Score: Game Warden 1 Poachers 0

[bschmitty83]

I read this on another site and thought you all might find it funny too. Anyone else have any good practical jokes they've played on fellow fishermen? Let's hear 'em!!

"I watched a show one time about a game warden and his career out west. One time he was trying to catch a group of people who were fishing illegally for salmon after dark. He never could get there because from the road you could see for miles at night. They would see his truck lights and hang a lantern on someones porch that would let the fisherman know that someone was on the way. They were always gone when he arrived. Finally he hiked a long ways from the other side of the river and brought his wet suit. He crossed the river and grabbed hold of one of the men's lines. He was using a salt water bait casting outfit. The game warden ran him up and down the river and could hear him talking about what a monster he had. The game warden finally let him start realing him in. When he got close enough that they could see him see just said state ranger I need to see your fishing license. He said they just stood there shocked. After fining them he walked straight back into the river and disapered leaving them clueless. He never had a problem with them again."

[Wanderer]

That sounds like a lotta fun right there!!!

[nofishfisherman]

I saw that same show. He had a lot of interesting stories to tell. The reenactment they did was pretty good.

[JimBuck]

That's a good one. The Warden must have had some serious swimming ability or gear to swim upstream like that with someone tugging on the line. It's great that he walked back into the water....I'd love to see a Warden pop up out of the river sometime to check me for a license.

[ozzie]

that sounds alot like one of the stories that I read from one of the poachers caught books or stories from a minnesota game warden......they tend to have to go to extremes when dealing with poachers!

[mainbutter]

Gave me a good chuckle

[jhanks50]

Haha that is funny. I wonder how long the warden had to plan that to make it work! and i cant even imagine what the poachers thought when they saw him pop out of the water!!!

[thedeadsea]

i cant even imagine what the poachers thought when they saw him pop out of the water!!!

I can probably imagine what they had to say though, and it wouldnt be allowed on this forum!

[muskielaw]

That is pretty good. If you like poachers getting what is coming to them you should read "Poachers Caught" written by retired Itasca County game warden Tom Chapin. I think he has written two books and I am not sure if this was the first or second. This guy was a true renegade who many did not like but he truly served Itasca well and did not like poachers to say the least. Every chapter of the book is a different story about nailing poachers on Minnesota lakes that many of us fish in Itasca. He went to great lengths to catch poachers just like the warden mentioned. It has been a while since I read the book but one story was that he got word of a group catching walleyes the night before opener year after year so he decided to just scope it out from the bushes on the bank. When he saw them in the act he could not resist so he actually swam out in the dark and popped up right at the guys boat. Talk about #$%@ing your pants. Any way it is a great easy read and I highly recommend the book. Stories of catching guys with hundreds of fish over there limits that had been doing it for years

[caj99]

That story is from a book called Wildlife Wars written by Terry Grosz. He spent most of his time in California. It is a very good book and still available at most book stores. He adds a bit of humor when he tells his stories. I remember a bit of another one where he launched a fireworks type rocket and it went into the back of a stationwagon on accident. He was tyring to get a group of fish poachers attention. It worked very well.

Chad

[thedeadsea]

The book about warden Lloyd Steen is an excellent one. It is called something like "Border Country Warden" or something to that effect.

I would also like to read the two from Bill Calles "They used to call us Game Wardens".

I have both of Chapin's books and enjoyed them. Have heard from GR area guys that some of the tales are pretty embellished from the what really happened. Still a good read.

Steve

[Scott Stein]

That is pretty good. If you like poachers getting what is coming to them you should read "Poachers Caught" written by retired Itasca County game warden Tom Chapin.

This book has some great stories! We have it and it never gets old!