U tagged elk, wrote him up, etc. 
assuming it was really only 20 minutes, and we have only one side of the story, it would have been one of,the stupidest citations I've heard of. Give the poor Hunter a break! Some of my elk and deer haven't been tagged within 20 minutes once the cameras come out, the backslapping and congrats's start! That was the gist of it, anyway, that the warden was more or less showing off for the TV show......


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

In my experience, everyone game officer in MN is looking to give you a citation under every circumstance no matter what. The game wardens in ND are generally pretty nice, except the old guy that I think retired.

I was out hunting duck in our pasture and the only way to know where I was at was to either fly a plane over me or drive out into our pasture. Well that game warden opened 3 gates to get to me and never shut them. Our cows found two of the open gates and moved pastures. Which when we are on a very strict rotation with the NRCS, causes problems. That warden went through every single shotgun shell I had, when back to the farm with me and searched our freezers. I never got a citation from him, but he got in trouble.

The two Federal guys I have been very nice or so/so.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

I've been checked 1 or 2 times every fall or summer for the last 18-20 years. Never in SD, ND, or MN have I ever had a bad experience with a state or federal warden. Sheriffs deputies on the water...well that's another story.


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## walleyecandy (Aug 6, 2012)

Outdoor News had the original article I read- then multiple newspaper articles from Minnesota and Montana. ...

I'm not super computer literate on quotes or posting a link....sorry. But after reading comments after articles -I got the burr in my a$$ about it and started the post. All I keep thinking is: what if that was my dad?...

If I knew of a great lawyer to sue the gfp of Montana-i would gladly donate money to the guy who had his meat stolen by the wardens. I personally want to see them fired. Nothing less is acceptable.

If there were ANY other violations -fine, but the violation was 'not immediately tagging '.... Ridiculous. He wasn't poaching, he was wearing orange, had the license, and did everything else legal....do they think a 60 plus year old was going to throw it over his shoulder and run out of there? How do you smuggle a 1000 pounds of elk out of a slough in broad daylight?


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## walleyecandy (Aug 6, 2012)

Best I can do,

Twin cities pioneer press Jim Latvala

Or,

Billings gazette Jim Latvala

Or search - Montana elk minnesota. .. It will find the link.

There are an absolutely amazing amount of comments supporting Jim Latvala throughout the web. It's time for Montana to demote these jerks who write tickets to 65 year old retired marines who didn't do a thing wrong.

Using the excuse : it's the law... It's a cop out. Use your head and your eyes. Isn't there anything else for you to do? Check his license -tell him to validate his tag- and go away. This is the definition of Hunter Harassment.

And they were filming a reality show... Great use of State vehicles and funds! Just what I want to see -a game warden trying to be the next big thing. ... Starstruck. ... Wanna be television star....


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I rarely tag an animal before field dressing it because of the likely hood of getting it covered with blood or damaging it. I'm suprised most of those "tie on" tags they use in Montana even make it back to the truck with the animal . I've had a couple of our adhesive type tags get pretty banged up dragging deer out Out of curiosity, if that hunter had made the shot 800 yards across a valley which would take the hunter an hr or better to cross would the warden issue a ticket for not immediately tagging? I could see the ticket it if the hunter had left the tag in the truck. Somebody was putting a show on for TV. I hope this hunter didn't sign the TV release form........... Besides a month and day does Montana have a "time" slot on their tags too............? I wonder what would have happened if the hunter notched the slot on his tag right after he shot the animal and the warden met him there with the tag already notched. Would he have written him a ticket for trying to "re-use" his tag?.............. 21 minutes is really nothing. I have sat and watched game for 10 or 15 minutes after the shot to make sure it was dead before making my way through cover that would block my view of the animal.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

A few years ago, my grandfather shot a deer that ran into some CRP, I pulled the deer out then gutted it, that is when the game wadern stopped. I was just in the process of cutting the slots in the tag. He inspected the deer and asked a few questions, he then told me he was going to talk to the one who shot the deer about where the tag was because he didn't see the tag on the deer yet, but also made a comment that he didn't look hard enough either. I quickly tagged the deer and everything checked out. Very nice guy.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Our local GW where I hunt told us that tagging is always a judgement call as far as the GW is concerned, but in his opinion a rough rule of thumb is as long as it's tagged before loading it it's OK. He's a real down to earth good guy. You can stop and talk with him on the road,etc. guys like him do more to encourage following game laws than the < 1 % of the goon types.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Habitat Hugger said:


> Our local GW where I hunt told us that tagging is always a judgement call as far as the GW is concerned, but in his opinion a rough rule of thumb is as long as it's tagged before loading it it's OK. He's a real down to earth good guy. You can stop and talk with him on the road,etc. guys like him do more to encourage following game laws than the < 1 % of the goon types.


Excatly, the one around me is the same way.


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## walleyecandy (Aug 6, 2012)

To me, it seems like the people who should be the maddest about what happened in Montana -are the wardens. .. One poor excuse for a warden and his supervisor should be the recipient of constant ridicule by HIS peers! Game wardens should be elected just like a sheriff -or at least be held accountable for their actions in a way that doesn't resemble a dictatorship. ...


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