Look what happened next door in Virginia.
- Thread starter utvolsfan77
- Start date
I've been hearing/reading about this one for about a week now. I'm usually on the side of law enforcement but on this one so far it appears to be a gross overstep, and I'm glad the man is holding their feet to the fire for it. If my child & wife got spooked out from playing in MY yard because of some creep lurking in MY woods, this would have likely been a very different headline. Pretty brazen and careless and stupid behavior on behalf of the wardens. They're lucky to be alive to face the lawsuit, IMO.
rstodd
Well-Known Member
What happens when our tryantical government declares 3 letter agencies "dual purpose law enforcement/game agencies". You've done away with the 4th amendment.
Agree with Ski, that wouldn't have ended well if an unidentified man in full camo was wandering around my property. At the VERY LEAST they should have immediately identified themselves as LEO's. Ceasing someone's property on private property without a warrant is gross over-reach in my opinion. I don't know the laws in Virginia but I'm pretty sure they are aligned with the 4th Amend.
Isn't this exactly what happened here in Tennessee? I believe Game Wardens taking cameras is theft. Games Wardens should be required to have a warrant to conduct surveillance or a search on private property. But I don't think Game Wardens should be barred from crossing private property when doing their job. And I don't think that will stand in the courts.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Couldn't agree more. I have no problem with GW crossing property line to investigate potential game violation. I have a serious problem with GW placing survelliance equipment on private property or ceasing private property without a warrant.
As a property owner, I WANT a GW driving by and seeing something suspicious on my property to enter and investigate, even if it turns out to be me doing something innocuous.
Agree 100%.
Every Game Warden I've encountered, hasn't been many, have identified themselves right away. 1. They don't wanna get shot 2. They don't wanna get shot.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I've run into both State (TWRA) and guys from the adjoining Federal Migratory Refuge. All have been very nice and respectful (as well as helpful). They wanted to know who I was and what I was doing, but once they found out I was the landowner, no problems at all.
ImThere
Well-Known Member
If you align your self with alleged poachers expect to get treated as such.
That being said. I don't expect anyone trespassing on my property without permission or a warrant
That being said. I don't expect anyone trespassing on my property without permission or a warrant
I have no issues with wardens entering private property IF there's just cause. In this case the officer(s) could have used more discretion. Just the optics of the situation look awful on the department. Had they discovered unlawful activity and issued according citations, this wouldn't be the mess that it is. Not doing so means they had no plausible cause to begin with and blatantly invaded the family's privacy. I'm guessing the suit will be successful.
ImThere
Well-Known Member
They were looking for evidence on his brother. So imho they violated this man's property rights.
If his brother wins in court it's gonna look really really bad on the department.
I agree. It already looks bad. Will be much worse if the suit succeeds.
What gets me is the low threshold for taking such extreme measures. Baiting is a relatively minor offense, a fine at best in this case. You have kids playing in the yard and these guys come in with camo sneaking through the woods to investigate and steal a camera, all without identifying themselves. Seems an extreme and dangerous measure when the very most they'd get I'd a baiting fine.
Flintlocksforme
Well-Known Member
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I remember reading about Claude Dallas when I was a kid. Never wanted to be a game warden after that. I certainly wouldn't want a private property land owner to feel that I didn't respect their constitutional rights and I was out there to get them. Might be dangerous around certain individuals.
Game agencies violating a law to catch a person who is "possibly" violating a law doesnt make sense. I have said this before on the other thread, but id rather lose a few deer or turkeys (im assuming in this case) than to give up a right.
Game was wrong in this case, even if the dude is a poacher
Game was wrong in this case, even if the dude is a poacher
And that is what my son wants to be
