ND Game and Fish stats

[3Roosters]

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department says two Lake Region counties were among the top three statewide for hunting and fishing violations last year. The department says game wardens wrote the most tickets in Ramsey County last year with 399 citations. The department says Benson County was third in the state last year with 125 ticketed violations. The department says the most common violation statewide in 2021 was for failing to carry a license.

This seems odd to me????? How about you guys?? Doesn't everyone just take a pic of their license on their phone for this exact reason?? or perhaps some don't carry their phone on their person whilst hunting or fishing?? What am I missing? Enlighten my brain.
Perhaps it is because they didn't HAVE a license?? I think i answered my own question. Carry On

 

[Weekender]

I've been stopped multiple times by game wardens and showed them my license on my phone, wasn't an issue.

Had a guy fishing with me once that didn't have his license on him and couldn't bring it up on his phone. The game warden asked for his drivers license and looked him up on his computer, wasn't an issue.

 

[Slappy]

From the first page of the regs:
"The fishing license (paper or electronic form) must be in possession of the licensee at all times while fishing and available for inspection."

I've had people along that purchased licenses on their phone but didn't know how or didn't know they needed to save an image or pdf copy or saved it but had trouble finding it quickly for the warden at the ramp. Some wardens will be polite and helpful, others will be jerks if you keep them waiting while you look on your phone. You can log into the website and pull it up but that takes time and requires cell service which may not be available.

Our wardens are generally great, but one was very rude while my 60+ yr old mother worked to find the license she had purchased the day before on her phone. Shame on her for not having the image handy as I told her. Shame on the warden for being a jerk about it.

 

[Rowdie]

A few years ago a buddy didn't have his with him. He's in his 60's and NEVER been checked before. Warden gave me his phone number and when I got home I sent him a picture of it. Buddy didn't have a cell phone. Yes, there are a few old guys out there without one.

 

[shorthairsrus]

or was it having a license. I think one would be surprised who buys one who does not.


On the related matter --- i the G and F and BIA was at the boat ramp i use on DL all day. I just happened to come up to ramp when they were busy bustin a surf boat. My wife and I were extremely fast removing my boat and reaching over to pull the pug as my boat is coming up the ramp/ i didnt keep any fish that day my live wells were dry but also open when we came up the ramp. They peered over and seen me pull it and you tell i had no excess water coming out.

From what i heard (third party i will emphasize the word third) the G and F were busting people for not stoppng at the top of the ramp to pull the plug and empty the live well. The ticket was over benajmin per the 3rd party. This ramp is not on the resv - i really surprised to see BIA helping out. Based on 3rd party if you drove you boat to the cleaning station couple hundred feet from the water and didnt have your live well drained - busted.

I would like to know if anyone else got ticketed and if this was the truth. If that is the case - its a buch of bullshit to ticket someone that hit the drain swtich on the way up the ramp and didnt stop at the top and utimately going to the cleaning station a couple hundred feet away.

 

[Bacon]

I have no problem getting checked out by a warden. If I’m doing nothing wrong it’s pretty quick and painless. I wish there were more wardens doing more checking of people.

 

[guywhofishes]

I always feel like they're trying to trick me up with their intense questioning.

"How you guys doing today?"
"Been out long?"
"Had any luck?"

I just want to scream and take off running. The pressure is so intense.

I should probably get help.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I always feel like they're trying to trick me up with their intense questioning.

"How you guys doing today?"
"Been out long?"
"Had any luck?"

I just want to scream and take off running. The pressure is so intense.

I should probably get help.

The first step is admitting you need help. We are all really proud of you.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I always feel like they're trying to trick me up with their intense questioning.

"How you guys doing today?"
"Been out long?"
"Had any luck?"

I just want to scream and take off running. The pressure is so intense.

I should probably get help.

You could always inquire about obtaining some of those sweet brown pants

 

[LBrandt]

I always feel like they're trying to trick me up with their intense questioning.

"How you guys doing today?"
"Been out long?"
"Had any luck?"

I just want to scream and take off running. The pressure is so intense.

I should probably get help.

You sir would have been fun to drink with!!!!!!!!!!!!:;:cheers

 

[db-2]

guywhofish:

Yes,i have never got a ticket from one but they still have no PR. db

 

[JayKay]

Not a game and fish story, but rather Border Patrol. Going into Canada years ago, on bus with a bunch of teens from a church. They were all told to keep quiet while the Patrol came on the bus. All went well, until the agents were about to leave, and one smart@ss kid asked "how do we get easy jobs like yours?".

We spent hours unloading and reloading that bus.

Best thing to do with pretty much any LEO is to do what they say, be polite, and keep your "funny" comments to yourself, until you're driving away.

 

[SDMF]

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department says two Lake Region counties were among the top three statewide for hunting and fishing violations last year. The department says game wardens wrote the most tickets in Ramsey County last year with 399 citations. The department says Benson County was third in the state last year with 125 ticketed violations. The department says the most common violation statewide in 2021 was for failing to carry a license.

That number means that Devils Lake area wardens are averaging just over 1 ticket/day, must be some real "Go-Getters!!". Apparently tourism has been prioritized over any hint of actual enforcement.

 

[guywhofishes]

Not a game and fish story, but rather Border Patrol. Going into Canada years ago, on bus with a bunch of teens from a church. They were all told to keep quiet while the Patrol came on the bus. All went well, until the agents were about to leave, and one smart@ss kid asked "how do we get easy jobs like yours?".

We spent hours unloading and reloading that bus.

Best thing to do with pretty much any LEO is to do what they say, be polite, and keep your "funny" comments to yourself, until you're driving away.

How many wedgies did this young kid endure during the trip?

 

[701FishSlayer]

Was smokin a doobie on Audobon years and years ago when this random boat with two people snuck up on us in a pile of boats. Next thing ya know fucker climbs in the boat and starts digging through the livewell. Good times had by all.

 

[Enslow]

NDGF stats are about as reliable as Biden remembering what he ate for breakfast …

 

[westwolfone]

That number means that Devils Lake area wardens are averaging just over 1 ticket/day, must be some real "Go-Getters!!". Apparently tourism has been prioritized over any hint of actual enforcement.

Probably 300 of them were handed out the first couple weeks in the spring.

 

[Retired Educator]

Years ago, early to mid 70's, a group of us were hunting deer late in the archery season. Snow was crotch deep so we were getting around on snowmobiles. I had hit a deer during a drive and then tracked it onto a refuge. Got back to my pickup and a warden that i knew very well was sitting there, wanting to visit. Started out pleasant enough until I answered the question of "What are you doing?" "Just tracking a deer that I wounded." NOPE, wrong answer. He informed me of what I was doing. It was something like "You are pursuing big game with a motor-driven vehicle, you are driving off the trail while hunting big game. You are hunting on a federal refuge." Shit, that kind ruined my day. He chewed me out for a good 1/2 hour and I didn't argue. He then told me that he had seen we were following the deer out into the middle of the refuge and when it joined anohher big heard we turned around and went back to the pickup and trailers. He didn't give me a ticket but made it clear that I better never do anything like that again. We knew each other pretty good through Boy Scouts when I was younger and his son was also very active so he knew that I didn't normally break game laws it was a case of poor judgement caused by tough weather conditions. Have only one other issue with wardens but that was a federal warden and to this day I don't think I was in the wrong but had no desire to hire a lawyer for a minor offense that would have cost more than the ticket.

Long story but wanted to mention that my contacts with wardens have been pretty positive.

 

[db-2]

Sometimes a person gets a little education, a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip and then he/she comes with an attitude. Kevin Bjornson on the show North Woods has to be the worse. That kid could never pass a test on whether he should wear a gun or not IMHO.

I get a call from a game warden in January, and he starts out with the statement i assume you know why i calling you. I said i have no idea. Said landowner called and stated i was driving and hunting on his posted land during rifle deer season. I said i did not do it. He said he has me and has the tracks in the field were i drove to prove it. I said i would meet him there and compare my tires to the tracks. He said the landowner had cultivate the field and tracks are no long there. I said you are telling me the landowner cultivated his field in late November (frozen land) and the tracts are no longer there????

He stated either i plead guilty and pay the $100 fine or he will find who was with me, fine both of us $250 and loss of hunting rights for two years. More to the details but i went to attorney general in that county, told her my side of story and she said not to show up as she would take care of it. End of story.

We need game wardens and in general i will support them. They have been taught well how to ask question and get at the truth. I just wish they would have some PR, not feel they are above us when dealing with the public and realize not all are guilty and need to prove their innocence.

I have had little contact with the wardens over the years but i can tell three more stores similar to the one i just told. And they do get upset when in the end they are unable to write the ticket. db

 

[SDMF]

Sometimes a person gets a little education, a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip and then he/she comes with an attitude. Kevin Bjornson on the show North Woods has to be the worse. That kid could never pass a test on whether he should wear a gun or not IMHO.

I get a call from a game warden in January, and he starts out with the statement i assume you know why i calling you. I said i have no idea. Said landowner called and stated i was driving and hunting on his posted land during rifle deer season. I said i did not do it. He said he has me and has the tracks in the field were i drove to prove it. I said i would meet him there and compare my tires to the tracks. He said the landowner had cultivate the field and tracks are no long there. I said you are telling me the landowner cultivated his field in late November (frozen land) and the tracts are no longer there????

He stated either i plead guilty and pay the $100 fine or he will find who was with me, fine both of us $250 and loss of hunting rights for two years. More to the details but i went to attorney general in that county, told her my side of story and she said not to show up as she would take care of it. End of story.

We need game wardens and in general i will support them. They have been taught well how to ask question and get at the truth. I just wish they would have some PR, not feel they are above us when dealing with the public and realize not all are guilty and need to prove their innocence.

I have had little contact with the wardens over the years but i can tell three more stores similar to the one i just told. And they do get upset when in the end they are unable to write the ticket. db

And the 'Sconi's roll in with hulls/lower units full of zebra muscles and everybody looks the other way.

400 tickets in one year on/around Devils Lake????

They gave out over half that many at stings at the Fargo and Bismarck airports on the Monday after Pheasant opener somewhere between '05 and '07. 90% of the people flying out had game violations. What did that lead to? A giant uproar from local hunters about cracking down on Non-Residents. What was the result of the uproar, the ND G&F stopped doing stings at the airport so as to keep the tourism $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ rolling.

1.1 tickets/day in Ramsey County, Real Go-getters I tell you, the epitome of active enforcement. ;:;banghead