So when they gave 1 hunter a warning for having a loaded rifle in his truck, on private property no less, and told another they went through a cooler in the back of his truck "to make sure there wasn't any beer in it", just which laws were they enforcing exactly?

To be clear, nobody argued the ticket for hunting over corn. The hunter claims he thought it had long since been empty, but there's no questioning that ticket. The other stuff is what I find excessive (or a downright overreach).

You should unload your gun before getting out of the stand. Because if you walk to the truck with a loaded rifle you are illegally hunting after dark. Also you should turn off your headlights so as to not cast a spot. Makes for an interesting drive home. Especially when drunk after cleaning out the cooler while hunting.

Sounds messed up to me. I can understand wanting to check a cooler for game but beer. I'm not aware of any law against a cooler of beer. Not unless you're drunk and driving does that make sense. I mentioned in a previous post that I didn't understand the loaded magazine with empty chamber. Was it at dark and they're trying to make a case for trying to take a deer at night? Makes no sense and really sounds unprofessional to me. I was stopped at my club back in early November but both the warden and the trooper with him were professional. Really nice folks and treated me well even though they scared the crap out of me walking out of my stand. Sounds like you had a different experience. Most LEOs are professional but there are bad apples everywhere. Probably some rookie desperate to make cases and build his reputation, at the expense of lawful hunters, to get promoted.

In my opinion it’s because us ( the hunters) and them ( DCNR ) don’t communicate very well for numerous reasons. For lack of better words it’s like it’s un cool too be pro DCNR on here because of the disconnect of the two.

I don’t know about y’all but I’ll call a warden I know and the DCNR office or email questions about what is being discussed in this thread. Because I want to be in compliance with the regulations but it also pisses me off when it sounds like a warden is ignorant about those regulations and the constitution that protects our gun rights.

I been checked on dove field before and had been drinking. It was the other cool game warden in Morgan co. We were in em pretty good too. All he said was have a DD take y'all home which we did. And this is a dry county. So no there's no law against drinking while hunting here in AL

I've only met 3 GWs in the years we've been hunting in Alabama. 2 was at the place we had by Georgiana and they stopped by the camp to ask us if we had seen some dog hunters hunting on the road. They were super nice guys. They even sat with us and had a cup of coffee. The other was at our place in Monroe co. Someone shot a deer on our place from the co. road and I called for a GW. This was on a Friday. He showed up the Monday morning. He apparently wasn't working that weekend. He was also a great guy and asked lots of questions and really acted like he wanted to help us but I told him he would never find the ones who did it. He laughed and said I was probably right. One of my buddies and his daughter was checked one time as they were parked by one of our gates. They checked their licenses and went on their way. Can't complain about them. Just not enough of them. I also think there is some BS in this story but I wasn't there so...

I’ve never got a ticket I didn’t deserve

I'm just telling you what they told me. I wasn't there.....but this isn't some story that's been told and retold several times, I was told directly by the folks involved, and I dont really think they'd have reason to make it up.

I just don't believe it. We already know, they have no respect for the law (Hunting over bait). Any thought on rather they were being truthful about the rest just went out the window.

Is that illegal? Just thought you couldn't hunt from a public road

Off subject but this is a quote from Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest put out by the DCNR on page 39: "Violators don't stand a chance". I use to think more GWs were needed also but that statement has changed my mind. If violators don't stand a chance then there are enough GWs.

They have to be relatively new in career. Young and full of piss and vinegar like some rookie troopers I used to work with. When I was stopped coming out of my stand, they told me they had run my truck tag and checked cooler but made no mention of beer. And yes there was beer in my cooler. Why would they as not illegal? I'm sure they waited for me because of my Florida tag but neither acted unprofessional. No accusations of baiting or profiling because I'm from Florida. I used to teach discriminatory profiling and professional traffic stops so they certainly don't want to profile me.

This point needs to be cleared up. Too many are confused. Loaded guns in trucks, hunting on or near highway.
Speak up Matt, Nighthunter or Troy!

For the life of me I can’t imagine how a GW could prove the case if I just had a loaded gun and was riding on the property. Not like I’m scoping things out, or aiming at something, just riding to a stand or back.

Exactly.

I don't need them to tell me. I can read. Loaded gun in vehicle is legal. Hunting must be 50 yards from road (ROW) using 4 shot or larger and rifle.


We're not talking WMA.

Was the G.W named Thrasher ?

I had one snooping around in back of truck and cooler once on a gas line, i was watching from a tree. I fired the magnum and scared the crap out of him lol.

Man I guess we’re just lucky around my parts. The warden here is a super nice guy. I actually enjoy running into him and talking for a while.

When I was a teen we had 2 wardens in Marshall County and one was an absolute asshole. ABSOLUTE asshole. The other guy was as nice as could be. Both are retired now.