Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ahhh; the gift that keeps on giving

Here is the email i sent in dealing with my last interaction with a tn
" game warden" sept 1st and 2nd of this year.


Fugging buncha bullschitt as follows;





Never be kowtowed by public employee fuggs.
Address their shortcomings right then and their with em.
If they persist and show in every encounter they DGAF
Then bring it higher....

Below is something I addressed this week.
Gave dude every fugging chance to do his job.
Spoke to him factually 
He just didnt give a fugg.
He also didnt know who he was talking too and just thought I was some average schmuck....
The email i sent below:





Per ph conversation w/ "d" here is the email below i said i would send to you:



Listed below in chronological order

Best that I can compose.

Sept 1st hunt.

1. 1st interaction with Caleb the warden.

Came up by my position about 130 pm.

2 other hunters speaking with me also.

Caleb asked how it was going 

I said fine except everyone driving atv,s and walking across middle of feild during shooting hours flaring away birds and risking being shot coming up out terrian masking while people are actively shooting

Spoke with him about people shooting across southern boundary of feild into another field. ( the house on southern boundary with horse,s and home getting hit with bird shot)

He said they asked for permission to look for downed birds.

I then asked did they ask for permission to shoot at birds 30 to 40 yards over their property 1st.

His reply well it's legal and cant be helped.

I said to him I dont beleive that and you are making excuses to me for stuff you should been observing and taking care and adressing.

I then asked him why I observed a biologists tell them people after an hour not to shoot south anymore and wasnt enforcement and correction his job and not the biologist job

Said he was busy.......

His reply to everything I addressed in a calm rational discussion was.....

If you dont like how things are on this field you can find other places to hunt if you like with a pleasant smirk .....


I just thought to myself at that point.

Whatever dude you ain't got no spine....


For a warden to say something like to a person addressing basic issues he should be doing per his job is unacceptable and shows he has a lack of spine to do his job at even the most basic level.


He did not check my license , migratory bird permit or shotgun plug . Or the 2 others standing their listening to the disscussion.

Everything I addressed to him were basic level common sense safety issues or law issues at that time.

The 2 other hunters were amazed at his I dont care attitude during my and his 15 to 20 minute talk when he left.

He said he had to go check a 150 dollar a head pay hunt. He emphasized this point several times like some proclamation directed at me after his comment about me being" unhappy" supposedly in his mind about finding some other place to hunt.

When actually it was that he was resentful of me pointing out his shortcomings of him turning a blind eye to doing his job.


2. He then went on to stop at 4 other adjacent spots ( all of us had talked fans and feilds of fire for safety prior to the hunt.)

A total of 8 people did not have any requirements checked by him at all.


3. Numerous people on the feild had no plug in their guns.

It is easy to distinguish a gun without one

Their is no hiding the sound from one single gun even in multiple guns shooting 

It is even easier when a gun without a plug is firing by itself.

I heard numerous people (myself included) yelling at a father and son party doing this in the southern bowl area on the east boundary directly across from the willow tree clump thruout the day.

I fail to beleive a warden did not hear the shots or the people yelling to that duo to shoot only 3 shots and plugs their mag tubes.


4.same father and son duo were shooting birds across the feild on eastern boundary into another property 30 to 40 yards into it

From a 100 yd tree line break clearly visible to the warden tent

People ( myself included) were once again yelling at these 2 that what they was doing was illegal. Fail to belive once again the warden neither heard or seen any of this going on.

A guns report has a total different sound being fired 180° opposite out of a range fan.

Let alone seeing it going on in plain sight.


5. I gave warden "g" a good snapshot of caleb,s complacency when I left that day.

I dont think warden" g" was too impressed with what i said about caleb not even doing the basics of his job.


Sept2 hunt

1. From my position about 300 yards away

I observed caleb post 4 signs about 30 yards off the southern fence line around 1130.

Then approximately at 1230 after the noon start time. A gator with 2 hunters parked 10 feet off the southern fence line, they had even stopped and read one of the signs.



2. 2 hunters came by me 

Talking w/ them 

Similar points they had 

About people being in line of fire in range fans and on bad terrian in middle of field.


They also mentioned what caleb said to them per license and plug checks.

Cause they offered the paperwork and shotguns for inspection to them.


Caleb's response to them,

We checked all that stuff on people last year at a field and caught no one in violation so we wont bother with it this year.

Did they make that up.

I doubt they did.

They had brought up many things they observed the 1st day along the lines of my observations also . Only they was on the northern boundary of the field.


3.at approx 130 caleb drove past 20 yards from the 2 hunters with the gator 10ft away from the southern fence in plain visible veiw. Who had been actively shooting birds

what was written on the signs was unknown to me up till that time.

Started speaking with caleb 

Told him I was a little sorry, but not much for addressing issues with him yesterday but I told him they was all legit issues and many others on the field also were concerned about the same issues.

Plugs, people in range fans, shooting birds off the feild on other properties ect ect ect.

He said that's allright I dont take stuff personal, it is just the job.

I then asked him what did those signs say you posted 


He said the ladies house was getting hit with birdshot all day yesterday .

So the signs say no hunting within 100yards of the fence.


I thought this is fugging unbeilvable...


I said to him 

I dont belive you just posted a standard/ notification in person .

Its almost 2 hours into the hunt and those guys have been shooting 10 ft away from that fence and everyone including myself just watched you drive 20 yards past them in plain veiw and you did absouloutly nothing.


His reply was a vague 


It really dont matter

 

Then quickly left and drove out the north entrance road.

Another person was in the truck with him and heard me say what I had to say.


He returned one time around 4 pm but never made rounds on the feild and left around 430


I left the field around 630pm

Took attached pictures

You can plainly see the gator hunters 10 ft off the fence with sign on my right side towards the southern fence and also can see one of the signs.





I have hunted these leased feilds in Robertson county for 7 or 8 yrs.

They are excellent fields to hunt.

Many appreciate them.

Many observe the same things but will not speak their minds outta meakness.


We all know that is true in this day and age.


I have never seen or encountered stuff I have described like this until this year.

And it all falls on the warden.

Hearing that it all got away from us and we are shorthanded is not an excuse.

When " the it got away from us excuse" was not established as a baseline in the 1st place.

A friend of mine called up warden "g" with similar issues he had also.


Tactfully here are my suggestions.


Jerk a knot in Caleb's azz, inform him his job is being the standard bearer for his county for twra.

Tell him he can get along with his residents in his county and get over a possible fear of reprisal for enforcement of game laws.

Just enforce the standards and laws and use common sense.

Also tell him he needs to very careful with his off the cuff flippant remarks to people.

He dont know who the hell he is talking too

And just lumps everyone into they think I'm cool if I dont uphold the laws with them as I see fit.


Running into sheep dogs/wolves versus your average everyday sheep are 2 different things and schitt will bite ya in the ass if you dont hold the same standard for all across the board all the time.


He might be seen as the good ole boy warden by now and it might be too late for him to establish a better enforcement presence in robertson county.

A transfer to another county might rehab him into a better warden with a fresh start with some mentoring under a warden that is known for being firm but fair .


All any of us ask to encounter in a warden

Is firm but fair and equal across the board.

You cant pick and choose what you want to do and not do in a enforcement type job


People will pick up on a double standard or lack of a standard and will exploit it.


I spent 24 yrs in the army infantry.

I know what leadership looks like.

Caleb is trying to be the cool laid back guy.

Get along with everyone

Let schitt slide


Honestly if caleb was under me

I would look at his total performance.

And look at this behavior I seen from him.

And either do a relief for cause from duty position on him to something not in the public eye or transfer for a 2nd chance to establish in him a better law enforcement proactive mode.

And let him prove he can be a warden that upholds standards of this states game laws

He is the face of twra in robertson county 

Good or bad or complacency wise let him prove what he is.

A standard overlooked becomes the standard.

I think caleb in my opinon has done this and it has become 2nd nature too him to let schitt slide to be seen as " cool"


It can be corrected with a mentor like i mentioned .


Not a punishment but development.


Handle this in house guys with caleb.

It dont need to go higher

And the young man doesn't need to lose his job or take a pay cut

It's in your hands, not mine.


I know I would rehab transfer him under a warden with a solid reputation who has a retirement date. Tell caleb it ain't punishment but we want you to be an alpha warden and not a beta warden.



Suggestions for your leased dovefields

Easy to edit in and establish on the website instructions on each county field.

Or as a red letter all encompassing msg on the dove website 


1.occupation of shooting positions on all leased feilds will be within 25 yards of outer boundaries

2. No foot traffic or atv traffic is allowed across fields at any time prior to or during a hunt.

3. foot traffic is only allowed into a field to retrieve a downed bird in the most direct visible manner.




These 3 simple rules ( which also need to be posted at field entrance) 

Will establish you fields of fire and impact zone.

And help keep morons from getting shot who think they can just go sit in front of 6 hunters 75 yards out in their fields of fire.

Cause their ain't no rule that says they cant.



Another suggestion to solve your manning problems on fields and enforcement problems.


Charge a 2 dollar entry fee.

Kids, handicap, elderly free


Get 1 or 2 wildlife management students or local hunter safety types or local policewith a basic level of firearms compentency.

Have a safe inspection area at entrance 

Have them check for plugs and paper work

Ain't got correct paper work

You go get online buy it right now or go home.

Ain't got a plug

Have some 1/4th wood dowels on hand 

Have dumb dumb cut it to proper lenght and dumb dumb can put it in his mag tube if needed 


Pay the wildlife management student or whoever from the 2 dollar entry fees


Warden handles violations only in tactful manner from the checkers if needed




The 3 simple rules will take care of most of the conflicts on fields .

One day you guys will have ugly incident on a field . Just a matter of time for something to happen



Handle caleb in house guys.

Dont need ta be blown up.

Let him establish a proper reputation in another county.

Honestly the guys in robertson probably see him as a pushover by now.


That is not how a warden is supposed to be seen.

Firm fair and equal with the law is what we as hunters expect always

Not adjusting on the fly to be seen as cool and nonconfrontational.

Dont need a call or a follow up.

It's in your lane, handle it in house.

Other people dont need to know caleb needs to develop into a alpha and break this beta role he has made in robertson for himself

Caleb got transferred to another county for medical or family regions.

Caleb got put under a retiring warden as a replacement.

Simple as that.


Sincerely


 

I dropped dude off at the head of the hollow, with 2 lbs of Comet and an AK47

ok man, see ya at the bottom of the hill



laughing

Get Renegade to write them a letter.

Wildfowl gave me an idea. Sneak in before daylight and drop a transistor radio turned way down low. I guarantee the deer can hear it.

I tried sitting up a pine in the late season NM archery years ago and had one with ear buds I could barely hear and the deer would get no closer than 80 yds in the snow.

If you leave it there long enough though, they will get curious and come in to check it out.

A battery powered alarm clock set for 15 minutes after sunrise will run last a LONG time....