Hassled by a DEM CO

[piemma]

Rob:
Great post. As a lot of the guys on the board know I have surf fished for a long time and I had never encountered a CO while out in the surf. I certainly didn't intend any disrespect to the officer but I didn't KNOW he was a CO. He was on shore shining a million candle power spotlight on me so I couldn't see him, just his light in my face and him yelling. I still have not figured out what he wanted. he never said. When he came out to where I was he asked me what I was doing which is really quite bizarre considering I had on neoprene waders, Korkers and a 10' rod slinging live eels.
Oh well, I think we have beat this to death. I just hope that I go another 40 years without running into another CO in the dead on night 50 yards out on a reef.

[SBASS1]

I had the same experience years ago at Groton Long point. I spent a fall/winter house sitting. I was walking up a public right of way on the way back to my house, in the pouring rain. I had oilers on, korkers, plug bag, and a 10' surf rod, when I got a spot light put on me and the flashing lights turned on. Very similiar dialog... What are you doing? My wrong answers was "Stealing VCR's.. what do you think I'm doing!" Things went south from there!!! His biggest concern was finding out were I had parked my car. GLP has their own police department for all 300 think their rich summer resident's. Most of the time they sit right at the entrance turning non GLPer's away. Can you say nothing to do, I got a speeding ticket for doing 27mph in a 25 zone. By the way this was before the rainy night.

[piemma]

Almost sounds like these two CO's knew each other......

[spence]

Actually it sounds like you and Sbass1 could be related. You boys ever think to ask...hello officer, how may I help you this evening



-spence

[protty31]

Not when it starts out by him asking what are you doing?Plain ignorance

[labrax]

Sounds like the Conservation Law Enforcement Academy class is used as a stepping stone by people looking to land other law enforcement jobs (City, Town or State) - the Environmental police are probably the only ones hiring. Too bad that more people in your class were not really immersed in hunting and/or fishing. Having an understanding of hunting or fishing and a desire to be involved in such activities would seem like it should be a prerequisite to be a good CO.

I briefly worked for a fish and game agency in the West and met some wonderful CO's while there. The ones that I met were all anglers and hunters and this seemed like their dream job. On the whole, I think the majority of them are decent guys that have to deal with all sorts of cr@p, but the officer in the story seems like he was a little thick-headed.

Pete

[Striped-Cat]

The "animal rights" advocates graciously have provided links to each state's hunter / fisher / trapper anti-harassment statutes at:
<http://www.animal-law.org/huntharass/>.

I'd suggest carrying a copy of your state's law to counter any challenge to your right to fish.