1st Day hunting - had an interesting experience.

[CharlieTN]

Well, wish I could write some great story about killing a state record for my first day deer hunting since my teens (and that was only 1 very unsuccessful trip). But did learn some things.

Got settled into my stand well before daylight and just waited. Right as the woods were starting to lighten up I heard the gut wrenching blow of a deer just across the trail from where my stand was. Never saw the deer but it was obviously aware that I was there. Oh well, I wouldn't be deterred and thought there might be some walk by.

About 8:30 heard a couple of shots off to my left. That was good since it meant there were more deer there. Waited still until right at 10:00 when I heard two back-to-back shots behind me (sounded to be roughly 100+ yards) behind me. Thought "here we go, they'll get some deer moving."

About 10 minutes later I caught some movement off to my left and my heart rate began to go up rapidly. Slowly turned my head to the left (started to raise the rifle to see better through the scope) but noticed that what was moving was green. Wait, that's a person just walking through my hunting woods (private property and marked very well). When they got a bit closer I realized it was a TWRA officer (no orange on at all). He walked up to my stand and asked to see my license. He also asked if that was my vehicle parked off the side of the road and if I had permission to hunt there. Wished me luck and walked out. Very frustrating since he had just walked through the area where the deer were most likely to come from. Oh well, I was all legal and just hung out for another hour and called it a day.

I'll be back out there soon and maybe this time my hunt can go uninterrupted by humans. :-)

Just wanted to share.

Charlie

[hkgonra]

Pretty stupid on his part not to be wearing any orange.

[CharlieTN]

That was what I thought.

[10-Ring]

I've hunted all of my life and never had an encounter with a game warden. That's pretty wild. Seems like a game warden of all people would be wearing orange. And Charlie, do yourself a favor and get yourself some binoculars. That rifle scope is not ok to check distant objects out with.

[Timestepper]

And Charlie, do yourself a favor and get yourself some binoculars. That rifle scope is not ok to check distant objects out with.

+1 10-Ring!!!

[CharlieTN]

I've hunted all of my life and never had an encounter with a game warden. That's pretty wild. Seems like a game warden of all people would be wearing orange. And Charlie, do yourself a favor and get yourself some binoculars. That rifle scope is not ok to check distant objects out with.

I do have some binoculars but my furthest shot where I was hunting at was 50 yards. The direction he was coming from would have only presented a 25 yard shot and he was only about 50 yards from when I noticed the green. I was considering raising the rifle into shooting position and confirming a rack. Binocs may go in the pack for the next time.

I'm betting someone called him since the property is marked.

I'm hoping now that he's checked me out that I won't have a visitor again.

Charlie

[whiskey]

well, I typed a long response about my dislike for this type of activity, but I hit the wrong button...

The jest of it was, unless you have reasonable suspicion that I am breaking the law, then wait by the truck to check my license. I am not likely to be all smiles if my hunt is interrupted for a license check. Deer hunting ain't like fishing and dove hunting, where a license check cause no interference.

[10-Ring]

well, I typed a long response about my dislike for this type of activity, but I hit the wrong button...

The jest of it was, unless you have reasonable suspicion that I am breaking the law, then wait by the truck to check my license. I am not likely to be all smiles if my hunt is interrupted for a license check. Deer hunting ain't like fishing and dove hunting, where a license check cause no interference.

Good point Whiskey. Does TWRA have a protocol pertaining to checking licenses? Never had it happen but I would be pretty ticked if my hunt was interrupted. Especially if I'm on my land.

[DaveS]

Yes, they do have a "Protocol"....."ANYTIME and ANYPLACE".....They can go places only JEDI's dream of going. Each officer must demonstrate his his/her own level of "smartness"! I know a few Officers around here, that if they can "SEE" you....you're fair game! Oh, and by the way, they can also make "traffic stops". Wonder how I know that?

Edited November 26, 2011 by wd-40

[Sidinman]

Sounds pretty dang STUPID to me to be walking around this time of year not wearing orange. I've herad some stories of hunters being shot at sitting in their stands on some public lands. So if some would shoot at someone in a treestand, then they would probably do the same at somebody just walking through the woods. Now I know they are just doing their job, and are tring to catch some that aren't playing by the rules, but still not that smart to me. Hey, its their life.

[Mike.357]

In tn do you need a license to hunt on your own land?

iirc in some states you don't.

[Guest pfries]

Who can hunt on a landowner's property without a license?

1. Landowners, their spouse and children who hunt on farmland which is owned by said landowners. The aforementioned must be residents of Tennessee but need not reside on the land. This license exemption does not apply if the farm land is owned jointly or in common by unrelated persons.*

* Landowner License Exemption: Persons hunting without a license under a farmland owner exemption must complete and sign a statement attesting where the property is located and how this land qualifies for a landowner exemption before hunting. All persons, including youth, hunting without a license under a farmland owner exemption must comply with the provisions of T.C.A. 70-2-204 (. Landowners and their children hunting on their parent's land under this exemption are also exempt from Hunter Education Certification requirements.

2. Resident Tenants, their spouse and dependent children who hunt on farmland owned by an individual or a family. The aforementioned must be residents of Tennessee and must actually reside on the land and have permission of the landowner to hunt. A tenant is a person who, for money, free rent, or other consideration, cares for farmland. The tenancy must be agricultural in nature. Property owned by grandparents does not qualify their grandchildren for this exemption. (See Landowner Exemption above)

3. First cousins who own farmland jointly or in common may fish and hunt small game on the farmland. Their children may fish and hunt small game on the land as well. (See Landowner License Exemption above)

Link to landowner exemption card

http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/farmlicense.pdf

Edited November 23, 2011 by pfries
Link to landowner exemption card

[Mike.357]

So you can hunt on your private land. I wonder what determines farm in these instances.

[Guest pfries]

Land

may qualify as farmland only if it is owned by no more than

one (1) individual or a family; provided, that if land is owned

jointly or in common by persons who are first cousins

related by blood, then such cousins and their children may

hunt small game and fish on such land under the provisions

of this subsection. “Family” means any combination

of kinship within the third degree including any spouse

who has an interest in the property. “Tenant” means an

individual who receives compensation such as free rent or

money for acting either in the place of or at the direction of

the landowner in tending to the requirements needed to

care for the farmland. The primary purpose of the tenancy

shall be agricultural in nature.

The only place I have found a designation is for tenant permission

[Guest GunTroll]

" “Family” means any combination of kinship within the third degree...." Probably gets complicated defining just how separated and to what degree in some circles. Literary circles around some parts here. Just saying. I could see a game warden just shacking his head and giving up trying to figure it out.

I think that warden is an idiot. Not surprising really. Idiots and government workers go hand and hand. I would have got in trouble if that was my story .

[323ssplt]

I've been checked by the game warden several times. I've never had one come into the field during deer or turkey season, but I've had them walk into a dove field on more than one occassion.

As a matter of fact, my godson and I were just stopped by a warden yesterday. We were leaving the field we were hunting and walking down a gravel road back to the truck. He asked to see out licenses and guns. Both of our guns had empty chambers but rounds in the magazines (I have seen deer in the adjacent field where I park my truck). He told me he could write me a ticket for hunting from a public road because our guns were "loaded". Then he proceeds to get on my godson for his "choice" of orange. This was my godson's very first deer hunt, and he has yet to get all of his hunting gear, so he was wearing a UT orange sweatshirt and a UT hat. The warden told him to get better orange, because what he was wearing was more yellow than orange. I thought, but did not say to the game warden, "try telling a UT fan that their orange is not orange, but yellow......... This guy was young and I had never seen him before. He must be new, because I know pretty much all of the game wardens in this area.

Oh well, at least my godson killed his first deer later that afternoon.

[CharlieTN]

I was frustrated by him walking through the woods, especially on my first day deer hunting since I was a teen but mostly concerned with him walking around with no orange on.

Funny thing is that I was back out there this past Friday and had a nice 6-pointer walk by but couldn't get a shot on him. No more than 30 minutes later a neighbor from across the road comes walking in the woods (camo shirt, orange vest, jeans, and a rifle on his shoulder). He sort of froze when he saw me sitting there, then asked me if I knew who owned this property. I stated who and that I had permission. The neighbor sounded sort of miffed (I think I busted his hunt). "I thought he wasn't letting anyone hunt here."

Oh well, still had a great day.

Charlie