MDC/Police Check Points

[N2OUTDOORS]

With Tele-Checking now it seems as though the MDC agents have more time to have mobile deer check points during deer season. I went through one at the Howell Island Access aread in Chesterfield on Sunday.

Saw several hunters in handcuffs that didn't look too happy...felt like a police state with all the unnecessary questioning .

Anyone else been through a check point this year?

[SplitTail]

I got frisked but no cuffs needed. That sounds like boooooochit but heck, If you do the crime, you do the time.

[Warmouth]

One of the guys that "hunts" with us got caught in a check point last year. He brought a assault rifle .223 cal with 30round clip. They questioned him, but since he didn't kill anything, I guess there was no proof he had been hunting with it. He's more of a drinker and story teller than a hunting guy. I still wish he had gone to prison for a year or two.

[Tigerhaze]

I have a general negative opinion of checkpoints (whether they are hunting related or not) since there is supposed to be "probable cause" a crime has been committed in our legal system before you are stopped an searched (4th Amendment, ya know). I don't know if they would hold up in court or not, since the sobriety checkpoints have stood in the Supreme Court mainly because there is an overriding public safety issue that is not necessarily present with hunting checkpoints. They are used too much like a fishing expedition for things other than their stated purpose.



However, like previosuly said there shouldn't ultimately be a problem if you have followed the laws and regs.

[Limbshot]

I kind of agree with you TH, but not totally. If you use that logic, then technically, a game official could not even check you for a license, unless you appeared to be doing something illegal.



I agree with the MOTY. I am glad they are doing these check points. I'd be happy to go through them and answer a few questions and be on my way. I know I am doing things legally, so I have nothing to worry about. If it leads to the catching some guys that are breaking the law, especially in an area I hunt, then so be it. Just a minor inconvenience for me to get some of the "bad guys" out of the woods. I can live with that. Just my opinion.

[N2OUTDOORS]

I am all for probable cause as well, but not "fishing" expeditions like I saw with them rummaging through all their belongings.

I saw one guy who had placed the transportation tag on the deer's rear leg, called into the tele-check system, wrote down the 8 digit number they provided, BUT then didn't attach the remaining portion of the tag to the deer like it says. He got a $159 ticket .

We stuck the main portion of the tag on to the transportation portion and the agent indicated that that is acceptable.

I just didn't like the line of questioning.

After seeing my driver's license the agent says "Where are you heading?"

I said "Going to Valley Park."

Agent says "Your license indicates that you live in Wildwood." I said "I do, but you asked me where I was going not where I lived."

Agent says "Why are you going to Valley Park?"

I said "To skin and quarter the deer at my parent's house."

Agent "Why don't you do it at your house?" I thought "WTF does it matter where I am going or why I am doing it at my parents house versus my house."

He looked at me like some sort of smart .

[Triton X2]

We had 7 deer on the trailer when we started home and I had forgotten to attach the last part on the deer after I had checked it in on Sunday night, so I just attached it to the deers horns. Heck with trying to find it in all of the mess of legs near the transportation tag...Just wondered though, if I was still legal? We came back from Columbia on Monday but didnt see any checkpoints, they must have been out only on the weekend?

[Warmouth]

Sunday afternoon is the day that they set up all of the traffic stops.

With the check in stations dropped, if they catch you doing something illegal, MDC will stick it to you. I talked with an agent that said they may be going with a 5 yr loss of hunting/fishing privliges if you get caught breaking game laws. That seems awefully strict to me, especially on light infringements, like having the tag in the wrong place, or having a trasportation tag only intead of both tags on the animal, etc.

[Tigerhaze]

N2Outdoors, they use that type of questioning to "fish" for inconsistencies in stories and try to get probable cause for further investigations. They do not care if you are trying to meet the "spirit" of the law, but rather the "letter" of the law. Yes, I realize that is what they are commisioned to do but most other LEOs use discretion (i.e. only nail the "true" criminals with technicalities).

I agree, by purchasing the license you have consented to searches of your person and vehicles while hunting. However these checkpoints are often conducted on public roads well away from specific MDC sites and other LE agencies usually participate as well to look for "non-hunting" violations as well.

Again, I have nothing to hide but I do object to the gradually erosion of our constitutional rights to catch relatively few "bad apples".

[N2OUTDOORS]

They had plenty of LEO, probably 6 Chesterfield patrol cars and 3 MDC agents and they were stopping everyone driving on Old Eatherton or Old Olive what ever the name of the road is there.

[Outdoorsfool]

Believe what you want. I've been through MDC, DWI and drug checkpoints and the last thing those gents want to do is "bullchit" with you. They are looking for something they can start chipping away at, just to see what they find.

I was stopped awhile back because the police were searching for (had chased and lost) a vehicle that looked like mine. After checking my license, insurance and all that boochit he admitted I wasn't the person he was looking for. However, that didn't stop him from asking what was in my truck, what was in my cooler, what was under a tarp, what was in a garbage bag on the floorboard, etc. THEN after I complied with all that, he asked if he could "look inside" my vehicle. I abruptly told him "no". He got real pissy, got in my face. He told me if I was didn't have anything to hide I wouldn't mind him looking around and that he could get a warrant. I told him he probably could and if he thought he needed to, go for it, but I had been more than compliant especially given the fact I was not who he was looking for and he stopped me for no reason. I told him I gladly answered all his questions and I was ready to go on my way now and I was not going to consent to having door panels, seats, and whatever else he felt like yanked out along the side of the road. I've got a lot of respect for LEO, but fork him and fork roadblocks. This is the US and probable cause should be required for searches.

The fact you are properly licensed and hunting is no more probable cause to believe you have committed wildlife offenses than saying because you have a driver's license and are driving that you have committed driving offenses.

[2BHNTN]

I would hazzard to guess the majority of folks that N2 saw in cuffs were under the influence. Sounds like and excuse to run anyone they did not like the appearence of was deeply imbedded in hopes of finding something, anything to put the hurts on em. That pretty much explains why that dude harrassed you N2.

Tiger, quit drinking in your truck and you wouldn't be so opinionated on the subject.

OF,

Nice job on the fork off. Not sure I would have had the knads to tell him that. Some of these dudes are just forking nazi's whereing a different cloak. The ones that pizz me off are the LEO's that uses no reasonable judgement on their own accord and just follows the letter of the law book.

[Counts 2]

What about the non-hunting public and their perception of hunters when they see wildlife check stations arresting people in very visible places? I can see how that would start to sway peoples opinions of hunters that may have approved of them to begin with. If we are treated like drug trafficers and drunks we will be thought of as such.

[2BHNTN]

Dang good point Counts.

[Counts 2]

Some days I have short bouts of lucid thought.

Dave- I don't participate in Deer Season, I subject myself to it.