this guy ruins it for everybody out there; stops you just so he can try to get you for something. he stopped me because one of my letters on my registration was "faded".

what was his name?

Not that one but I've had many GW stop me and never once check my fish box.. All they want is to give me a ticket for an expired fire extinguisher etc. I once plotted for 5 years how to sink a particular game warden. Once I figured out how to do I lost my nerve. Thank goodness. Let's just say that mercury paste on an aluminum hull will do the trick fairly quickly.

Now having said that 99% of the game wardens I've come across have been decent folk with a very dangerous job.

At least the GW's on the dove hunts count birds.

Personally, I like my game wardens. Never really had an issue with them. Then again I am probably pickier about things than most of them are.

Is the the young guy with his partner out there? In a War Eagle boat right? I have ran in to him several times, and each he was more than courteous. The first he just checked for life jackets and fishing licenses, nothing else, not even the ice box. The second he only checked the licenses. Its common knowledge that they are always out there, so when you go to Gibbons make sure you have EVERYTHING together. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I have lots of respect for game wardens, my buddies dad was actually killed in the line of duty several years ago.

I'm just from the school of stop me if i'm screwing up; dont TRY to catch me for something, we had no reason to be stopped. His 45+ min. stop of my boat made me late for my brother's review. Plus, he comes screaming in at me like hes in hot pursuit because I was doing all of about 15 mph. I honestly thought he was some dumb kid trying to race me into the dock until I could see the side of his boat.

quote:

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I once plotted for 5 years how to sink a particular game warden. Once I figured out how to do I lost my nerve. Thank goodness. Let's just say that mercury paste on an aluminum hull will do the trick fairly quickly.

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I would like to hear more about this.

I've run into the guy I think you're talking about. We are anchored at the spillway and he GUNS it up to us doing atleast 25-30 then turns sharply causing water to come over the side of my buddies 16 foot jon boat... then like you said doesn't check the fish box, checks everything else. Gives my buddy a citation for not having his deer log filled out, and don't get me started on the whole deer log thing. But the guy I am thinking of is a complete dick.

I used to have a guy named Devillier stop me and my buddies a few times. Never checked the fish box (we were legit anyway). I think he was just checking to see if we were drinking...which we never did.

Whats a deer log?

[This message has been edited by ToHntortoFsh (edited 5/11/2008 8:13p).]

It's a pretty dang simple thing to deal with:

HUNTING LICENSE HARVEST LOG FOR WHITE-TAILED DEER (ON BACK OF LICENSE)


*Immediately upon kill of a white-tailed deer the hunter must complete the log, in ink, on the back of the hunting license. Failture to complete the log as required may result in a fine not to exceed $500 for each deer improperly logged. New: Asterisks indicate bucks of a least 13*.
*Completion of the log is not required for mule deer, or for white-tailed deer lawfully taken under a MLD permit, LAMPS permit, TPWD Special Drawn Public Hunt permit, U.S. Forest Service antlerless permit, or on a Big Time Texas Hunt.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/hunt/game/index.phtml



"Our nation’s continued prosperity hinges on our ability to solve environmental problems and sustain the natural resources on which we all depend.” John McCain November 22, 1996
"I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use our natural resources, but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob by wasteful use, the generations that come after us."
- Theodore Roosevelt, speech, Washington, D.C., 1900



[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 5/11/2008 8:56p).]

He messed with us about 2 years ago. We were leaving the ramp that day driving off and stopped us. Checked all over our 12ft jonboat and cited us for not having adequate flotation devices or some bull like that. I knew we were at fault, but the fact that we were already driving off pissed me off. When we got to the pay station the old man asked what he told us. The old man went on to say how that particular guy was causing alot of grief with customers and wanted him gone.

That warden was a pretty big a-hole.

I had a run in with him about a month ago. Checked fishing licenses and my registration, then checked for life jackets. My friend and I were both drinking, but after I showed him my life jackets he went on to the next boat.

Texangler,

I figued out how to do it after reading a historical account of allied spies in WW2 using said mercury paste on German airplanes. Mercury rapidly corrodes aluminum. It is illegal to have mercury on an aircraft for this reason.

The trick would be to get it on bare aluminum. Officer douchbag's aluminum boat was scratched to hell so it wouldn't have been a problem. I was at peace once I knew I could do it. I had a couple of ways devised to get it on his hull. The first was easy as he put in at the same isolated ramp everytime. A little paste on trailer runners and it would smear it all over the bottom of the hull. I thought a more effective way would be to smear it around the drain plug hole which I could have done when he was bullsh**ing at the local cafe.

Here is what Wiki has to say about it:

quote:

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Mercury and aluminium
Mercury readily combines with aluminium to form a mercury-aluminum amalgam when the two pure metals come into contact. However, when the amalgam is exposed to air, the aluminium oxidizes, leaving behind mercury. The oxide flakes away, exposing more mercury amalgam, which repeats the process. This process continues until the supply of amalgam is exhausted, and since it releases mercury, a small amount of mercury can “eat through” a large amount of aluminium over time, by progressively forming amalgam and relinquishing the aluminium as oxide.

Aluminium in air is ordinarily protected by a molecule-thin layer of its own oxide, which is not porous to oxygen. Mercury coming into contact with this oxide does no harm. However, if any elemental aluminium is exposed (even by a recent scratch), the mercury may combine with it, starting the process described above, and potentially damaging a large part of the aluminium before it finally ends.[45]

For this reason, restrictions are placed on the use and handling of mercury in proximity with aluminium. In particular, mercury is not allowed aboard aircraft under most circumstances because of the risk of it forming amalgam with exposed aluminium parts in the aircraft.

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Please remember the joy was figuring out how to sink him. I NEVER DID IT I SWEAR. I was at war with him for many years in the 90's. A bigger a-hole you could not find. The stories I have about him are countless.

Ya, he cited me for a BS wake zone violation. (which I fought and was dropped) I got stopped by him three consecutive times out there and haven't been back since the citation.

Is this a TPWD Game Warden or a Gibbons Creek/TMPA employee? If this is a TPWD guy, then management in Austin needs to hear about this yahoo.

If he works for Gibbons Creek, then he is just running off business and giving the lake a bad rep.

[This message has been edited by Aggiefan54 (edited 5/11/2008 11:52p).]

Game Wardens are the Meg Griffin of law enforcement.

Devillier was out there in the late 90's early 2000's. Don't know if he is still out there or not.

the one boat ramp only on the lake makes it easy for them to check you at launch or take out.

that's usually where I get checked out there.

Maybe a young guy "out to change the world", one of those anal-retentive hero types??

Comply with all the rules, and you'll be fine, and frustrate him to boot. Of course, that usually also means a longer inspection as they go through the entire checklist trying to nail you on something...

Devillier isn't there anymore. He won $11 million in Vegas on a slot machine about 5 years back. No kidding.

Amazing. I just follow the rules, and if I run into a game warden, I just shoot the breeze and let him do his thing. It's never really slowed me done, and usually nets me useful info (dove season related). They rarely, if ever, find out I'm a biologist (not that it would do me any good) I know some of yall have a different view, but yall would be amazed at the shear amount of BS they have to deal with.

I second that on the amount of BS they take. Amazing how many people get so torqued at being asked to obey the law. The fact that this guy usually seems to find something to write them up for is evidence enough to me that he is doing his job. I know some game wardens that work the San Jacinto River and it is amazing how many people head out overloaded, without proper safety supplies, in floating death traps, and then get pissed when the Game Warden tries to keep them from killing somebody (or themselves). Despite their best efforts, nearly every weekend during the summer, somebody dies out there either in a boating or swimming incident.

People tend to forget (or don't know) when someone drowns in a lake in Texas, it's the GWs that conduct the recovery effort. We also lost a GW (almost lost 2) last year during a drowning recovery effort. There's a reason they are so picky some times.

there are the good and the bad, same with every profession. sadly, game wardens get shafted a lot. i'm not sticking up for the ass that you guys are talking about but game wardens put up with a lot. it's one of the many thankless jobs out there.

Young GW at GBR stopped us for drinking while boating. We were in a small john boat with a trolling motor about 10 feet from the dock. He let us go after some hassle, but still wasted out time and ran the fish off.

What are the laws now days about drinking while boating?

reminds me, last time I was out there fishing off the dock, a 13-14 year old kid next to us was using a cast net, he was throwing it and caught about 2-3 undersize crappie that he put in the box for the cast net, he then threw it out and caught a 6lb LMB. The kid was so excited, he ran to his dad and got a cooler to put it in. When he got back, my buddy informed them that not only can you not use a cast net for game fish, there was a slot limit for bass on the lake and fish was definetly in the slot. Low and behold, bout 5 min later the young GW pulls up and has a bit of trouble tying up. Kid takes off with his stuff to go meet his dad, GW checks us then looks for that kid. Next thing I turn around, hes peering down into that cooler, given them a pretty good lecture. I hope they got a big ticket for that.

A little cut and paste work from the TPWD website.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/faq/warden/boatinglawfaq.phtml
--Does the "Open Container" law apply when I'm in my boat?
-No. This law, effective 9/1/2001, prohibits the possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle. It does not apply to watercraft.

--Can my driver's license be suspended if I'm arrested for operating a boat while intoxicated?
-Yes. Effective 9/1/2001, a person's drivers license will be automatically suspended if the arrested person:

Is operating a watercraft powered with an engine having a manufacturer's rating of 50 horsepower or above; and
The person refuses to provide a specimen (breath or blood) to determine intoxication.
The period of suspension for 1st time offenders is 180 days.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/pwd_br_l2000_0001/
It is unlawful for any person to:
Operate while intoxicated (loss of mental or physical faculties, or blood alcohol content of .08 or higher). First conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000, confinement in jail not to exceed 180 days or both; second conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000, confinement not to exceed one year or both; third conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000, imprisonment for not more than 10 years or less than 2 years. **Failure to submit a specimen to determine blood alcohol content may result in suspension of your driver's license.

---May I have an open container on a boat?
Open containers are legal, but operators of boats are subject to boating while intoxicated laws, similar to driving a vehicle. Operators or passengers may also be subject to public intoxication laws. Drinking and boating is DANGEROUS and the cause of most boating fatalities.

In other words, if they see the cans or bottles, chances are you will get checked.

I've run into the young GW out there a couple of times. The guy i was with was the son of a GW and knew the GW that stopped us. He was really nice and actually kinda funny. He eventually told us we were crazy for being out there without beer when it was so hot. All in all a nice guy

I've been boarded by that POS at least 3 times in the past year. He gave my BIL a ticket even though he had a fishing license with a salt water endorsement. The BIL thought, as well as did I, that the salt water was just an endorsement and the default was already purchased. In other words, you buy the fishing license and then get the saltwater as an extra. No dice - it was big fine.

Every time he stops me he goes down the entire list of things required. Really seems like he gets his rocks off on giving tickets.

He got me for not enough PFDs - I took one out for my kayak and thus was one short.

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I've been boarded by that POS at least 3 times in the past year.
He got me for not enough PFDs - I took one out for my kayak and thus was one short.

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So he's the POS because you were stupid enough to violate an extremely obvious and easy to follow law......... hhhmmmmmmmmmm........

I dont understand all the frustration either yellowpot, if you have everything together, you wont get a ticket, its as easy as that

I agree if you break the law that it could warrant a citation, however, looking for things to write a ticket about doesn't need to be the reason for boarding that many boats. (fished for a long time on lots of lakes and never been boarded) call it luck or timing, its never happened. However, drove a second gen Camaro for 10 years with a roller motor, fat tires, black pain job, etc., that would run 12.20's on street tires. I got pulled over once ever couple of months in that thing. so, sorta the same scenario.

So, say that before you got into your vehicle everyday, a police officer inspects your vehicle for violation (cracked windshield, bald tires, cracked headlamps/lenses, unsafe equipment, etc.) and proceeds follows you to work to make sure that you never break any law. Unless you are OCD, at some point, you will, whether it be a driving violation or faulty equipment. (has anyone ever seen a list of items an office can write you a citation for) And so you should be ticketed, correct? I mean you broke the law, right? you should be ticketed?

At some point the line has to be drawn on the probability of being issued a warning or a citation. Several occasions (more than ten) I was pulled over for "defective exhaust" IE loud mufflers. I had mufflers and the exhaust went over the axles and all the way to the back bumper, I cut if off about 2 inches up so it wasn't visible because I thought it looked stupid. Still I was ticketed for this. It wasn't visible, according to the cop, and therefore I was had faulty equipment which resulted in loud exhuast. WHAT !?!?!? you have to be kidding me right. Then this dick went on to write a citation for no front license plate. (ok my fault, but wouldn't I have been issued the ticket at that time if it wasn't for getting pulled over for subjective "loud exhaust", probably not, but still my crapshoot by not installing one.) After he did a full inspection of tire tread, windshield cracks and tint darkness. He gave me my tickets and I drove off pissed. Point being, the license plate was my fault so nothing to say there. However, the entire transaction, if you will, was RIDICULOUS. Pulling me over for one thing and then taking 30 minutes to see if there was anything else he could get me on.

It sounds exactly like the GW on the lake. The dumbest part about it was that it never occurred to the jerk that the year of the car required it to have cats, which there were none. So he pulled me over, gives me a ticket for excessive exhaust, proceeds to give the car a mr goodwrench 100 point inspection, and misses the biggest item on the list!! I wasn't going to lie about the cats, but I wasn't about to confess to not having them. So waht was he really looking out for, my safety, my car, or his own boredom.

Thats when it makes you wonder what this guy really knows about the law, and what he decides in his infinite wisdom to issue a citation for. He had me by the nuts, but never knew it, and then gave me crap about other stupid stuff like window tint. All this adds up to him not really doing anything other than being a *****. did I deserve the license plate ticket, sure. I knew that Texas vehicles had to have one and I didnt put one on.

I don't fish on this lake, but I have never heard of so many people being issued citations and complaining about the officer involved too. Break the law and you should be cited (or warned), I truly believe this, especially when it comes to safety, but if TPWD is that worried about my life and the way I fish, just sign me up for a personal GW when I arrive at the lake, then I know at all times I am within the bounds of the law.

Or just take a moment and look your stuff over to make sure you have your stuff in order. It ain't that hard to figure out what the GW is going to look for.