I've watched this show a few times and now I see a "Lone Star Law" and maybe a few others coming out. Basically they're like the original "Cops", but following game wardens around instead.

I don't know what to think of them. While I respect the job of a game warden, I fear the show might give the average "Joe" the wrong impression about outdoorsmen in general. I'm afraid it just adds to the drumbeat of the anti-hunting crowd. Further showing hunting in a bad light and adding to the mindset of hunting not being a noble pursuit, requiring more legislation to keep the "yahoo's" in check.

You can make the argument that those breaking the law aren't "hunters", but you're pissing up a rope trying to convince the non-hunting crowd that, or those that still haven't formed an opinion one way or the other.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

I like the show. People will see what they want. I see it as the hunting community won't tolerate poaching, etc. and wardens work hard to that end.

The shows are designed to make heroes of .gov employees and demonize anything smacks of being a "Hunter".

It is a lame show. That warden with the overbite so bad that he could eat peas from a jar, acts like everyone is a criminal and thank goodness he is there to catch the crooks. I have watched a few episodes and their crime fighting is nearly as riveting as watching baby ducks avoid traffic.

Looking for shotgun shells within 15 feet of a road and with the skills if CIS Miami, they crack the case and make the perp admit to the heinous crime of shooting too close to a road. Yes, these guys are watching the DMZ to keep animals safe and hunters in line...

There are a lot of people who buy hunting licenses and choose to break the law. I have constant trouble with trespassers.

The maine show is beyond stupid and arrogant IMHO.

But I suspect like about everything, its scripted....

They sure think you are guilty before proven innocent for damn sure on that show.

GFY would fit most of em.

I sure hope the TX show isn't as bad. But its probably worse...

To the non-hunting crowd, anybody that kills anything is a criminal.

The worst were the California guys. Good grief, they were like Tackleberry pro tactical ninja dudes. Everybody they came across was an "potential offender." Chit...

I liked the show where they came into a hunting camp after dark and there were guns in the trucks. You would have thought they were robbing banks. Of course you are going to have a gun in your truck when you go hunting...

Reminded me of an incident that happened to a friend of mine. He had drawn a muzzle loading deer tag for White River Refuge, but they left home, in North Arkansas early and stopped by Wattensaw Game Management area to squirrel hunt for a few days, then went on down to the refuge. They were in camp, eating supper and the game warden came by. He was invited to supper and while they were eating an shooting the breeze, my friend made mention of all the squirrels that had been killed with the "old 870 hanging in the bus." Game warder perked up and asked if he had a shotgun in the bus/camper. Instant ticket, as you could have nothing but a muzzleloader during the hunt. Nobody in camp knew, but the warden. Others kept their mouth shut and He got the only ticket. miles

I never talk to the SOB's. With the exception of one in Louisiana many years ago, I haven't met one I trust.

Things I have learned watching these shows:

Outdoorsmen in Maine all drive unlicensed 4-wheelers and grow pot.

All outdoorsmen in California have medical pot prescriptions

Outdoorsmen in Alaska drive home drunk, beat their wives and then hide in the bush

A couple of the Maine guys were in the State booth at the Harrisburg PA show this year and I chatted with them. They were pretty open about it. Some things they passed.

It takes a long time (1000's of hours of footage to make essentially 30 minutes of content) to make a show with anything interesting because 99% of the people that they stop are law abiding and just folks enjoying Maine outdoors.

They acknowledged that the show can sometimes portray people badly but to their end in the past they had challenges filling warden classes with enough people and now they have thousands of applicants to choose from. They wonder how many will stay as it's not as exciting as TV.

They have seen statistical decreases in certain types of incidents (especially boating and snow mobile safety)since the show has been on a couple years and when they stop people for checks the show almost always comes up.

For me I watch the Maine show and I watched the Wyoming show when it was on (off of DVR because of all the commercials) but I've not watched any of the others.

Don't all LEOs feel that a person who they've stopped is guilty of something? Otherwise, why would they have made the stop in the first place?

There certainly seems to be a difference in the Wardens in the east vs what we have in CO at least.Completely different mentality as portrayed on those TV episodes.

I find the ducklings much more compelling.

The show Wardens, on the Outddor Channel, was pretty even keeled. They showed the good with the bad. Wardens even gave out a few warning tickets instead of being total jerks when someone made an honest mistake. It was filmed in Montana. They definitely showed some people making idiots out of themselves. Most fines they showed where under $100, but they nailed a few bad apples.

The show was/is awful and shows the true sentiment of the warden service.

There have been some really great wardens here locally. And a few lemons. One was and still is a head lemon...

But rural TX still shows that most LEO of all flavors are a bit chilled out. Watched a state trooper the ohter day let a guy off with a 2 year old plate on his trailer, it had caught fire and we had to go put it out... don't be dumb enough to have a bbq pit with live coals on a trailer and drive....and expect not to have a fire or start fires along the way... this one blew his ..... gas can... up that was under the pit... LOL dumbasses..

But even in our small town we have the dummy cops.. one wrote one of our fire guys a speeding ticket, with no one on the road, trying to get to a CPR in progress call with helo inbound. He is also a known speeding ticket writer... one of the 1-2 mph over types...

But there also must be something you are taught in LEO ... as some of my good friends are such, and they have always had this weird bit of them even though they have known me forever... just something you can tell... Even one I ordered who knows how many guns for over the years when I had FFL.

But there are always the good ones that just won't mess with you unless you have really screwed up.

I did forget about the Montana one, it did seem much more even keeled.

But as I noted before. Its TV. Drama is the only thing that "sells" due to the stupid audience demands.

What is the difference?

I occasionally hunt in Colorado, usually around Wray or Westcliffe, and have never run across a conservation officer when I was afield. I only hunt on private ground, or on public ground that isn't easily accessible except through private ground, so a conservation officer would have to make an extra effort to visit with me.

The only time that I've had a Colorado conservation officer check my license/tags was after we shot some deer along the South Platte by Iliff and were having lunch in Sterling.

The average law abiding citizen makes for poor entertainment. They have to focus on the scissor bills to make interesting TV. Yes, it does tend to present a rather biased view.

Personally I have watched a few for the stupid, almost seemingly scripted antics of the local fish cops. And I too despise those that are people, poachers, or any other persons otherwise stealing game from those of us that play by the rules. Whether it be in Alaska, California, Maine or Texas.

I had a run in with a local game warden when I was a teen. Luckily I was with an adult who knew what his rouse was all about.

We were hunting pheasants in an area that was very difficult to get to, and that held lots of birds. The fish cop said that he was going to confiscate our shotguns for trespassing, and write each of us a citation us some ridiculous amount of money.

We told him that we had verbal permission and that the property was not posted.

We had to unload our shotguns, but my friend "Dee" told him that we would not surrender them until we had contacted the land owner and the local Sheriffs office.

That really got his attention, and he started backing down. As I was only about 17 at the time, I was not really sure what this was about.

He got all defensive about "Dee" speaking to the land owner or the sheriffs office and said that this was not needed. Apparently "Dee" had dealt with this guy before. "Dee" stated that he was now in fear that because we were going to be cited that he would lose his hunting privileges and wanted to make sure that the local deputy and the land owner concurred that we had violated the law.

The fish cop was now getting mad. Stated he would not issue a citation. "Dee" said sorry, but I'm now in fear of you and your authority.

He escorted us to the land owners home where "Dee" made the phone call and waited for the local deputy to show up. In the mean time, the fish cop radioed to his local supervisor who also showed up.

When all was said and done, it was found out that the fish cop had wanted to keep the area exclusive to him as it was a great area for Pheasants. The G&F supervisor dismissed the game warden from the scene and apologized to us. "Dee" told the deputy sheriff that he wanted the G&F cop arrested for illegally detaining us. Then it got really exciting.

The G&F supervisor was now on the defensive for his subordinate officer. Asked why he would want to do something like that. "Dee" explained that the officer was content to arrest and falsely cite someone for his own benefit and purpose's. Stated that if this guy was not arrested that he would call the local newspaper and TV crews and report the incident. Then "Dee" really dropped the bomb. He stated that he would also report it to his Brother-in-law who was a local county judge.

After all was said and done, the fish cop lost his job and LE credentials in that state. They also investigated his citations and arrests going back for 3-4 years and over turned a fair portion of them.

Now I know that are very good and honest men and women that are out there working in our behalf and putting their lives on the line everyday. I just wish that along with the poachers that just once they would show one of their own who is dirty and breaking the law too.

Having been in LE, I now know that I NEVER EVER divulge ANY information. And I ONLY give specific answers to specific questions. With a simple "yes" or "no" if possible. And I'm a law abiding citizen...

Sorry for the LONG read. But one incident has given me a very bad taste in my mouth. Maybe if it had happened when I was an adult, I'd not feel this way. But as a young teen, this left a great impression on me.

They too were ready to throw me under the courthouse. They even spent the money to fly a few brown shirts down from Juneau via commercial air ( a few hours flight). Must have been about 6-7 of them that showed up.

They pulled all the traps that a 'good samaritan' had found and told the brown shirts about.

You see, trapping season (for mink, otter, beaver, marten) starts 1 December. This was about 15 November and they guy that found them knew that trapping season didn't begin to 1 December.

That of course was until I informed them that trapping season for wolf began on 10 November. That the traps they had pulled were ginormous leg hold traps, with 250 pounds of chain drag and a hook. The agreed that the traps were for wolves. It took them another hour to figure out that 'YEP, wolf trapping season begins 10 November'


That's only ONE run in I've had and every other run in has resulted in them being wrong and dickheads.

+ 100

"Wild Justice".....

I had one shake me down as I was coming off the hill yesterday from a scouting/photo trip.

There was a Nebraska CO who didn't like my FIL and dogged him for years without ever catching him breaking a single law. The "regular" firearms deer season in Nebraska is 9-days long and I'd bet that for a decade or more the same CO would stop my FIL at least twice each season to check his license, to see if he had a loaded firearm in the truck, to see if he had any illegal game in the truck, or whatever violation that he could think of.

these shows are what i call democrap training shows. same as the view ,oprah,ellen,steve harvey and most new programs.

Exactly