When to call a game warden

[sprucebunny]

Today I saw an injured bear limping thru a field near the road. Then it went thru a narrow strip of woods and into someone's open garage and took a bag of garbage.

I called a game warden because the bear was injured and therefor unpredictable and the people weren't home to warn them that there might be a bear in a bad mood behind their house (wooded area).

What would you have done ?


  

 

[Mooseherder]

Good Call Sprucebunny.  ;)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Did the Game Warden come?

[thecfarm]

Same thing.
We are on a first name basis with the game warden. Some hunters can't read around here. Started all from one bonehead shooting towards the house during turkey season.The reality show,Northwood Law,even did a taping on my land. But did not find the pot plants,so we did not make the show.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, a good call!

[beenthere]

Good call. Hope they can take care of the bear.
Surprising that someone in bear country would leave a bag of garbage available for a bear.

[sprucebunny]

I don't know what happened. I was just driving by. A warden called me about an hour later and was going to investigate or call the local cops. Assisting at a traffic accident had delayed him.
I called because I would want to know, if possible, that there was an injured bear around my house and in the hope ( perhaps useless..) the bear would be cared for. I live about a third of a mile thru the woods from where this happened

I've had a bear on my second floor porch so they are around but not common. A neighborhood dog steals my garbage if I leave it out :

[sandhills]

I'd have done the same  ???, I say good call also.  That looks nasty, is it legal to put them down up there for something like that?  Just ignorant, don't live in bear country, but I'd think infection will get it in the end?  I have facilities to treat cattle/horses for stuff like that but think I'll shy away from treating a bear.

[Peter Drouin]

I had one walking on 3 legs, I called fish and game he told me we have a lot of 3 legged ones in NH. :
No one showed up.
Looks like it was hit by a car.

[sprucebunny]

My trash barrel is tipped over this morning.... Second time in 15 years.
Can't see any tracks in the gravel but looks suspiciously like bear size tooth marks on a paper coffee cup.
Wasn't much in there but coffee grounds and a couple food wrappers.

[ely]

they definatly needed to know what was going on... me personally would have had a new bearskin rug.

[Peter Drouin]

My trash barrel is tipped over this morning.... Second time in 15 years.
Can't see any tracks in the gravel but looks suspiciously like bear size tooth marks on a paper coffee cup.
Wasn't much in there but coffee grounds and a couple food wrappers.

Don't take much sometimes.

[Ljohnsaw]

Don't take much sometimes.

Sometimes, it don't take anything!  Last year I left a full 5 gallon plastic gas can on my property for a few days.  Came back to find it empty - and a big bite mark in one corner.  I would have like to see the bear's reaction  :D

This past Wednesday, I took a stroll down to my leach field to retrieve my mortar tub I had used to set my distribution box.  Odd, it was face up (left it leaning face down on a tree) and had some sap in it.  Scraped out the sap and noticed a hole.  Crud, I must have scraped too hard...  Mixed up my thin set and set my shower.  Cleaning the tub, there were four holes - two in the side and two on the bottom.  Flipped it over and there were some other indents - stupid bear bit my mortar tub!

This bear seems to be acclimated to coolers (plastic) and will bite about anything plastic!

[SwampDonkey]

Bears love gas jugs. Sometimes even saw throttle cables. I saw remnants of a grow op one year in the bush with potting soil bags in bear dung piles. :D

[Peter Drouin]

Don't take much sometimes.

Sometimes, it don't take anything!  Last year I left a full 5 gallon plastic gas can on my property for a few days.  Came back to find it empty - and a big bite mark in one corner.  I would have like to see the bear's reaction  :D

This past Wednesday, I took a stroll down to my leach field to retrieve my mortar tub I had used to set my distribution box.  Odd, it was face up (left it leaning face down on a tree) and had some sap in it.  Scraped out the sap and noticed a hole.  Crud, I must have scraped too hard...  Mixed up my thin set and set my shower.  Cleaning the tub, there were four holes - two in the side and two on the bottom.  Flipped it over and there were some other indents - stupid bear bit my mortar tub!

This bear seems to be acclimated to coolers (plastic) and will bite about anything plastic!

Maybe it was a young one and teething, and the plastic is easy on the gums :D

[beenthere]

This bear seems to be acclimated to coolers (plastic) and will bite about anything plastic!

Or that Brer Bear has learned from experience that good things like "bear bait" comes sometimes in plastic, that sometimes is allowed to get at.

[red oaks lumber]

you guys must have nice and helpful wardens in other states. not here, the last call is to the wardens  :(

[Small Slick]

ROL is right. No one calls the warden. In WI that means you are the first one to get interrogated. John.

[terry f]

   That's too bad, it shouldn't be that way.

[drobertson]

I would've called, we have good agents,  but only one to two per county, lots of land to cover for such a small crew,  county sheriffs, well, I guess they are doing something, hard to tell, don't see them much either.   

[LeeB]

We have dedcent game wardens. Some of the folks around don't like them, but those folks are outlaws. I have had no problems with them and Lindy knows most of the for three counties by name.(she does a lot of facebook yard sales and other stuff like that, so she meets a wide range of people in the area). I have no troubles with the sherrif either. Have pretty good relationship with them.

[sandhills]

I will agree with Lee for our area, and our game wardens are spread pretty thin.  Around here 99% of the people complaining about law enforcement are the criminals.  Our old warden used to hunt our land so I saw him a lot, since he retired I've yet to see one around, but that's not saying they wouldn't show up if called, just spread thin.

[chain]

We have dedcent game wardens. Some of the folks around don't like them, but those folks are outlaws. I have had no problems with them and Lindy knows most of the for three counties by name.(she does a lot of facebook yard sales and other stuff like that, so she meets a wide range of people in the area). I have no troubles with the sherrif either. Have pretty good relationship with them.

I'm not an outlaw nor a criminal but I have been accused of violating and suspicions of illigal wild game activities and misdoings. For what? I've never been able to figure it out and as I have stated before elsewhere in this forum, rare is the day or season of the year do I not do something for conservation betterment. I'm somewhat bitter now, unfortunately I've allowed my feelings to caution ever contacting the conservation agents again.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

But did not find the pot plants,so we did not make the show.

That was hillarious!  :D

I would have called; that's a nasty looking wound. We have a warden that lives in our town but his district is in another part of the state. He has tagged deer for me though, come right to my house to do it. And he brought my friend a fresh road-killed moose that we butchered up!  ;)

[sandhills]

chain, I hope no offence was taken by my post, like I said "in our area" wasn't claiming anyone here was a criminal.  I do know a few local law enforcement people and a retired warden, they have from time to time hunted on our ground, but that doesn't give me the right to do the wrong thing either thinking they'd look the other way.  I will completely agree with you on conservation betterment, that maybe is where they'd find me guilty I guess  , and I've never been wrongfully accused of anything criminal was just stating that most around here whining about the law are the ones breaking it.  I honestly believe without those of us "out here" looking after it in our own way, our children aren't gonna have a lot left to look after for the next generation to enjoy.  In my little part of the world habitat seems to be the last thing that matters, tear it up, doze it down and farm it, seems to be the general rule  :-\.  I'll shut up now.

[chain]

No offense taken at all. I guess it's part of getting older, we tend to think of things that happened and always wonder why and how the issue could have been resolved. As when a young CA ran down in our field, through the mud, nearly a half-mile to accuse me of squirrel hunting a day early. [late May] And he accused me of having a gun, I had no gun only my yellow Lab that always came with me on dozens and dozens of walking around my crop fields.

Well, he searched in the crop for my 'gun' and became frustrated and stomped off, in all actuality this should be a funny story, but my honesty had been challenged. To the officers credit, he moved away to another county..coincidentally, a county our tree farm is located and became a very good CA.

[red oaks lumber]

i use to report things, provide tips,  genarally be a good citizen, until one day the 2 wardens paid me a visit at the shop"want to ask you a few questions" the one said. because i had provided accurate info. they figured i must be linked to alot of illeagl activites in the area.
after a couple of hours they left still not believing me. over the next several years i would see them 'keeping an eye on me" occasionally stopping to see what i knew about certain things unusal in the area. so , the next time they stopped i had some real good crediable info regaurding 2 wolves being shot , complete with names and locations. told them flat out, i won't provide anything because you guys can't be trusted. anymore i have zero respect for game wardens in wisconsin

[Barney II]

You Wisconsin guys are right on about the wardens in the north and I assume elsewhere.  I too have reported violations by others and have never been thanked but had them turn on me.  I would not call them about anything, period .   It is very disheartening.

[jdonovan]

multiple contacts with game enforcement in multiple states, all of it negative. Never was breaking the law, but sure got accused of it.

Tried to help them out recently, and it went poorly. That was the last straw. I'm not going to impede their work, but I'm sure not going to be friendly and helpful anymore.

[red oaks lumber]

in wardens eyes ...guilty until proven innocent ;)

[Southside]

Had to call one earlier this evening.  Was closing up the layer houses when a shot rang out about 50 yards to the east right into one of our pasture areas.  I had planned to move some cows over there to get what was left of the grass in that area but the past few cold nights killed it off so I elected not to, they would have been right there.  Horse just about ran me over when he took off, chicken 6!@#%^&*, SOB turned around in my driveway as I tore off running that way.  Guess I have to start packing the H&K around the farm.  I hope this is not an indication of how the fall will go. 

[doctorb]

Our DNR police have been incorporated within the Maryland State Police, to the best of my knowledge.  They are a lot more interested in stopping impaired boaters (which is a real problem and a safety hazard) than driving out to private land to check on trespassers or injured animals.  I understand there are priorities, but when you see people taking fish or game out of season, you don't get much response here.  I'd like to see them be able to handle those responsibilities better.

Good call Sprucebunny.

[Southside]

Agreed, I even called today to let them know there is a button buck dead in the soybeans 20 yards off the road with a bullet hole in the nasal cavity, and and obvious bump under the shoulder blade - pretty sure its the bullet, somebody might come out on Friday....

[beenthere]

Agreed, I even called today to let them know there is a button buck dead in the soybeans 20 yards off the road with a bullet hole in the nasal cavity, and and obvious bump under the shoulder blade - pretty sure its the bullet, somebody might come out on Friday....

I've been reading this with interest. But Southside loggers report is what, to me, peaks a wardens' interest. Mostly because the warden has to wonder how the person calling knows so much about the details of one dead deer. Comes to mind, how can one tell a nasal cavity of a dead deer has a bullet hole (entry I presume) and a bump under the shoulder blade.

If I knew that much, I for sure wouldn't trust a warden to not think that I might just know more than I am letting on. Hence, raising their curiosity and the only "suspect" they know about is the one making the call. Seems natural that they would concentrate any investigation on that lone "suspect". If that makes any sense...

i.e. if the report comes from the only spectator, who is the one that will be talked to first? and maybe last.

[Corley5]

A shot in the dark means venison in the freezer.

[chain]

I think a rule-of-thumb in deciding to call would be.....

count to ten....sleep over it..go to coffee shop...and ask tired waitress if you should call....tip her if she says, "absolutely not!"

[beenthere]

 :D :D :D

[coxy]

A shot in the dark means venison in the freezer.

not all the time ;D ;D

[Southside]

Beenthere -

Good point, I did not think of it like that.  To at least answer your question the gaping hole between the nose and eyes was a giveaway, the fact the shot about got me killed when the 1800 lb draft horse took off got me wound up - not to mention it could have been one of my cows behind it - and the hard bump that moves around and feels like some of the bullets I have removed from under the hide of deer I have killed makes me believe that is what it is.  Of course if I was going to kill one the last thing I would do is call anybody and report it.  But - yea, I get your point. 

[LeeB]

Beenthere -

Good point, I did not think of it like that.  To at least answer your question the gaping hole between the nose and eyes was a giveaway, the fact the shot about got me killed when the 1800 lb draft horse took off got me wound up - not to mention it could have been one of my cows behind it - and the hard bump that moves around and feels like some of the bullets I have removed from under the hide of deer I have killed makes me believe that is what it is.  Of course if I was going to kill one the last thing I would do is call anybody and report it.  But - yea, I get your point. 

I don't and I'll take your reply to be tongue in cheek. Why would anyone call a warden to get themselves in trouble? I know how some of you feel about the way you have been treated by the wardens. I get it every time I come back into the country coming home from work. 90% of the customs officers treat you like a bonafied terrorist at the passport checkpoint.

[beenthere]

90% of the customs officers treat you like a bonafied terrorist at the passport checkpoint.

And it may be the nature of the beast (the job), but it is an extension of my point. ;)  Whether it should be or not, it sometimes is the caller who is the only one around to be "examined" and questioned interrogated by the investigator... if one shows up.  Add to that, the over-anxious, newbie "youngster" wardens, and every leaf of yours is examined.
I don't like it to be this way, but it does seem to be one is taking that possibility on when making the call. Not all wardens are like this. Ya takes your chances. And if your neighbor hears a shot, and calls that he heard it, who will he/she check out first?  the one he/she knows in the area.  ;)

[Corley5]

A shot in the dark means venison in the freezer.

not all the time ;D ;D

If the shot was made at one of the DNR's radio controlled decoys  ;) ;D