Bald eagle found dead after neighbor reports gunshot, Missouri officials say
A bald eagle was found dead in Missouri, officials said. Now, the state’s Department of Conservation is searching for its killer.
The bald eagle had a gunshot wound from a rifle when it was discovered south of Salem, Missouri, on Jan. 18, officials said.
Missouri Department of Conservation officials said there is a reward for the person who provides information that leads to an arrest, according to a Facebook post from the department.
Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is a federal offense to shoot a bald eagle, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
Violators face up to a $100,000 fine and one year in prison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services said.
Bald eagles were on the endangered species list for 29 years. U.S. Fish and Wildlife services removed them from the list in 2007 after conservation efforts, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
There was a big investigation here a number of years ago after some a**hole cut down a tree with an eagle's nest, killing the fledglings in it. I never heard if they caught the culprit.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
Guy down the road from me used to raise sheep and goats. He lost 17 young goats one afternoon. They couldn't fly off with them so they just kept killing them. That morning I drove by and 2 bald eagles were perched in a dead oak tree just across the road from the goats. I'm fairly certain those eagles did the killing. He was too. I'm sure he feels as you do.
On another note. A friend of mine started elk hunting in 1960 and he says there was a bounty on golden eagles at that time in Colorado.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
Guy down the road from me used to raise sheep and goats. He lost 17 young goats one afternoon. They couldn't fly off with them so they just kept killing them. That morning I drove by and 2 bald eagles were perched in a dead oak tree just across the road from the goats. I'm fairly certain those eagles did the killing. He was too. I'm sure he feels as you do.
On another note. A friend of mine started elk hunting in 1960 and he says there was a bounty on golden eagles at that time in Colorado.
Goldens are worse. I actually saw a pair in the act of killing an antelope doe. I’m sure young sheep, goats, or even very young unprotected calves would be on the menu for Goldens. I’ve always seen balds scavaging, I’m sure they kill as well.
A pair of bald eagles decided to take up residence on a large pond that was owned by an Amish farmer. It was on my mail route, and I'd see them every day when I went by. They apparently caught some of the farmers chickens, and he contacted the game warden about it. The GW told him that if he so much as harmed a feather on an eagle, that he'd see to it that it cost him his farm. I was talking to the Amish guy one day about it, and I asked him if he'd ever heard of SSS. He said he hadn't, and I told him he needed to.
Bald eagle found dead after neighbor reports gunshot, Missouri officials say
So people there call in every time they hear a gunshot? If that was here, the cops would be so busy checking out gunshots that they'd never get any real work done.
Another sad case of the government passing laws with no sunset clause - wild horses, marine mammals, etc. They never include a means to stop protecting them when they've reached recovery levels. Numbers keep building up forever.
I saw a bald drop like a bolt from the sky and killed a fox right in front of me once—another time I saw one fly up under a goose roll over and plucked it right outta the sky. Around the 15 of March they will return locally and it’s not unusual to see 15 on my wolf bait on the ice in the front yard.
Found an injured one a couple miles back in the deer woods one day last year. Called up Fish & Game about it, and they referred me to a Falcon Rehab Center. They asked if I could carry it back to the road for them, I respectfully declined.
I dropped them the coordinates. I noticed it was gone on my way back out of the woods. Not sure if they got to it before something else did. I should have followed up on it.
A pair of bald eagles decided to take up residence on a large pond that was owned by an Amish farmer. It was on my mail route, and I'd see them every day when I went by. They apparently caught some of the farmers chickens, and he contacted the game warden about it. The GW told him that if he so much as harmed a feather on an eagle, that he'd see to it that it cost him his farm. I was talking to the Amish guy one day about it, and I asked him if he'd ever heard of SSS. He said he hadn't, and I told him he needed to.
Heard a Amish farmer once say they don't taste like chicken
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
For sure. The damned things kill constantly
They've pretty well cleaned muskrats right out of the river here. Flyin' coyotes is what they amount to. Feathered vermin. There weren't any around when I was a kid and I wouldn't miss them if they were gone again.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
For sure. The damned things kill constantly
Seen one out in the field chowing down on something turned out to be the farmers beagle
I worry about my little dogs here. Was out in the yard just the other day when one flew over real low. Watched it go by and noticed there were 3 more circling over the neighbors field down the road. There are a lot of them along the rivers and reservoirs here.
30 plus years ago, a neighbor and friend of mine got into enough trouble that the fbi made a visit. He was out in the machine shed with the big door open when the fed pulled up. They had a visit about issues at hand and when the suit went to leave he said, “by the way, get rid of that thing”. It was a hawk mounted spread eagle on top of the drill press. That could have been a big deal, but wasn’t on the feds agenda at the time. He also told me the feds may come around asking questions, I made sure I was home as little as possible.
Another sad case of the government passing laws with no sunset clause - wild horses, marine mammals, etc. They never include a means to stop protecting them when they've reached recovery levels. Numbers keep building up forever.
Exactly what they're doing with the Lobos (Mexican Gray Wolves) down here right now.
Bald eagle found dead after neighbor reports gunshot, Missouri officials say
So people there call in every time they hear a gunshot? If that was here, the cops would be so busy checking out gunshots that they'd never get any real work done.
I would not be surprised if the “Missouri officials” are just fishing for info and flat out lying about the gunshot.
I once lived in Salem for a number of years….. half the folks in Salem and most all folks in the country outside Salem just want to be left alone. Most all of those folks know how to keep their mouths shut.
They are not unlike folks in Skidmore.
I once shot a snapping turtle that was killing catfish in my pond….that evening a couple of suspicious and unhappy neighbors knocked on my door….. seems one of their coon dogs went missing…. They pointedly asked if I had shot their dog. I was new in that area…in the county. And was finding out the newcomers were not highly regarded.
Took a few years, but finally got on ok with those folks. Helped that I let the neighbor kids fish in the pond. They gave me a “good report.”
When most people around here still had land lines, my parent's number was only one number different than the one of the main MDC wildlife damage biologists and they would occasionally get calls from people that were trying to reach him. One day they came home and found a message on the answering machine from a farmer who thought he was calling the MDC agent.
The farmer had left a long and colorful message regarding the eagles that were killing his lambs. He made it very clear what he was intending to do in order to remedy the problem.
Dad sympathized with the farmer and didn't want him to get in trouble, so he called him back to let him know that he had left the message at the wrong number and that he probably shouldn't be telling everyone what he planned on doing with the eagles. After venting to Dad about the issue, he finally calmed down and explained that he was tired of losing so many lambs and MDC not doing anything to help him out. I don't know what ever happened with the issue, but it was taking place not too far from the incident in the original post.
I've heard that MDC or the feds one will no pay farmers for stock killed by the eagles, but I don't know if that's true in all cases or not.
We have quite a lot of eagles here. They seem to be primarily scavengers and fish eaters. Ravens torment them endlessly. I have seen eagles try to catch a raven, just out of spite, but have not seen one connect. We are overrun with turkeys. I always thought they would be hard on the turkeys, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Likewise, the geese don't seem to be much affected. I have seen one pluck a duck out of the flock. I have seen them take fish from the ospreys. The osprey learn to keep a low profile after catching a fish. GD
Neighbor had his chickens cleaned out by a pair feeding their young ,would just fly by and grab one and never slow down .
I watched this guy swoop down toward my neighbors house, right after this pic on my game camera. He has been missing chickens left & right. I heard one shot and then he was digging a hole with his backhoe shortly after. Probably doing construction.
At the off grid bear camp in Northern Minnesota a few years back it was January and the ice was thick. We’d picked up a roadkill deer and pulled it out onto the ice in front of the lodge about 200 yards out for canine bait. That was about noon, maybe 10 below. By 2:45 there were by count 13 bald eagles feeding on that. Had no clue that many were in the area that time of year Or any time of year actually.
About 3:30 or so we were watching, hoping canines would move in with evening coming on when out of nowhere a golden eagle came over turned and landed. It was like a parting of the sea, those eagles all hopped away and that golden waddled in and ate his fill. No balds moved back toward that bait an inch until that golden was done and left.
Along with what we saw happen, that day convinced me that some raptors have a better sense of smell than any animal out there.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
One was shot by a guy with a pellet rifle no less while flying near here last year. Local busybody took pic of car and it was posted in local paper. Guy turn himself in a couple of days later. Feds charged him, trial a few weeks ago. I believe it was $8ooo and 500 hrs community service. No jail time. they kept the gun.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
I've found rabbit fur and blood along with the wing prints of great horned owls in the snow many times over the years. Sometimes several such per season and once found two in one afternoon.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
I've found rabbit fur and blood along with the wing prints of great horned owls in the snow many times over the years. Sometimes several such per season and once found two in one afternoon.
Great horned owls like slipping in the hen house door if one forgets to close it asap at/after dark.
Years ago I bought some little Easter colored Ducks for my four 2nd cousins age 5-8 years old. A bird pretty sure it was a starling or english sparrow was trying to get them. Over the next couple of days I shot three of them with my CZ 452 17hmr. Sometimes I mis-identify birds but I'm pretty sure these were feral birds.
Craziest raptor encounter I ever had was coming back from squirrel hunting with a buddy that wanted to check his mom's vacated home that had been empty for a few weeks.
We walk around back to see a giant hole in one of the glass windows and assumed a kid threw a rock or something. We go inside to see a giant Red Tailed Hawk perched on the bay window curtain rod 😆
Buddy asks if he should shoot it and get it stuffed lol. I informed him of their protection status. It ended up flying onto the floor and he threw a beach towel over it and picked it up with fireplace tongs. Amazed me how calm it was but I also think it had been in their a while.
Set it out in the backyard and removed the towel and it took off and landed in a nearby tree. I had pics of it for a while.
One of those dang things got into the cyanide leach pad at a mine I worked at. The guys retrieved it and treated it with an ampule of amyl nitrate and put it in an orange box. I got our environmental guy to drive it into the raptor rehab center in SLC. All was going well until he rounded a bend and the sunlight was able to get through the little holes in the orange box and be seen by a now very revived eagle. It started hopping around and eventually knocked the lid off the orange box. My environmental guy then had a pissed off eagle riding shotgun in the pickup as he locked up the brakes and usassed the cab. The bird hopped out the open door and flew off. Problem solved - a reportable wildlife mortality, with a substantial fine was averted!
been several years back but in this area a guy had got stopped and there was some eagle wings in the back of his truck. and I mean he got in all sorts of trouble big time. he swore that the wings must have been in a pile of snow that he had a backhoe load the back of his truck for traction reasons and then when the snow thawed out the wings were in the back of the truck and he did not know this..
been several years back but in this area a guy had got stopped and there was some eagle wings in the back of his truck. and I mean he got in all sorts of trouble big time. he swore that the wings must have been in a pile of snow that he had a backhoe load the back of his truck for traction reasons and then when the snow thawed out the wings were in the back of the truck and he did not know this..
that defense did not work for him...
No clue myself but I have heard those things stink to high heaven. Why one would want to haul any part of one around baffles me.
Indian reservations have been a killing ground for eagles forever. Big money on black market ceremonial items. There are eagle repositories that .gov runs, but waiting lists are long going through the red tape to obtain one for ceremonial purposes.
A pair of bald eagles decided to take up residence on a large pond that was owned by an Amish farmer. It was on my mail route, and I'd see them every day when I went by. They apparently caught some of the farmers chickens, and he contacted the game warden about it. The GW told him that if he so much as harmed a feather on an eagle, that he'd see to it that it cost him his farm. I was talking to the Amish guy one day about it, and I asked him if he'd ever heard of SSS. He said he hadn't, and I told him he needed to.
Heard a Amish farmer once say they don't taste like chicken
LOL. Heard the Vietnamese shrimpers down here say the same thing about brown pelicans.
Lambing season here in the valley which means eagles can be seen everywhere. Quite common bird here now - I saw 4 yesterday while goose hunting
How'd ya' do? Snow geeses I'm imagining.
Have been doing pretty well! I started a thread in the Waterfowl forum below. Cackling Canada geese mostly. Have to avoid the Duskies. Saw a few Westerns but didn't have a shot. Also Tundra swans and lots of Pintails, no longer in season. Will continue going this week. Keeps the dogs good and tired and my buddies all like the pastrami I'm making from the gooses
Indian reservations have been a killing ground for eagles forever. Big money on black market ceremonial items. There are eagle repositories that .gov runs, but waiting lists are long going through the red tape to obtain one for ceremonial purposes.
Maybe I ought to buy some land and open up an Indian reservation.
Lambing season here in the valley which means eagles can be seen everywhere. Quite common bird here now - I saw 4 yesterday while goose hunting
How'd ya' do? Snow geeses I'm imagining.
Have been doing pretty well! I started a thread in the Waterfowl forum below. Cackling Canada geese mostly. Have to avoid the Duskies. Saw a few Westerns but didn't have a shot. Also Tundra swans and lots of Pintails, no longer in season. Will continue going this week. Keeps the dogs good and tired and my buddies all like the pastrami I'm making from the gooses
Lambing season here in the valley which means eagles can be seen everywhere. Quite common bird here now - I saw 4 yesterday while goose hunting
How'd ya' do? Snow geeses I'm imagining.
Have been doing pretty well! I started a thread in the Waterfowl forum below. Cackling Canada geese mostly. Have to avoid the Duskies. Saw a few Westerns but didn't have a shot. Also Tundra swans and lots of Pintails, no longer in season. Will continue going this week. Keeps the dogs good and tired and my buddies all like the pastrami I'm making from the gooses
There was a rule at our farm when I was growing up.......if it ate a chicken, you'd better shoot it or explain why you didn't. Hawks and owls were on that list. This was in the days before it was illegal to shoot them.............not that it really mattered.
Thanks longarm, I'll keep it in mind if we ever head back up that way.
Wife and I are planning on doing more with the dogs this summer. She registered one of our guys in some 100yd events in March over in the valley. We hope to be able to do more.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
ive heard of old time beagle clubs putting up "owl perches" then coating the boards with some form of acid that eats the Feet off of the owl. not a bad idea
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
ive heard of old time beagle clubs putting up "owl perches" then coating the boards with some form of acid that eats the Feet off of the owl. not a bad idea
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
ive heard of old time beagle clubs putting up "owl perches" then coating the boards with some form of acid that eats the Feet off of the owl. not a bad idea
What a long time trapper suggested to my neighbor when the owls were killing his lambs was to set a steel leg hold trap on top of a fense post with tinfoil on the plate that trips the spring. He caught several that way.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
would she be stationed in the Dade/ Lawrence county area?
When I lived in Manitoba, I lived by a lake where thousands of Snow Geese would roost during their migrations. I used to shoot them in the mornings and afternoons from my balcony when they left the water or were coming into roost.
I shot 1 high flyer and clipped its wing, it set its wings and I watched it land about 1000 yards away so I went to the barn hopped on my quad, and motored over to recover it. By the time I got there, no more than 10 minutes from the time I shot it, a bald eagle was on it having dinner.
When I got there the eagle flew away and all that was left of that goose was 1 leg, the entire breast and one leg were eaten, all in 10 minutes. I will never forget that.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
would she be stationed in the Dade/ Lawrence county area?
I don't know where she is now. At the beginning around K.C. but I have not had any contact with her for over 25 years.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
Yep…. A neighbor’s daughter, about 13 came over to my place and shot her first elk. I watched the whole episode from my patio… she walked 50 yards or so into the field, dropped to her knee and bang…one shot drop….very good.
She and her father were gutting the elk and a game warden shows up…. He does the Q&A ….checks tags etc …asks how it happened, where was the elk when you shot …where we you when you shot….THEN, like he didn’t believe her….he starts inspecting…looks carefully at the tracks, paces off distances…sees where she shot from and where the elk dropped….all was in order, just like the kid said. Proper distance from road…all ok. Then he says something like “Well, I won’t write a citation.” Dad got instantly angry….”For What?” …warden gives him a mean look and departs. Father’s take was that the guy was looking to write the kid up….and trying desperately hard to gin up a violation.
I told him I wish he had so I could get a piece of his ass when she contested the citation.
Also, once had a game warden who had been hiding in the trees come roaring up and clearly alleged that I was hunting illegally……told her “Nope, this is my land and do you want to see my license.” Well, she asked what my name was and she recognized it…. then acted disappointed and left.
I guess being a game warden is a thankless job, but one does not need to be “….” about it.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
Yep…. A neighbor’s daughter, about 13 came over to my place and shot her first elk. I watched the whole episode from my patio… she walked 50 yards or so into the field, dropped to her knee and bang…one shot drop….very good.
She and her father were gutting the elk and a game warden shows up…. He does the Q&A ….checks tags etc …asks how it happened, where was the elk when you shot …where we you when you shot….THEN, like he didn’t believe her….he starts inspecting…looks carefully at the tracks, paces off distances…sees where she shot from and where the elk dropped….all was in order, just like the kid said. Proper distance from road…all ok. Then he says something like “Well, I won’t write a citation.” Dad got instantly angry….”For What?” …warden gives him a mean look and departs. Father’s take was that the guy was looking to write the kid up….and trying desperately hard to gin up a violation.
I told him I wish he had so I could get a piece of his ass when she contested the citation.
Also, once had a game warden who had been hiding in the trees come roaring up and clearly alleged that I was hunting illegally……told her “Nope, this is my land and do you want to see my license.” Well, she asked what my name was and she recognized it…. then acted disappointed and left.
I guess being a game warden is a thankless job, but one does not need to be “….” about it.
My Grandfather who has been gone for nearly 40 years went in with a young lady who had shot a deer on the farm. When the check station nazis started in on her he stopped and said “If you don’t believe she killed it, walk over there about 50 yards and bend over. I’ll get her rifle and we’lll see if she can hit you in the A$$”. They huffed and waived her through.
You are correct an important job but you don’t have to be a ….
Locally the natives have more interest in the immature Goldens. Those carry the bi-colored tail feathers while the Balds do not.
A local tribal member was pinched years back with quite an array of parts in his rig. Neighbor (warden) said a parted-out bird was worth about $1,500.
We picked up an injured bird once. When we had it surrounded, it reached out and grabbed a branch with one foot, and we could not get it loose. Cut off both ends and the remaining section of wood went in the sack with him. I'm no longer afraid of the bill, but for sure don't want one getting a grip of me with those talons. I think they are locked over center, and it takes a move by the bird to release whatever might be at hand.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
Yep…. A neighbor’s daughter, about 13 came over to my place and shot her first elk. I watched the whole episode from my patio… she walked 50 yards or so into the field, dropped to her knee and bang…one shot drop….very good.
She and her father were gutting the elk and a game warden shows up…. He does the Q&A ….checks tags etc …asks how it happened, where was the elk when you shot …where we you when you shot….THEN, like he didn’t believe her….he starts inspecting…looks carefully at the tracks, paces off distances…sees where she shot from and where the elk dropped….all was in order, just like the kid said. Proper distance from road…all ok. Then he says something like “Well, I won’t write a citation.” Dad got instantly angry….”For What?” …warden gives him a mean look and departs. Father’s take was that the guy was looking to write the kid up….and trying desperately hard to gin up a violation.
I told him I wish he had so I could get a piece of his ass when she contested the citation.
Also, once had a game warden who had been hiding in the trees come roaring up and clearly alleged that I was hunting illegally……told her “Nope, this is my land and do you want to see my license.” Well, she asked what my name was and she recognized it…. then acted disappointed and left.
I guess being a game warden is a thankless job, but one does not need to be “….” about it.
I was telling my wife about our conversation on this thread a few minutes ago and the way so many of these "agents" are doing their job with so much zeal they seem to be anxious to find fault. I also was telling her about how they are doing themselves harm by alienating so many of us that could be a resource to them actually doing their jobs. They should be building trust with every one of us that hunt in a lawful and ethical way but most don't seem interested in that.
My cousins that live near Aberdeen, South Dakota, I used to pheasant hunt up there with them every year, told me of an instance where the federal game and fish lady was busy making a name for herself and two guys overpowered her, stripped her buck naked and handcuffed her to her truck then left. I had a hard time believing that but after being around them for so many years I don't doubt it took place.
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
Yep…. A neighbor’s daughter, about 13 came over to my place and shot her first elk. I watched the whole episode from my patio… she walked 50 yards or so into the field, dropped to her knee and bang…one shot drop….very good.
She and her father were gutting the elk and a game warden shows up…. He does the Q&A ….checks tags etc …asks how it happened, where was the elk when you shot …where we you when you shot….THEN, like he didn’t believe her….he starts inspecting…looks carefully at the tracks, paces off distances…sees where she shot from and where the elk dropped….all was in order, just like the kid said. Proper distance from road…all ok. Then he says something like “Well, I won’t write a citation.” Dad got instantly angry….”For What?” …warden gives him a mean look and departs. Father’s take was that the guy was looking to write the kid up….and trying desperately hard to gin up a violation.
I told him I wish he had so I could get a piece of his ass when she contested the citation.
Also, once had a game warden who had been hiding in the trees come roaring up and clearly alleged that I was hunting illegally……told her “Nope, this is my land and do you want to see my license.” Well, she asked what my name was and she recognized it…. then acted disappointed and left.
I guess being a game warden is a thankless job, but one does not need to be “….” about it.
I was telling my wife about our conversation on this thread a few minutes ago and the way so many of these "agents" are doing their job with so much zeal they seem to be anxious to find fault. I also was telling her about how they are doing themselves harm by alienating so many of us that could be a resource to them actually doing their jobs. They should be building trust with every one of us that hunt in a lawful and ethical way but most don't seem interested in that.
My cousins that live near Aberdeen, South Dakota, I used to pheasant hunt up there with them every year, told me of an instance where the federal game and fish lady was busy making a name for herself and two guys overpowered her, stripped her buck naked and handcuffed her to her truck then left. I had a hard time believing that but after being around them for so many years I don't doubt it took place.
Herd stories yrs ago
Utah Warden F&G female officer
Couple thugs locked her in her K9 kennel onboard on her truck
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
ive heard of old time beagle clubs putting up "owl perches" then coating the boards with some form of acid that eats the Feet off of the owl. not a bad idea
Or foot hold traps on top of fence posts.
had a friend the had a 100 acre beagle enclosure for training his beagles, i use to live trap rabbits and take them over and let them go, alot of hawks would sit on his fence posts, he covered them with pie pans but that did no good so he stated setting traps on them. one day game warden drove by and seen that he stopped at the house and told him to sit them were he couldnt see them
The training school in Missouri for game wardens is the same used for the highway patrol. The wardens, which they hate being called go through much of the same training as the hp guys and then some. It's too political and very little common sense is involved. My ex wife went through the program in 1998, she is now a game warden, and I got a first hand glimpse of the idiotic ways and greed involved in the MDC. They also look at every one of us hunters as in violation of something at any given time.
Yep…. A neighbor’s daughter, about 13 came over to my place and shot her first elk. I watched the whole episode from my patio… she walked 50 yards or so into the field, dropped to her knee and bang…one shot drop….very good.
She and her father were gutting the elk and a game warden shows up…. He does the Q&A ….checks tags etc …asks how it happened, where was the elk when you shot …where we you when you shot….THEN, like he didn’t believe her….he starts inspecting…looks carefully at the tracks, paces off distances…sees where she shot from and where the elk dropped….all was in order, just like the kid said. Proper distance from road…all ok. Then he says something like “Well, I won’t write a citation.” Dad got instantly angry….”For What?” …warden gives him a mean look and departs. Father’s take was that the guy was looking to write the kid up….and trying desperately hard to gin up a violation.
I told him I wish he had so I could get a piece of his ass when she contested the citation.
Also, once had a game warden who had been hiding in the trees come roaring up and clearly alleged that I was hunting illegally……told her “Nope, this is my land and do you want to see my license.” Well, she asked what my name was and she recognized it…. then acted disappointed and left.
I guess being a game warden is a thankless job, but one does not need to be “….” about it.
I was telling my wife about our conversation on this thread a few minutes ago and the way so many of these "agents" are doing their job with so much zeal they seem to be anxious to find fault. I also was telling her about how they are doing themselves harm by alienating so many of us that could be a resource to them actually doing their jobs. They should be building trust with every one of us that hunt in a lawful and ethical way but most don't seem interested in that.
My cousins that live near Aberdeen, South Dakota, I used to pheasant hunt up there with them every year, told me of an instance where the federal game and fish lady was busy making a name for herself and two guys overpowered her, stripped her buck naked and handcuffed her to her truck then left. I had a hard time believing that but after being around them for so many years I don't doubt it took place.
Herd stories yrs ago
Utah Warden F&G female officer
Couple thugs locked her in her K9 kennel onboard on her truck
No respect for azz holes like this....
Well it can be very dangerous to the person it's being done too. As in your story. What if that person were to die due to that? For me I'd never want to live with that so I just wouldn't do it. Being innocent of things is a great way to live.
they should be giving out tags for the damned things
They should be classifed as varmints with no closed season right along with hawks and owls.
Yep. Well maybe give owls a pass for now. They've been around forever and I never seen the damage inflicted that the skyrocketing population of unregulated hawks and eagles do.
Owls play hell on rabbits around here. Nothing as efficient as striking from above and in the dark when rabbits move the most.
ive heard of old time beagle clubs putting up "owl perches" then coating the boards with some form of acid that eats the Feet off of the owl. not a bad idea
Or foot hold traps on top of fence posts.
had a friend the had a 100 acre beagle enclosure for training his beagles, i use to live trap rabbits and take them over and let them go, alot of hawks would sit on his fence posts, he covered them with pie pans but that did no good so he stated setting traps on them. one day game warden drove by and seen that he stopped at the house and told him to sit them were he couldnt see them
Yes, seems like there are wise and reasonable joes and then there are the ones that are on some sort of power trip.
Once had an old man with serious health issues find himself with two dead elk and one tag. Seems he shot and the elk just shrugged and moved off….thought he missed and shot a second. He was frantic and didn’t know what to do….I told him “no good, shoot the wounded elk and call the warden” ….The guy called the local warden….this warden lived just a mile or so from me and showed up pdq. Helped the old guy gut the elk, wrote him a small ticket….I am not sure but I think he gave the old guy a carcass tag. Not sure what happened to second elk.
I was kinda impressed with that warden. The 13 yr old girl mentioned before will remember that jerk warden for the rest of her life.