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Originally Posted by Tress
If I remember correctly it is pretty much the same in Pennsylvania. The PA game wardens and fish and boat officers have sweeping powers and pretty much can do almost anything that they wanted. They can go on your land any time they feel it is necessary without your knowledge nor with any prior notification/warrant.
I have actually seen them in action a few times, but only because I was the one that called them. There was a bunch of yahoos that lived up the road a bit that hunted for whatever crossed by their back door, whenever they felt like it, baited the deer, bear & turkeys (all illegal in PA), etc. They were actually driving down the road on opening day during rifle season, saw a doe crossing in front of them, stopped the vehicle and shot the doe in the middle of the road.
Every year the game wardens would nail them for something. And the beauty of the whole situation is that in PA. everything that you own that was used during an illegal hunt can be confiscated immediately. So if you transport an illegally taken animal they can confiscate your vehicle and you do not get it back if your are convicted.
Personally, I never minded the game wardens' broad powers since I never hunted or fished illegally. I never understood why one needed to bait deer, bear and turkeys when you could not swing a dead cat without hitting at least one in northeast PA.
Tress
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Tress,
As someone who lived in NEPA the better portion of my early life, I concur 100% with your post. Saw many poachers spotting deer at night in my area; not too many fishing violations. However, spoke with many wardens (not because I was in the wrong, just in passing) over the years and they expressed the same things as you have about their authority in such cases.
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Доверяй, но проверяй (trust, but verify)
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