Game warden magnet
Iam a human game warden magnet. People who have fished and hunted for years and have never seen a game warden only need to step outside my truck near a trout stream, and they will trip over two or three game wardens trying to check my license. A fellow down the stream can be blowing trout out of the water with dynamite and the game warden will sneak up behind me in camo gear and say, “Let me check your hook. I don’t believe the barb is pinched down quite far enough.” I’ll say, “Could you repeat that? The explosions and trout landing everywhere make it hard for me to hear you.”
Several years ago, a friend of mine (who shall remain anonymous) and I were hiking along the trail near Holly Creek. We could hear a group of people in the creek whooping and hollering and doing who knows what. We looked down toward the creek and, lo and behold, there was a young woman sunbathing on a rock. I mean REALLY sunbathing. We didn’t linger TOO LONG and were trying to get on up the trail when we met the game warden. He checked our licenses. I don’t know if he noticed the blonde on the rock.
I don’t understand why game wardens seem to focus on me. For the most part I am a rule follower. I am a generic looking person. I have all my teeth, and I brush my hair. I am the average height of the average American male. Most people don’t notice when I enter the room.
Recently I was in a meeting in Blue Ridge and there was a group of game wardens. I figured they would surround me with their guns drawn, but to my amazement they didn’t. My fishing license wasn’t even checked. In fact, I related my history of game wardens to them. They laughed and couldn’t figure out why I would be flagged as a potential violator.
I tell everyone who fishes with me that they better have all their licenses with them. My most recent encounter with a guy with a green outfit was at Rock Creek in Fannin County. I had taken my minister up there to try to catch a few trout. We purposely got off the beaten path to avoid the crowds. True to form, I saw a game warden heading our way through the woods. Unfortunately, my minister did not have his license with him. He had left it in the truck and when we got to the truck it was discovered that he didn’t have a trout stamp. I plied the game warden with all my diplomatic skills and made the case that it might be poor form to arrest a Man of the Cloth. He relented and gave him a warning ticket.
When my daughter was 12, I took her to Little Cedar Creek in Cave Spring on opening day. We were fishing near the bridge at Rolater Park. Not one, but two game wardens descended on me. They checked to make sure I had a license while fishing with a minor. There were at least a dozen other people fishing nearby but I was the only one interrogated. On another occasion, I was watching my then 10-year-old son fish on Smith Creek in Unicoi State Park. Guess what? The game warden checked my license. I have many other stories of game warden encounters, but there isn’t enough space in this column. I have even been checked in other states. My history with game wardens began when I was 16. I figure that I have been stopped by the DNR law enforcement over 15 times in my lifetime of hunting and fishing. Let me make it clear that I appreciate game wardens. They have a nearly impossible job, and the State of Georgia does not have enough of them. They are there to protect the resources and to ensure a fair share for all. In most of my interactions they have been respectful and professional, except maybe one in Rabun County who was a little too much like a sadistic Andy Griffith.
Is it chance that I have been stopped so many times? I don’t know. As they say, “Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean people aren’t out to get you”. Enjoy the outdoors and if you are fishing with me, keep your fishing license handy.
From Paul Diprima:
James, you have had quite a few encounters with game wardens. The more someone is outdoors, the more likely they are to be checked. And yes, there are not nearly enough game wardens to adequately enforce the laws.
I wish there were enough wardens to prevent the almost daily abuse of our resources. My friend Steve Thacker has witnessed blatant and repeated violations of Delayed Harvest Stream regulations. There was no one to stop anglers who violated lure restrictions and took trout. If only there were more game wardens maybe this and other wrongs would not happen. These lawbreakers could have waited until the Delayed Harvest season ends. The DH restrictions end on May 15. Any angler fishing legally may keep his or her limit. The Delayed Harvest fish have been waiting for you to take them home. Tell your state senator or representative to increase funding for more game wardens to help protect our valuable trout streams.
Paul Diprima of the Trout Unlimited Cohutta Chapter can be reached at Pauldiprima@ aol.com. The opinions in Talking Trout are his own. Unless specifically stated, they do not reflect the thoughts or policies of TU on the state or national level.