Fish and wildlife Officers

[thegunman]

I was curious if anyone was familiar with what exactly is kosher when you’re dealing with a F&W officer? Had a few encounters with a gentleman last year because I had permission by his place and I think that ruffled his feathers. I wasn’t in the wrong or in trouble or anything but it got me wondering. Are they allowed to reach into your truck and handle your firearms inside of your vehicle? Photograph your tags and licenses? Just never had as many interactions with one and I was curious.

[huntinstuff]

In plain sight.

If its covered or cased, no. A case is a case.

A kilo of coke on the dash? Yes. A kilo of coke in the trunk in a suitcase? No

Your license? Yes. If you are hunting, they can either write all your license info in a notebook or take a pic. Taking a pic is more accurate.

[elkhunter11]

I have had officers look at my license, but never had one even write down my license numbers, let alone take a picture. I have had officers ask to see that my firearms are unloaded, but only one ever reached for a firearm himself,without asking, and I pushed the rifle out of his reach, and then showed him that it was unloaded. This was a young officer, that was with a soon to be retiring officer, who told him to ask, before grabbing someone's firearm. I find that if I treat officers with respect, they usually respond in kind.

[HighOnTheHills]

As of 2020:

https://www.mygrandeprairienow.com/7...erta-sheriffs/

there are no fish & wildlife officers as the department has been condemned for collusion with rcmp officers involving harrassment beyond reasonable doubt

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by HighOnTheHills

As of 2020:

https://www.mygrandeprairienow.com/7...erta-sheriffs/

there are no fish & wildlife officers as the department has been condemned for collusion with rcmp officers involving harrassment beyond reasonable doubt

Your handle is quite telling.....

[HighOnTheHills]

Originally Posted by cbinthenorth

your handle is quite telling.....

20240621_140350.jpg

[stob]

Had F&W ossifer wet his self fondling my rifle...very polite and such and he knew I was related to the land owner ... my daughter @ 17 who was with me thought it was very wierd how he carried on ... that said the sherriffs and the arsemp caN really be a special brand of stoopid when they set their minds to it...not all, but some

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Those guys are in my back seat touching my rifle fast all the time. Where do my rights start and end? Always wondered.

[HighOnTheHills]

Im not certain how any of their approach is conservation in subject

[Trochu]

My interactions have been few and far between, but they've always asked me to show them that the rifle was unloaded. If I recall correctly, I showed, and put it away, he didn't touch it.

[Dean2]

I am polite and respectful but I also know my rights. I do not volunteer information and only answer questions I am legally obligated to answer. I will not provide consent to search under any circumstances and I well know the limits of their abilty to search without consent. I never break the game laws so have no fear of getting in trouble for what I am doing, but particularly because I have committed no offenses I am very resistant to being treated like a skell.

Learn what your rights and obligations are. No matter how friendly the encounter, they are NOT your friends. They have a job to do and that job is to write tickets and find infractions. Never mistake the dynamicS of the interaction.

[Rio56]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I am polite and respectful but I also know my rights. I do not volunteer information and only answer questions I am legally obligated to answer. I will not provide consent to search under any circumstances and I well know the limits of their abilty to search without consent. I never break the game laws so have no fear of getting in trouble for what I am doing, but particularly because I have committed no offenses I am very resistant to being treated like a skell.

Learn what your rights and obligations are. No matter how friendly the encounter, they are NOT your friends. They have a job to do and that job is to write tickets and find infractions. Never mistake the dynamicS of the interaction.

I agree with this 100 %.. am not going to tell the storey here but he is right in the fact that they almost have something to prove . They wanna charge and let you stress over it and prove otherwise ... Basically looking for problems .... with no resolutions or guidance

[Dewey Cox]

Had a f and w officer check our guns at wainwright.
That guy didn't know much, but he knew he wanted to charge us with something.
I think it really bothered him to let us go with no ticket.

[NBScott]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I am polite and respectful but I also know my rights. I do not volunteer information and only answer questions I am legally obligated to answer. I will not provide consent to search under any circumstances and I well know the limits of their abilty to search without consent. I never break the game laws so have no fear of getting in trouble for what I am doing, but particularly because I have committed no offenses I am very resistant to being treated like a skell.

Learn what your rights and obligations are. No matter how friendly the encounter, they are NOT your friends. They have a job to do and that job is to write tickets and find infractions. Never mistake the dynamicS of the interaction.

Dean, although I respect your knowlege of the finiancial markets and investment world. I don't think that you fully understand the inspection powers of a fish and wildlife officer and the fact that their powers of inspection far exceed the search powers of a normal RCMP or Peace officer. If you would like to know more about the powers appointed of a fish and wildlife officer you can look them up under the wildlife (alberta) act, Part 6 or fisheries (alberta) act, sections 19-28. I can assure you that F&W only needs to reasonably believe that you are hunting or fishing to give them powers to search/inspect not only your vehicle, licenses, and gun but possibly your home and any places related to the activity of hunting or fishing (RV, Boat, etc).
Respectfully,

[Alberta Bigbore]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

A kilo of coke on the dash? Yes. A kilo of coke in the trunk in a suitcase? No

I laughed a little harder at this then i should have. 🤣😅😂

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I am polite and respectful but I also know my rights. I do not volunteer information and only answer questions I am legally obligated to answer. I will not provide consent to search under any circumstances and I well know the limits of their abilty to search without consent. I never break the game laws so have no fear of getting in trouble for what I am doing, but particularly because I have committed no offenses I am very resistant to being treated like a skell.

Learn what your rights and obligations are. No matter how friendly the encounter, they are NOT your friends. They have a job to do and that job is to write tickets and find infractions. Never mistake the dynamicS of the interaction.

Your last paragraph with the job description is a load of crap. Please never come to Montana to hunt, We don’t need that bs attitude here!

[heretohunt]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Your last paragraph with the job description is a load of crap. Please never come to Montana to hunt, We don’t need that bs attitude here!

I think that Alberta fish and wildlife have a much different agenda than US fish and wildlife services. They are not your friend. They have no interest in promoting hunting and fishing.

[elkhunter11]

F&W, are like any other law enforcement, some officers are friendly, and easy to deal with, others only seem interested in trying to find violations. I was checked twice last season, by an officer that was very friendly and it was six years previous, that I was checked before that. The previous two officers were also very friendly and just wanted to see licenses, and verify that our firearms were unloaded in the vehicle.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

In plain sight.

If its covered or cased, no. A case is a case.

A kilo of coke on the dash? Yes. A kilo of coke in the trunk in a suitcase? No

Your license? Yes. If you are hunting, they can either write all your license info in a notebook or take a pic. Taking a pic is more accurate.

I usually keep my coke in the cup holder and the whiskey in the suitcase in the trunk!

BW

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Your last paragraph with the job description is a load of crap. Please never come to Montana to hunt, We don’t need that bs attitude here!

I have hunted extensively in the States. Some places, like Montana, Texas and South Carolina as well as Florida, i agree with you. Any of the Wardens or COs I ever interacted with were all hunters and fishers theselves and had a great approach to the job they did. The Fish and Wildlife officers in Alberta 20 years ago were exactly the same way. I count a few as friends. That is NOT the case any more. Nor is it the case in California, Hawaii, Arizona or New Mexico. In those jurisdictions my last paragraph is COMPLETELY accurate.

You need to realise that not everywhere is the same. Also realise please that this is Alberta Outdoors, not Montana Sask or Manitoba Outdoors and I write my responses from that perspective. Just because you and the guys you work with in Montana are great guys does not mean it is that way everywhere. Until I know which way the wind blows in a particular jurisdiction I will err on the side of caution.

There is a reason I spend my time in Republican run states and cities, they have the same outlook and values I do. Stay well.

[-JR-]

Thats good they are doing there job .
Taking your info is also good .As for later in the day they could be finding something after you leave .
Look what happened to that one hunter after they let him go and said have a good day . They went into the place where he was hunting just to find a lot of dead ducks floating on the pond .

On the other note we had some come into our camping area just to look at our crown land camping pass . Mean while kids were driving up and down the gravel road full blast not wearing helmets and it was a numbered main road . I asked him if he was going to do anything about that because they where not wearing helmutes . The answer was no .

[W921]

Thing is when someone blocks off a public built and maintained road or doesn't allow access to public lease land. Fish cops should be a help but I actually had one tell me that his job was to charge hunters,not help them. Yeah I agree with Dean. They are not friends of the legal sportsman.

[Rio56]

I see this thread as a real good measuring stick of our F/W officers and the resources in their hands ..
Maybe more officers should have a look at this and try to understand the PR side of the job..
Ya do your job , professionally

NBScott --- you stated exactly the powers of your enforcement with a slight slant !

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by W921

Thing is when someone blocks off a public built and maintained road or doesn't allow access to public lease land. Fish cops should be a help but I actually had one tell me that his job was to charge hunters,not help them. Yeah I agree with Dean. They are not friends of the legal sportsman.

The RCMP refused to enforce an injunction to deal with the blockade, so what do you expect F&W to do?

[Dubious]

Dean is correct. Their job IS enforcement they are quick with the ticket book and don’t care if you have to go to courts to try and beat it. They call this “educating”. And yes they will and can open your door to search it they don’t care if rifles are cased it’s for officer safety, everything is being recorded via smart phone in their vest pointed out at you. they know that a lawyer retainer is $2000 a trial fee is $5000 and your going to go to court and bend the knee take it on the chin to pay because it’s cheaper.

Learn these words. I don’t answer questions on the road/trail side. I don’t consent to search. Am I being detained. Am I free to go.

[W921]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The RCMP refused to enforce an injunction to deal with the blockade, so what do you expect F&W to do?

Interpret laws and use desretion for the good of Alberta's tax payers who they are supposed to be serving.
I respect private property but some people who and usually the ones who own tons of private property feel entitled to public property like its their own and then try to keep the public off. Or it's public when they want gravel, culverts,bridges or graded but then in hunting season it's private again.

[heretohunt]

Just to clarify my earlier comments. I shot my first big game animal with the head of our local fishing wildlife right beside me. He is clearly a great guy,but that was in the early 80s. My brother bought his first rifle off the same guy. I have had good interactions with Fish and wildlife and used to look forward to getting checked to talk to them. Since then but I would say positive interactions are more rare than they are common. Even when I am checked, and I have my kids with me I’m surprised that I walk away with a dirty greasy feeling. I don’t believe they put any effort whatsoever into conservation or promotion. It is all enforcement. Kind of a negative thing. I had a neighbour complain that I was hunting in an area that I had permission to hunt. I got a call from Fish and wildlife told him about my permission and that neighbour is harassing me. I asked him if he could be any help. He said just find another place to hunt. Thanks a bunch.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that they are out there, but they are certainly not an ally or friend.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by heretohunt

I had a neighbour complain that I was hunting in an area that I had permission to hunt him.

When you start hunting neighbours, they have tendency to start complaining

[heretohunt]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

When you start hunting neighbours, they have tendency to start complaining

Ha ha. If you knew my neighbor like everyone else does that statement would make more sense.

[thegunman]

Originally Posted by heretohunt

Just to clarify my earlier comments. I shot my first big game animal with the head of our local fishing wildlife right beside me. He is clearly a great guy,but that was in the early 80s. My brother bought his first rifle off the same guy. I have had good interactions with Fish and wildlife and used to look forward to getting checked to talk to them. Since then but I would say positive interactions are more rare than they are common. Even when I am checked, and I have my kids with me I’m surprised that I walk away with a dirty greasy feeling. I don’t believe they put any effort whatsoever into conservation or promotion. It is all enforcement. Kind of a negative thing. I had a neighbour complain that I was hunting in an area that I had permission to hunt. I got a call from Fish and wildlife told him about my permission and that neighbour is harassing me. I asked him if he could be any help. He said just find another place to hunt. Thanks a bunch.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that they are out there, but they are certainly not an ally or friend.

It’s funny the one that kept checking me called around to everywhere I had permission to verify I actually did. Lol
Another one that gave me a chuckle is he took my rifle out of the truck, it was bolt closed on a dead chamber, obviously no bullets, he then cycled it and closed the bolt and left it firing pin cocked. Gave me a bit of a laugh.