Game Wardens, what's the deal????

[VBhubby]

Can anyone out there explain the hiring process for game wardens, do they go threw mental evaluations???? If not, they need to!!! Two deer seasons ago, I took my oldest boy "12 years old" hunting for youth weekend along with my Dad and my 4 year daughter she was just there for the camping, with her bother, grandfather, and me. Anyway, on Sat mourning I go to pick up my son and dad at the stand with my little girl riding shotgun. When I pull up to the stand, and my dad and son walk out on the road here comes a game warden haulin butt around the corner pulls up to all of us and slams on the brakes, proceeds to jump out of his truck with his hand on pistol. Keep in mind I'm standing there holding my boys youth model 243 and no other weapons in the vehicle with a 4 year old little girl standing right next to me, my boy standing there nervous as can be, when the idiot starts questioning him, a 12 year old, and I don't mean 2 or 3 questions I mean like 20. Just flat out being rude. Then last year, same game warden different year, pulls up to our camp and starts questions everyone again because he had found remains of a deer just down the road from camp it's once again youth weekend and he swears up and down that the remains are at least a month old and is threatening everyone with federal charges for an animal that no one in our camp has shot. He even goes as far as to call a close friend of mine that I am on the lease with "PONYTAIL BOY" because he has long hair and it is in a ponytail. The only good part of the whole experience was the fact that his partner was standing there just shacking his head in disbelief that this idiot was acting like he was. My friend could really do much, but stand there and take it and his 14 year old boy could believe that this game warden was giving everyone @#$%. Finally this year it looks as though we have a new game warden in the area and he seems to be a decent man or he at least nows how to treat people, expecially when there are children around. I hunt in Newton county and I'm wondering if anyone has had these same problems??

[westend1]

Game wardens have a tough job.  I am glad that we have some that really get serious about enforcement.  Newton County has horrible poaching problems.  If this guy makes some difference, I am all for it.  I don't know about the 'ponytail' reference, but if the guy found a deer killed out of season, close to your camp, then I think he has a duty to investigate.   JMO

[VBhubby]

[quote name="westend1" post="704921" timestamp="1258040505"]
Game wardens have a tough job.  I am glad theat we have some that really get serious about enforcement.  Newton County has horrible poaching problems.  If this guy makes some difference, I am all for it.  I don't know about the 'ponytail' reference, but if the guy found a der killed out of seasonm, close to your camp, then I think he has a duty to investigate.  JMO
[/quote] No, I'm not so sure he was investigating the deer that was just down the road from my camp when there are 70+ hunters on my lease. Instead, I think he has a personality disorder and it makes him feel good about himself to walk up to law abiding hunter, treat them like $#@$ then drive away with nothing to show for it but a swealed chest. I believe he was abusing his power of law enforcement because more than likely he was a nerd back in the day and now he gets off to it. It's called a power trip. I don't believe that game wardens have that hard of a job I can name 20 people right now that would trade in a heart beat. I do respect their courage to walk into a situtation were you are greatly out number with people that have weapons. I will give them that, But when you drive into someones camp and you see 2 grow men sitting around a camp fire and one of them waves to you and the other has a 5 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL in his lap and two 14 year boys cutting up firewood. You would think he might handle himself a little bit better.

[bronco1]

[quote name="VBhubby" post="704965" timestamp="1258042430"]
[quote author=westend1 link=topic=62268.msg704921#msg704921 date=1258040505]
Game wardens have a tough job.  I am glad theat we have some that really get serious about enforcement.  Newton County has horrible poaching problems.  If this guy makes some difference, I am all for it.  I don't know about the 'ponytail' reference, but if the guy found a der killed out of seasonm, close to your camp, then I think he has a duty to investigate.   JMO
[/quote] No, I'm not so sure he was investigating the deer that was just down the road from my camp when there are 70+ hunters on my lease. Instead, I think he has a personality disorder and it makes him feel good about himself to walk up to law abiding hunter, treat them like $#@$ then drive away with nothing to show for it but a swealed chest. I believe he was abusing his power of law enforcement because more than likely he was a nerd back in the day and now he gets off to it. It's called a power trip. I don't believe that game wardens have that hard of a job I can name 20 people right now that would trade in a heart beat. I do respect their courage to walk into a situtation were you are greatly out number with people that have weapons. I will give them that, But when you drive into someones camp and you see 2 grow men sitting around a camp fire and one of them waves to you and the other has a 5 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL in his lap and two 14 year boys cutting up firewood. You would think he might handle himself a little bit better.
[/quote]

Just like an other profession there are good ones and bad ones. Sounds like he's a bad one, in general Wardens are respectable and good guys, most are hunters too. As long as you are respectful usaully they lighten up but they never know what kind of people they are approaching. So if they are sharp or short at the onset it is to be expected. Like i said usually the lighten up.

As far as trading jobs, not me!

All career ladder advancements are based on a combination of longevity, job knowledge, job performance and adherence to agency and division work rules. All salaries are subject to change without notice:

Game Warden Cadet, $2,982/month, Entrance Salary
Game Warden I, $3,258/month, Completion of Training Academy
Game Warden I, $3,935/month, One year after graduation
Game Warden II, $4,249/month, Four years after graduation
Game Warden III, $4,571/month, Eight years after graduation
Game Warden IV, $4,792/month, Twelve years after graduation
Game Warden V, $5,025/month, Sixteen years after graduation
Game Warden VI, $5,149/month, Twenty years after graduation
Stipend for education or certification: $50 - $150/month
Stipend for second language: $50/month
Additional promotional opportunities within the Law Enforcement Division include Investigative Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, Major, Lt. Colonel, and Colonel.

[VBhubby]

[quote name="bronco1" post="704986" timestamp="1258043539"]
[quote author=VBhubby link=topic=62268.msg704965#msg704965 date=1258042430]
[quote author=westend1 link=topic=62268.msg704921#msg704921 date=1258040505]
Game wardens have a tough job.  I am glad theat we have some that really get serious about enforcement.  Newton County has horrible poaching problems.  If this guy makes some difference, I am all for it.  I don't know about the 'ponytail' reference, but if the guy found a der killed out of seasonm, close to your camp, then I think he has a duty to investigate.   JMO
[/quote] No, I'm not so sure he was investigating the deer that was just down the road from my camp when there are 70+ hunters on my lease. Instead, I think he has a personality disorder and it makes him feel good about himself to walk up to law abiding hunter, treat them like $#@$ then drive away with nothing to show for it but a swealed chest. I believe he was abusing his power of law enforcement because more than likely he was a nerd back in the day and now he gets off to it. It's called a power trip. I don't believe that game wardens have that hard of a job I can name 20 people right now that would trade in a heart beat. I do respect their courage to walk into a situtation were you are greatly out number with people that have weapons. I will give them that, But when you drive into someones camp and you see 2 grow men sitting around a camp fire and one of them waves to you and the other has a 5 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL in his lap and two 14 year boys cutting up firewood. You would think he might handle himself a little bit better.
[/quote]

Just like an other profession there are good ones and bad ones. Sounds like he's a bad one, in general Wardens are respectable and good guys, most are hunters too. As long as you are respectful usaully they lighten up but they never know what kind of people they are approaching. So if they are sharp or short at the onset it is to be expected. Like i said usually the lighten up.

As far as trading jobs, not me!

All career ladder advancements are based on a combination of longevity, job knowledge, job performance and adherence to agency and division work rules. All salaries are subject to change without notice:

Game Warden Cadet, $2,982/month, Entrance Salary
Game Warden I, $3,258/month, Completion of Training Academy
Game Warden I, $3,935/month, One year after graduation
Game Warden II, $4,249/month, Four years after graduation
Game Warden III, $4,571/month, Eight years after graduation
Game Warden IV, $4,792/month, Twelve years after graduation
Game Warden V, $5,025/month, Sixteen years after graduation
Game Warden VI, $5,149/month, Twenty years after graduation
Stipend for education or certification: $50 - $150/month
Stipend for second language: $50/month
Additional promotional opportunities within the Law Enforcement Division include Investigative Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, Major, Lt. Colonel, and Colonel.


[/quote]Getting to drive around in state provided vehicle with a state provided gas card, visiting camp after camp checking coolers, just being able to enjoy the great outdoors on a daily basis, getting to see what everyone success and failures = priceless. Don't get me wrong I know there are long and often difficult hours and you have to deal with an occasional violation but for the most part it would be pretty neat.

[Roughrider]

I dealt with one this past weekend that showed us alot of respect.....I have dealt with jerkoffs before.

I wont to scream and yell at the people I work with sometimes but it would cost me my job....Some of

these clowns are on a head trip but for the most part, they seem to be doing their job.

[tvc184]

[quote name="westend1" post="704921" timestamp="1258040505"]
Game wardens have a tough job.  I am glad that we have some that really get serious about enforcement.  Newton County has horrible poaching problems.  If this guy makes some difference, I am all for it.  I don't know about the 'ponytail' reference, but if the guy found a deer killed out of season, close to your camp, then I think he has a duty to investigate.   JMO
[/quote]

You aren't kidding about that area. You start hearing banjos when you get to some areas around Newton County.

I am glad the wardens are out there and I wish there were a lot more of them. Their jobs in some respects, is worse than other law enforcement in that they are often vastly outnumbered and a majority of the people they deal with are armed and they are a long way from any backup. I would love it if they could catch a huge percentage of the poachers.

That doesn't justify some of the outright rudeness that some of them show to people up until the point that people deserve it. When any officer starts the contact from a point of being angry, it usually goes downhill from there.

[VBhubby]

When I started this post, it was my intention to not down play the responsiblities of Game Wardens. I have the upmost respect for any and all law enforcement agencies. Any Game Warden in the state came walk into my camp and will be treated with respect I'll even goes as far as to offer them a cup of coffee or any food or cold beverage that I might have. I just feel as though I gotten a bad apple her recently and was wondering if anyone in the area has had an experience of this kind. Hunting is a recreation that my father taught me and I hope that I can teach to my children. I just believe that there is a different way of treating people than we were those two occasions all of my other encounters with Game Wardens have been good to date.

[Bobby Light]

VB maybe u got an old DPS officer, he may've still been in that state of mind.  ;D

[tvc184]

[quote name="Bobby Light" post="710331" timestamp="1258428122"]
VB maybe u got an old DPS officer, he may've still been in that state of mind.   ;D
[/quote]

A road soldier becoming to be a possum cop?

[westend1]

Don't get me wrong.  i have seen the rude type.  I got ticketed one time for not having a"throwable" life vest in the boat, even though we all had life vests.  I told this female officer(Sabine Pass) that if she could throw her throwable farther than i could throw my regular vest, then she should give me a ticket.  Needless to say, she declined the offer and started writing.            >:( 

[spoonbill]

[quote name="westend1" post="710435" timestamp="1258432871"]
Don't get me wrong.  i have seen the rude type.  I got ticketed one time for not having a"throwable" life vest in the boat, even though we all had life vests.  I told this female officer(Sabine Pass) that if she could throw her throwable farther than i could throw my regular vest, then she should give me a ticket.  Needless to say, she declined the offer and started writing.             >:( 
[/quote]was this a big girl and quite a few years back? there was a lady...and i say lady to be nice...that thought she was billy jean bad a$$ that was around here for a while. she gave me a ticket for the same thing. she had a dip of skoal in while she was writing me a ticket.

[westend1]

You got it!  Whole lotta woman...

[spinner]

[quote name="VBhubby" post="704965" timestamp="1258042430"]
Getting to drive around in state provided vehicle with a state provided gas card, visiting camp after camp checking coolers, just being able to enjoy the great outdoors on a daily basis, getting to see what everyone success and failures = priceless. Don't get me wrong I know there are long and often difficult hours and you have to deal with an occasional violation but for the most part it would be pretty neat.[/quote]

Interesting article!
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/outdoors/news/a_day_in_the_life_of_a_game_warden.html