# Got stopped today by the SpiritLake Wildlife Wardens



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

I was checking out East bay on DL today (Lots of birds using it as most small waters were froze) & all of a sudden I hear a siren  & there is a red Jeep Liberty Behind me (with a on the dash red & blue light flashing). I stop & get out & two younger NA's get out & ask what I'm doing. & why do I have 2 garbage bags on the rear hitch hauler, I have on my Tahoe ??? I say cause I just left my camper, at my lake place & was on my way home & I would dispose of it there. I say why ??? Do you think I'm out here dumping my trash :lol: - I ask if they are the Wardens for the Res, they say yeah. They have on uniforms & badges & a big emblem on the Jeep (they were not carrying guns) - I say, I have heard you need a res license & that I stopped at the Casino Marina & asked about them a few weeks ago, but no one there knew where to get one - they tell me where to get one in Fort Totten & I ask how much ??? - they were not sure but thought $35 :roll:

I asked what is the penalty for hunting without a license ??? & they think it is $250 & confiscate guns  I ask have you given out many tickets or are you just warning people - they say that they have not given any out yet.

They try to tell me about their Guide that will take hunters out - I say, I don't use guides & try to explain how most residents & NR want to freelance :roll: But I could tell they were not really listening :eyeroll: One of them gives me his business card & writes the Guides phone # on it :roll: I go on for awhile about how it's ok to have a access license but if they think that guides are the best way to go, for the Tribe, that they will be missing out on well over 95% of the Freelance hunters that come here. But I could tell they could care less or did'nt really understand what I was saying :roll:

As soon as they leave a big flock of Huns flys right in front of my vehicle & lands near us :roll: Thank goodness it happened then & not before they arrived :******: We were wondering what they would have done ??? Give us a ticket to go to Tribal court ??? & try to take our guns ??? I'm not so sure I'd give them my guns :******: I might have said Naah!!! I'm getting in my vehicle & driving off the Res. & have a nice day :******: (Right!!!) :roll:

They need to have some sort of Proclamtions with them to educate folks, as this occurs - or they are going to have TROUBLE or a SERIOUS Incident someday, especially if they try to take guns :eyeroll: Does anyone know if you have to show up in Tribal Court..............???

Overall they were courteous & more nervous then we were


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## muzzy (Mar 21, 2002)

Fetch, I noticed you had this on the refuge also, but I am not signed on there, so I will respond here. You were talking about the WPA's on Spirit Lake Reservation. There are also PLOTS there, you DO NOT NEED a tribal license to hunt these lands. Also, there is a lot of land inside of their borders that are owned by nontribal members, and as you stated you also do not need a tribal license to hunt these areas.

I didn't realize that they were trying to promote hunting through guiding, what was the guides name?


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Muzzy,

The guides name is Glen Delorme and is working under Sheldons
License. The Spirit Lake Marina is refering anyone interested in a license to sheldon.


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## Ref (Jul 21, 2003)

Sounds to me like Sheldon is trying to control the whole state before he is done.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

The name they gave me was Andrew Morin


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## Bucky (Oct 8, 2003)

The Spirit Lake G and F has been a widley debated issue. First of all if you are on a public road that is not owned by the reservation and can acsess the lake by that road your N.D. fishing license covers you. How do you think the little bay South of the casino got named 10 buck bay. It was because the fish were land locked on flooded reservation land that you could only acsess with a reservation road. There is a whole bunch of plots North of Warwick and thousands of private land on the reservation. If you hunt either of those you only need a N.D. license. I am also told you can buy deer tags for reservation land. However ask a game warden about those tags and you get rolled eyes and a look. Well hope this helps.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

this is what Captain25 wrote at the Fuge:

Here is the gospel according to the ND Supreme court about Spirit Lake. The State has jurisdiction over INDIANS for crimes committed by INDIANS within the boundary of the Reservation. Spirit Lake has NO jurisdiction over non Indians. The tribe has concurrent jurisdiction over its members. If you are on Indian Land hunting without authorization, the Feds (US Fish and Wildlife) would have to prosecute you not the tribe. If you get a citation from the tribe dont get in a confrontation but as soon as you can get to your local warden and we will get to the Feds.

If you purchase a tribal license the legal jousting says that you consent to civil jurisdiction by the tribe. I dont know how that will work. They can not seize any property and they cant physically arrest a non Indian. And another problem for tribal "wardens" is they do not have peace officer status in ND. Thus they cant play in county Court.

Remember they are not immune from a Civil Rights law suit for exceeding their authority under color of law.

For the other reservation in ND, they are all different but the comments by Traxion are correct.

For the link to the supreme court dicision here it is www.court.state.nd.us/court/opinions/900280.htm


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

I didn't even know the Res had game wardens...I thought money at the Casino was their main concern????


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