Question for the Game Wardens

[30BulletHoles]

I would not mind a reserve type game warden as long as they did not have the authority to go into locked gates. Driving around county roads is fine, but its seems like a good way to get some people wanting access to private property.

My thoughts exactly.

Another example are pumpers (oil field workers) that have access to check pumps and fluid levels, they are the worst poachers. They know when you are there and when you are not, and we have caught them more than once shooting hogs, and deer.

I have to disagree here. In my neck of the woods the worst poachers are the ones that already have access to good amounts of hunting(landowners). They just are too lazy to get out and do it right. I have several friends that are pumpers and I used to be a roustabout no one I know in that profession poached, at least on company time in a company vehicle, that I am aware of.

I would like to think that most ethical hunters are "reserve game wardens." This is because if an ethical hunter sees something going on they will call it in, and if someone is breaking the law they will call the authorities.

Agreed. If I catch someone poaching on my lease or near it, therefore messing up my hunting, then me calling the authorities is going to be the least of their problems.

 

[30BulletHoles]

Not even remotely the same thing. Many if not most agencies require nearly the same level of training and FTO hours as regular officers in order to patrol alone. In a lot of small places you're more likely to have a full time officer who hasn't even been to CLEET yet, out patrolling the streets w/o direct supervision.

Where the Game Wardens could benefit would be having a 2nd "Reserve Warden" riding along with full police powers, but under the guidance and direction of the full time warden. Working as a game warden is one of the most dangerous LE jobs there is, and they're often alone and miles from any backing officer.

Any quality reserve program will have restrictions on what a reserve can do based on qualifications and experience. We have some reserves who are more capable and experienced than some of the FT officers. We also have reserve deputy SOT and criminal investigations members.

Sorry 30, but I disagree with your generalization.

Wildlife officers must go through an extensive amount of wildlife education in addition to LE training in order to become an officer. Unlike just being CLEET certified.

Your "quality reserve program" is a pipe dream for most agencies that are in enough of a financial bind to be seeking volunteers. Training costs money. My dad is a reserve officer and has no LE training whatsoever.

That aside, I have the outmost respect for those in the law enforcement community. What do you think the ratio of poachers as upposed to off duty officers would be looking into the program? I think you would be suprised. Anyone without proper LE training playing police officer in any form is a Rent-A-Cop, plain and simple. I believe any other conclusion is an insult to the trained professionals in Law Enforcement today.

 

[redmax51]

Wildlife officers must go through an extensive amount of wildlife education in addition to LE training in order to become an officer. Unlike just being CLEET certified.

Your "quality reserve program" is a pipe dream for most agencies that are in enough of a financial bind to be seeking volunteers. Training costs money. My dad is a reserve officer and has no LE training whatsoever.

That aside, I have the outmost respect for those in the law enforcement community. What do you think the ratio of poachers as upposed to off duty officers would be looking into the program? I think you would be suprised. Anyone without proper LE training playing police officer in any form is a Rent-A-Cop, plain and simple. I believe any other conclusion is an insult to the trained professionals in Law Enforcement today.

Oklahoma statutes now require 400 hours training for reserve officers and it MUST be completed within 6 months of being hired.Any agency who employs someone as an officer w/o training is just a step away from Cleet and probably the AG's office coming down on them. Steve

 

[lameduck]

My thoughts exactly.



I have to disagree here. In my neck of the woods the worst poachers are the ones that already have access to good amounts of hunting(landowners). They just are too lazy to get out and do it right. I have several friends that are pumpers and I used to be a roustabout no one I know in that profession poached, at least on company time in a company vehicle, that I am aware of.




Agreed. If I catch someone poaching on my lease or near it, therefore messing up my hunting, then me calling the authorities is going to be the least of their problems.

I think I got caught generalizing a profession, which was my bad. I think that we have had bad luck with the pumpers that run through our ranch. They are always leaving the gate open leaving it to blow in the wind and break welds, and we have also caught them shooting hogs out the window of their trucks.

I figure there are bad apples in every profession, it just seems that they always end up on our ranch.

 

[imhntn]

I doub't they have anything on the enforcement side, but for education, they probably would love volunteer help.

They will not use you for education unless you have never had a game violation.

 

[Clean Harry]

What about volunteer work for maintenance and food plot help on WMA's? Do they have proviosions for that?

 

[30BulletHoles]

Oklahoma statutes now require 400 hours training for reserve officers and it MUST be completed within 6 months of being hired.Any agency who employs someone as an officer w/o training is just a step away from Cleet and probably the AG's office coming down on them. Steve

Well out here in western Oklahoma all you gotta have is a police I.D. which they help you get and a good friend in the sheriffs office. If its a volunteer basis, like it is out here, there is no "hiring" reserve officers. These are just people that help with materials handling with drug busts and event security.

I'm not trying to correct your statement, just stating thats things work differently out here, which is my reasoning for being against "volunteers" out playing game warden.

 

[dennishoddy]

What about volunteer work for maintenance and food plot help on WMA's? Do they have proviosions for that?

If you would like to help with that, join the quail unlimited, turkey unlimited, Pheasants forever, QDMA, DU, and so on in your area. The member ship is cheap. The purpose of those organizations is to help wildlife, and along with seed give-aways some have, they work on WMA's managed by the ODW to put in food plots and create habitat, and in some of the NW counties, put in water guzzlers for the upland game, and what other non-game specie need the water to survive a dry summer. They are great organizations, and always needing volunteers.

 

[Glocktogo]

Well out here in western Oklahoma all you gotta have is a police I.D. which they help you get and a good friend in the sheriffs office. If its a volunteer basis, like it is out here, there is no "hiring" reserve officers. These are just people that help with materials handling with drug busts and event security.

I'm not trying to correct your statement, just stating thats things work differently out here, which is my reasoning for being against "volunteers" out playing game warden.

So what you're saying is out in Western OK, the law enforcement agencies violate the law on a routine basis? Are they also a significant source of poachers?

Sounds to me like you need to replace your chief law enforcement officers instead of libeling an entire group of volunteers if that's the case.

 

[30BulletHoles]

So what you're saying is out in Western OK, the law enforcement agencies violate the law on a routine basis? Are they also a significant source of poachers?

Sounds to me like you need to replace your chief law enforcement officers instead of libeling an entire group of volunteers if that's the case.

What I'm saying is that volunteer wildlife officers is a bad idea. The system of volunteers in law enforcement here works fine for what its used for. As far as being a significant source of poachers, there are poachers in every walk of life.