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Texas Game Wardens

David Nunn
There's a TV show about Texas Game Wardens, "Lone Star Law."  I've watched a few episodes and have a question:

Police officers have to have a reason to stop and detain a person, "reasonable suspicion" that some offense has been or is about to be committed.

The rules seem to be a little different for the game wardens.  They just cruise up on a a boat and basically do a "board and search," called a "safety equipment check."  Same with hunters and fishermen.  They just approach and ask to check licenses, gun plugs, fish in the cooler, etc.  They haven't observed any illegal activity but they go looking for it.

Am I calling this right?  Do the Supreme Court decisions and Constitutional Amendments that apply to regular police officers just not apply to game wardens?
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Comments

36 comments

Date Votes
  • mohawk600
    From what I understand, in Texas, game wardens have powers that regular LEOs don't regarding search and seizure. I would also bet that if they found something illegal other than a hunting violation..........such as drugs........an arrest would be made and it would not be thrown out in court.
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  • He Dog
    First half of the 90's I held scientific collecting permits for several southwestern states including Texas.  Interesting experience being stopped on a road a few miles from the Mexican boarder and not much else at 11:00 at night.  I always kept a pouch of Redman with me and when they lighted me up I would fill my cheek.  Then we would stand around together chewing and spitting while they looked over my permit and my catch.  They usually said guys always like to be on their good side, and so told them about other guys collecting illegally.  I told them I saw some fellows collecting an spotlighting deer over around Langtry.  Then I went back to the Calvary Post in Lajitas for the night and went to bed.
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  • RobOz
    Butchdog2: 31542627980827/comments/31542632139547
    I may be wrong, have been before, but NC game laws don't require license to hunt on ones own property nor to wear blaze orange. Not sure about this either but I don't think a warden can enter where you are hunting with out a complaint. They can check you coming and going. Too dangerous for them to come prowling into your hunting area. If someone takes game illegally and the wardens are alerted then they have the authority check things out.
    A person did a little night hunting out of season near hear, couldn't keep his mouth shut. Wardens searched his house, and out buildings. Found the deer in the freezer in one of the out buildings, ripped out the door frame, took the meat and freezer and anything the deer might have touched, gun, truck, and the poachers hunting license for who knows how long.
    Use to hunt over in 84's neck of the woods years ago, the wardens would drive out into the fields and look around but never would get out of their vehicles. Knock on wood but I have never been checked while hunting but have be checked a time or two while fishing.

    Open Fields Doctrine .

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  • susie

    Game warden came into our deer camp one year. Saw my Dad's .35 Remington. He insisted he had to check it to make sure Dad wasn't loading it with buckshot.


    Daddy told him if there was buckshot in that gun, you can have it. Lol.

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  • fatcat458
    A little personal talks about TX game wardens. l started shooting Prairie Dogs in Tx after Uncle Sugar invited to visit Ft Hood 1990 beginning of Desert Storm. Been doing it quite regularly since with a visit last month to Amarillo Tx. ln that span l never met a Tx Warden in the field. l only see them now and then when l purchase a 5 day small game license.. Bought mine online this year. Got it in the mail 2 weeks after l got home in GA/SC :o 
    0ther areas of the country aren't so welcoming. RoseDud Sioux Reservation reminds me of GA/SC speed traps on old US-1.
    When hunting the REZ you must have a local native ''Guide''. Going rate 10yrs back was $100 a day. So you go out with Chief Big Liar. We are all set up when Chief disappears and suddenly his brother the Game Warden pops up.. He's gonna find something wrong. Most of the time its TRESSPASSING... lts a huge rez, but within it there's private land spotted all over. 0ne way you are on native land. 50ft east you are on private land= Ticket Time.. The RoseDud is history for me. Never Again!!
    Now moving further East we find ourselves in prime Black Bear Territory. Potter County Pennsylvania is Black Bear Heaven. Hunting with an Army buddy and his family out of their shack in CoudersPort Pa is great. Not so great when a Pa game warden spots a red pickup with South Carolina plates. Talk about getting checked. l think the record in one day is FOUR... :#
    PA game wardens have DUAL exhaust!! Tried it a couple of seasons in Pa... There wont  be a THIRD :s


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  • He Dog
    We see so many guys hunting from their pickups with rifles poking out the windows and 4 kids in the back sitting on a cable spool with rifles ready.  I welcome game wardens in our camp, pour them coffee and gladly thank them for caring enough to leave the donut shop.
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