I ain't got a dog in the hunt but seems like taking the keys preventing someone from leaving if they have NOT encountered the GW yet would constitute some type of arrest. The guy would be prohibited from leaving freely by the legal means he chooses (scooter). Possibly theft of property. Where is Doekiller, Judge Sharpe, or Augustus 65?

Note to self: Start carrying an extra scooter key in my front pocket when hunting.

Pretty quick to jump to bad conclusions.

The guy may very well have been watching the whole time and simply thought it was a bad idea to leave the keys in the ATV.....so, he took them to him.

Hands Up, Don't Shoot! LMAO

Y'all just made my sitting in a pop up blind for the next 10 hours more interesting...

Yeah come on!

You can bet he is on to something in the area - someone has complained about something.

I agree - No keys No leave - He took them to keep you there till he caught up with you

Yep or be has found or imagined finding corn. If it the one I think it is, he would rather write a ticket for hunting over corn than eat when be is hungry. If the op would chime back in with which GW it was or a description it would help.

Hopefully this post will be approved by the grumpy old guy and I won't be labeled a 12 year old girl with a low IQ.

I'm on the fence here. I would probably be pissed if he took my keys like that.
If he had witnessed you doing something wrong and took the keys that's one thing, but his excuse was he didn't want anyone to get them is far fetched. If he was dead set on checking you he should have just waited but the 4wheeler.

That's about as bad as me getting pics of our local GW checking my cameras few years ago.

He had no right to take the keys with no citations being issued. He should have waited at the 4wheeler. What if he never found the guy? He could have had any type of emergency or even just needed to leave to be on time for work.

I like the 'shoe on the other foot' thoughts .
If the GW had left the keys to his truck in the ignition and you took them and headed out hunting -came back three hours later and told him you took his keys --what would he have to say about that ?

Years ago I got a little side-ways with two GW , I was coyote hunting during squirrel season on public land -totally legal of coarse.
I like to get in the thickest stuff I can find and use a climbing stand. Well in these two GW's minds if you carry a climbing stand you are deer hunting PERIOD .
The older warden ended up getting loud mouthed with me so I got loud mouthed back and told him he was as stupid as a box of rocks and a few other things.
He starts telling me to calm down -I told him that he has called me a liar three times and to write the ticket and shut his mouth and that I'd see both their dumbasses in court .
That pretty much ended it .
I knew a guy who hired on as a GW - he was known far and wide as one of the biggest poachers around. I'm sure those types are few and far between because over all GW's have been very professional to me.

Game warden is always welcome on my property, even had Matt out to look things over and give us some advice. That being said, DONT TOUCH MY CRAP.

That, in my opinion, is uncalled for. I would have told him the same.

Is that where they come from???
Stivo, I left your queer ass a 12 pack in the fridge at camp. Sorry you couldn't make it this weekend...

Do Game Wardens not think that taking someone's four wheeler keys isn't the SAFEST thing to do, especially during turkey season. What '' if '' the hunter got a snake bite, or had a heart issue and NEEDED the four wheeler to get out of the woods???? I wonder if that crossed the GW's mind at any point????

There is one GW in my county that is a total clown. A few years back we caught a few poachers on our property so we called the GW, he shows up and writes both men tickets and we all go on our way, a few months later we get a court date to the hearing and both men walk scotch free, best part of it is the GW didn't even show up for court, we asked two LEO's were he was and they both had two diffrent excuses about his where abouts that morning. I believe he has been "bought and paid for" many of times.

Next time go to the clerks office and press changes, cut the GW out. Then if they walk the DA will have some splainin' to do.

What Morris said. The warden presumed guilt and took the keys therefore he was wrong. After he realized you where good to go then he tried to look like he was looking out for you. He had no right to take the keys and I would report him for doing that.

Yep, The GW wasn't "looking out for the safety of your scooter". He was keeping the keys so that you couldn't leave until otherwise. When I'm at the club I leave my keys in the wheeler while I'm hunting. They won't get lost there unless some sneaky up to no good GW takes them.



With that said the few GW's that I've encountered have all been way nice to me.

Let me clarify a couple of points.

I was startled when I first saw him up the road and in fact when I walked up to him the first thing I said was "you scared me to death". He said"well I didn't mean to do that". Looking back I think he had on a game warden type hat, dark green shirt and camo pants. He definitely was not carrying a gun that I could see. My earlier comment of total camo was based on my first look when he was standing up the road at about 70 yards. It was early and pretty foggy.

He never volunteered his name. As the conversation was drawing down I finally asked him his name and he said,if I recall, it was was either Jimmy or Jerry, I can't recall the last name. I shook his hand and told him my name.

I shared this story with the guy who runs the deer hunting store in Troy and he seemed to know the guy immediately. I considered this a weird encounter because of the keys and because I just got checked two weeks ago in Lowndes County and that game warden couldn't have been nicer. I asked him to stop by our place as much as possible since we had had break ins and he said he would be glad to do so and I think he will.

It was not my intent in sharing this story to question the honesty of this game warden. I certainly don't he think was trying to hunt. I just found it strange that he took my keys. Given how far back in the woods I was, the idea that he took the keys to possibly prevent someone else from taking them is ridiculous.

If he didn't even have a pistol that would seem to be odd. Taking the keys was wrong unless he saw who er drove in on the 4 wheeler do something illegal.

Don't see a reason to take the keys if all he was doing was a license check.So what if he misses the hunter,probably get another chance.I'm with the others on the possibility of a medical emergency or a family emergency and needing to get gone quick.Another thought,what if the GW had reached in a vehicle without probable cause and took the keys.Would that be acceptable or is there any difference.