Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Nice compliment on my 99EG yesterday

Yesterday was the last day of the Fort Riley deer season and it snowed heavily the nigh before but I wanted to make it anyway. I parked a lot farther out from my spot than usual to keep from getting stuck and was walking in when two game wardens pulled up to do their license checks (this doesn't happen often, I almost never run into one out there, it's a good place to hunt). Anyway, I asked one of them to hold my rifle while I got my wallet out from all my Winter clothing and they both remarked what a fine rifle it was. Turns out, they really didn't even do much of a check, saw the little card they give you when you buy a Fort Riley tag and that was good enough, normally they want to see the actual license, military ID and registration paperwork for the gun on post. Just a friendly hand wave check.

Obviously, I was polite and law abiding and was completely legal for hunting there, but I'm pretty sure seeing someone hunting a vintage rifle told them I was serious and not some Bozo out there to cause trouble. It was actually a very nice and friendly encounter.

I've found ECO's to be much more reasonable law enforcement than say, the average overworked/underpaid local constables, who often seem more worried about proving they're in charge than protecting the public.

ECO's must be a special breed to calmly walk up to an armed stranger, and just ask to see some ID

I have found this to be true as well. Last year on opening day on public land, I hauled my buck back to the truck on a cart and one was waiting there. I had my rifle (a 99, of course) slung and he never asked me to put it down or unload it or anything. He checked my license, checked the tag on the deer and then helped me load it in the truck. Mice guy.

The ones on military reservations tend to be less easy going though. Fort Riley is hands down the simplest Fort to hunt on I've seen, but there is still more red tape and rules than on the public land I usually hunt.

I've never had a bad experience with a game warden, but then again, I'm not a law breaker either.