Babe Winkleman Gets Busted

[Curly]

Anyone see the front page of the Outdoor News this week? Babe and his wife were ticketed for deer hunting with two way radios, funny thing about it is that he didn't admit it but he was paying the court fees and wanted to put it behind him. My son saw the article and said isn't that the guy we see on tv, way to go Babe.

[TRZ]

isn't that kind of a stupid law anyway, i use them and it is nice to be able to help someone in your party if they get a deer, and i really don't see how it could really help your hunt that much. just my 2 cents. plus i like babe he has one of the better shows out there, actually fishes populated lakes in MN sometimes.

[bradi]

I can't agree with you on the Babe...guy needs a serious hair cut to say the least.

But yeah...That law seems to be uneccesary! Having a 2 way = saftey!!

[Northlander]

You can use the radio for emergency or to contact fellow hunters to help you come drag your deer out. You cant call eachother and say "get ready they are coming your way."

[Guest]

Guilty

[Chris Haley]

That law maybe a little out dated with the onset of the cell phone.

[bradi]

Wow! I thought u could not have them in pocession while deer hunting. I didn't know the language used allows u to have them for things other then giving the heads up to your budy. Was I mabey thinking of Wisconsin?

[Animal]

I read the article in the Outdoors News. I think that Babe was forthcoming in his explanation about the events that led to the citation, although his version was much different than that of the CO that wrote the tickets.

Nobody's perfect, but if he is guilty he should make a public statement to that effect. He has done much to help educate the public about fishing. I hope that this incident will not tarnish his great service to all of us fisherman and women.

[walleyehawk]

Never really heard much good about the Babe. Then this. I wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg.

And he even tried to lie his way out of it by saying they were used for safety only until the DNR reminded him of what was said, then he admitted "he said those things". So much for educating America. Maybe he needs to listen more and talk less!!

I don't think the issue is using them to tell someone you are coming into their area and not to shoot, or to check on people to make sure they are OK. But to report on animal movements just does not seem ethical to me. Though with some of the new technologies, lines are blurry. But you have to follow the rules, no matter how stupid you think they are. If you don't like the rule, work the process to change it.

When I heard this I wondered what would have happened if he lost his license for a few years. If he would have got caught with a major violation. It would have been a disaster for him as most states don't allow you to fish or hunt if you lose your license in another state. He could have lost his shows easily. And his sponsors. Just for a dang deer and exteme greed!

I think the Babe's problem is he has too much ego or is too competitive and a win at any cost attitude. And that is the wrong message for a so called educator.

I always thought safety was rule 1, then have fun, and if you harvest game great. Maybe Babe ought to lighten up.

[DTro]

I have heard a firsthand account of some the questionable tactics he used "back in the day" to film his fishing show.
Holding cage, for example, to hold the big ones for the many takes.
Not an urban myth these things DID happen.

[waterwolff]

Let he without sin cast the first stone

[panolo]

If he was guilty than he should have been charged. Same as you or I. I have thought he was a ***** since I was a kid and he blew me off like nothing. My grandma drove me 75 miles to meet him and he was rude. The good part about that was I got to meet Paul Elias and he was a great guy.

[jlm]

Yup, you can use them and a cell phone to. You just can't use them as an aid to harvest a deer. I use them all the time to help drag a deer out of the woods or to see when breakfast is ready! They can be a real pain in the you know what if there is a lot of traffic on that frequency though. Good emergency tool! Way to go Babe! It does not surprise me from all the other rumors and opinions I have heard about him.

[B. Amish]

Yeah i agree the babe needs a haircut but who has the worse head of hair...

the babe or the donald.... anybody ever watch letterman when they play "trump or monkey"......anyways

i'm just glad to see that the laws are being enforced on people of his stature

[delmuts]

man here in iowa if they catch you carrying a radio during hunting season ( especially deer!) it is an automatic fine. even cell phones are not allowed. not even for safety ! del

[bradi]

Thanks for the info...I thought I was going crazy! I knew I had read that radios were a no no. I just had my states wrong...now everyone knows my roots are in Iowa.

[Grabs]

Actually this is interesting because I check every year for the exact wording for the use of two-way radios in the regulations. I remember checking two years ago and again last year. I noted that two years ago the wording was very well defined on using them in the aid of bagging game. Last years regs, to my knowledge actually didn't say anything about two-way radios, they only mentioned the use of radios for tracking tagged game.

Can anyone point out where in the regs from the 2003 season it states any thing about the use of two-radios?

The only thing I find is on page 29 of the hunting regulations, that's the only spot a radio is even mentioned. My interpretation of this is again the tracking equipment.

[This message has been edited by Grabs (edited 04-20-2004).]

[Esoxmn]

Yea he needs a haircut. Oh and hes GUILTY.

[merc]

I met him, way to arrogant for my liking. Pay the fine Babe!!!

[BIG ISLAND DUDE]

YA!
And He's probably a replublican Too.

[Fish Head]

Whoa..... don’t start bashing republicans here because Babe didn’t follow the rules.

[jparrucci]

If you can't carry a cell phone with you for safety while hunting, either I'm going to quit hunting or the game warden better be a faster draw than me.

[2dalake]

Did you read the Outdoor Life article? They clearly state that using cell phones or radios for safety is ENCOURAGED, but the DNR monitored their radio traffic and the Winklemans were coordinating the hunt.

[outdooraddict]

I saw the article and laughed my a** off. The reason being, I have a grandma who was "fishing" with my dad and some of his friends years ago. She actually went out there to bring them lunch! she was looking down one of the holes when the game warden showed up. She got a ticket. The reason it is funny is because the same warden, Dennis Lang, who busted my grandama busted the Babe! I called her to give her shi% about it last weekend!!!!

[This message has been edited by outdooraddict (edited 04-20-2004).]

[Uncle Grump]

Any guesses as to what this will do to Babe's status as a spokesman for the MDHA?

UG