Finally Checked By F&W

[elkhunter11]

It had been six years since I was last checked by F&W on a pronghorn hunt, but yesterday, as we came to our trucks at the release site an officer pulled in. Although he has been on the job for over ten years, he was only recently transferred to our area. He was very friendly, and after checking licenses and our birds, we had a nice chat as he waited for more hunters to come from the site. He told us that due to reports of overharvesting, and trespassing etc off of the release sites, he is visiting the release sites more often. He told us that he actually checked a person at the Capital Power site, that had a hawk with him, that he had just shot by mistake.
Apparently the changes made about two years ago, also have the officers acting as peace officers, and reporting to calls outside of hunting and fishing activities.
It was a nice change to actually see the officer making a presence, as I have lived in this area for over eight years, and have never been checked here, but with such a large patrol area, and officers responding as peace officers, it's easy to understand why.

[Big Grey Wolf]

I was at the Capital Power site when F&W were writing up the fellow for shooting the Hawk. He showed me picture on his cell phone. If he can take a picture on phone could not understand why he could not pull up a picture of male pheasant. Gave him advice to get good copy of regs before going into field and could use hunter training.

[Pekan]

Isn't there only about 120 C.O's for the whole province?

I've been stopped 3x in the past 10 years

[32-40win]

Few (2-3?) wks ago, saw 5-6 F&W units on Hwy9 , going to some sort of class in Hanna apparently. I haven't been checked in maybe 25+yrs, and I believe, IIRC, one of the guys in our camp called them to check on some questionable characters with rifles during bow season. Seldom ever even see them on the road.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Compared to a lot of you, I must be a F&W magnet!

So far, ever interaction has been cordial. Once the obligatory checks have been completed, I find them to be a good source of information and suggestions.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by Pekan

Isn't there only about 120 C.O's for the whole province?

I've been stopped 3x in the past 10 years

Dunno for sure how many these days but I don't think it's close to 120. May be 50 ..or less.

[Buckshot82]

Originally Posted by Salavee

Dunno for sure how many these days but I don't think it's close to 120. May be 50 ..or less.

I got stopped 2 years ago while out hunting and the officer mentioned he was the only CO stationed between the 2 counties near our zone…

[Phil McCracken]

Nice to hear.

OP thanx for posting that....

[DiabeticKripple]

Never been checked in 9 years.

Closest I came was I walked out of an ACA parcel and there was a F&W truck parked behind mine, then I noticed another truck parked a bit ahead and the officer was checking those fellows.

I asked the officer if he wanted to check my stuff out, but he looked quite stressed and told me I was good to go. It didn’t look like a good interaction was happening, there was a rifle on the tailgate and cartridges right beside it. Me thinks they had a loaded rifle in the truck but I’m just speculating.

[58thecat]

So nice to see them out and about, they are but too few and too many thousands of kilometres to cover.

We need more numbers out there.

[sns2]

In 40 years of hunting, I have had one negative experience with F & W. Some are all business. Some are friendly and jovial. They have a job to do. Not an easy one either. All for mice nuts when you look at their salary.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Danelle has got them doing Double duty as Provincial Police Officers now.If you have a breakin in country now they will probably be first to investigate.

[honda610]

My buddy and I were parked on the side of the road glossing a pea field opening day looking at elk and some bears. He pulled up behind us. We had a great talk on problem bears. Checked us and made sure we knew that our bear tags were not required on the private land we were hunting. We ended up shooting 2 that morning. He drove up glassed us seen it was us waved and drove away. Iam sure everyone heard the rifle shots in bow season and called it in lol.
I had one bad encounter with a fish cop years ago who didn't understand a hinged floor plate on a rifle kept demanding my mag so he could check the gun
Real @$$ hat. I then recognized him and told him I rode the yellow school bus with him in elementary..
Turned a light switch for him was so nice...
Anyway the guy married my RCMP cousin....
They have a hard job with little resources and less respect. I take my.hat off to them

[Ackleyman]

Only met a few A hole F&W officers. Most of them like in any other profession are pretty good guys if your playing the game right. They have a job to do like the rest of working men but I don't really think it's overly tough.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Danelle has got them doing Double duty as Provincial Police Officers now.If you have a breakin in country now they will probably be first to investigate.

That started under Kenny

[~altiplano~]

I had my I've and only ever run in with a CO almost 30 years ago,an asshat Federal Fisheries Officer in BC, gear and license check, he went to his truck but came back yelling with his gun out, accused me of lying to him and says that I was someone else with criminal warrants. RCMP ended up sorting it out, turns out he just didn't know how to use/read his system when he ran our names.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

Only met a few A hole F&W officers. Most of them like in any other profession are pretty good guys if your playing the game right. They have a job to do like the rest of working men but I don't really think it's overly tough.

Try and arrest and charge men with guns? Would be a stressful job in many regards.

[Sirgallagher]

Been checked by them every year I have gone hunting over the last 6 years. Twice in a year on one instance. I'm more than happy to see them.

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[Big Grey Wolf]

Couple good books 'On Stump Farm' by F&W guy. They had to use their own cars. When he set up office in Hinton, borrowed couple bar stools from hotel for his desk. Lots of good stories from other side of being a fish cop.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by sns2

Try and arrest and charge men with guns? Would be a stressful job in many regards.

Just send Joe Pickett in.....no worries

[sns2]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Just send Joe Pickett in.....no worries

I don't know Joe Pickett

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[QIsley]

Originally Posted by Pekan

Isn't there only about 120 C.O's for the whole province?

I've been stopped 3x in the past 10 years

This spring there was only 83 Fish and Wildlife Officers in the Province. Hired a bunch of recruits this fall so up to about a 100 once the recruits can work on their own in a year or so.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by QIsley

This spring there was only 83 Fish and Wildlife Officers in the Province. Hired a bunch of recruits this fall so up to about a 100 once the recruits can work on their own in a year or so.

Wow. Assuming one third of the province (very rough estimation just by looking at the population density map) is fairly “dormant”, that leaves about 4,500 sq km per officer to take care of. Quite a bit.

I have never been checked. But I stay away from the busy areas (last year’s pheasant hunting aside). I have been checked fishing a few times, all in the busy or popular areas.

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Danelle has got them doing Double duty as Provincial Police Officers now.If you have a breakin in country now they will probably be first to investigate.

I dunno - about 30 years ago we had one around here who gave out speeding tickets and other motor vehicle infractions. I think they have always had the ability to do that.

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

I dunno - about 30 years ago we had one around here who gave out speeding tickets and other motor vehicle infractions. I think they have always had the ability to do that.

I have a family member who is a CO. Your right but now they have been giving more authority to do more cop stuff. He did training last year on a whole bunch of cop duties. He’s not a fan of it, as it can take time away from what he does as a CO.

Interesting that he can do half a cop’s job, but a cop doesn’t do half of his if needs be. To much area, and not enough boots in the field.

[32-40win]

I wonder if they have a fuel budget that limits travel for regular patrols so to speak, use it up and can't go out unless called.
Used to get checked in Sundre in the 70's & 80's, checkstop there, don't know if they do that anymore. Got checked once or twice up around Waiporous area back then. Got checked in BC once or twice in 70's. Also saw legs and a flashlight on a road leading to a dock on the Fraser about 50+ yrs ago, heard "Federal Fisheries Officer, Stop in the name of the Queen!!" that nite. Wasn't a dull evening.

[astepanuk]

We we're checked on opening weekend of waterfowl season this year around Athabasca, CO drove right into the field during a small lull in our hunt. He checks our licenses and counted birds, I did ask if we we're all good as birds we're trying to land. He was very excited to see all the kids enjoying the early morning!

[Buckwheat]

Last time we were checked was in 2012 in 104 on my antelope hunt. We were field dressing the buck when my uncle drove up and said a fish and wildlife officer asked him permission to come check us out on his quarter. Wasn’t sure if he needed permission to access the land or not? Anyways super nice guy even took some pics for us.

[Albertadiver]

Last year coming out of Waiperous, about a half mile south of the Trans Alta turnoff there was a huge checkstop with sheriffs and F&W. Everyone was required to blow for impaired and OHV's were being checked. There were a half dozen tow trucks / flat beds with quite a few vehicles pulled over on the side of the road due to impaired's.

I thanked the officer and said the location was quite effective for a checkstop!

[leaseman]

Originally Posted by sns2

I don't know Joe Pickett

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Great series....quite enjoyed it...going to read the books now!