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Let me start out by saying I have all the required stamps, my shotgun only holds 3 shells and I only carry steel..............and I am 100% in favor of enforcing consequences on fish and game law violators............BUT.......
(Fortunately this didn't happen to me because I would have been a little irritated)
One of my co-workers was "visited" in the field i.e. at his decoy spread by a Federal F&G officer
He had to produce his license and stamps (ok fine)........ then he had to unload his gun.......and produce every single shotgun shell he was carrying so the guy could check it to make sure it wasn't lead.........then of course the chamber check for the 3 shell max...... all of this at about 8AM on opening day while he was sitting over his decoys.....
Then they informed him that he was going to be checking other hunters in the area so he couldn't shoot until they came back by and gave him the all clear...... this took about an hour and a couple flocks did indeed decoy in while the Feds had him on a cease fire.........
A) How can they require you to empty your pockets to check all your shells??? Isn't this a search?
B) How can they require you to stop hunting, unload your gun and turn it over to them? Isn't this also a "search"?
I guess my question would be...........what would happen if you told them "no you can't have my gun?"........... or no I'm not going to empty my pockets......where does your right to not being searched end??
Then there's the whole issue of dropping in on a hunting party in the first 2 hours of the season AT their hunting location and telling them they have to STOP hunting for almost an hour .......
I've seen F&G very effectively check hunting parties either on their way out of the field or back at the parking area.........virtually every thing that was accomplished by this disruptive intrusion could be accomplished back at the parking lot (i.e. license check, non toxic shot check, magazine capacity check, etc.)
(Fortunately this didn't happen to me because I would have been a little irritated)
One of my co-workers was "visited" in the field i.e. at his decoy spread by a Federal F&G officer
He had to produce his license and stamps (ok fine)........ then he had to unload his gun.......and produce every single shotgun shell he was carrying so the guy could check it to make sure it wasn't lead.........then of course the chamber check for the 3 shell max...... all of this at about 8AM on opening day while he was sitting over his decoys.....
Then they informed him that he was going to be checking other hunters in the area so he couldn't shoot until they came back by and gave him the all clear...... this took about an hour and a couple flocks did indeed decoy in while the Feds had him on a cease fire.........
A) How can they require you to empty your pockets to check all your shells??? Isn't this a search?
B) How can they require you to stop hunting, unload your gun and turn it over to them? Isn't this also a "search"?
I guess my question would be...........what would happen if you told them "no you can't have my gun?"........... or no I'm not going to empty my pockets......where does your right to not being searched end??
Then there's the whole issue of dropping in on a hunting party in the first 2 hours of the season AT their hunting location and telling them they have to STOP hunting for almost an hour .......
I've seen F&G very effectively check hunting parties either on their way out of the field or back at the parking area.........virtually every thing that was accomplished by this disruptive intrusion could be accomplished back at the parking lot (i.e. license check, non toxic shot check, magazine capacity check, etc.)
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