Went to fish today and, long story/short, I had last year’s license.
Yup, today was the ONLY time a Game Warden has ever asked for my fishing license…EVER! Been fishing for 40+ years and this is the first time.
He was very nice about it and said if went and bought a new license that more than likely the judge will be nice to me. Gotta love Tennessee. I can only imagine what would happen in another state.
DAMN!! I fished all year with the old license. Had it in my wader pocket.
I did that once, pre-season at a trout management area
Old license pinned to to vest, the new license at home.
… I got stopped twice, two different CO’s
I did have a license and just had to prove it by sending it in…
But geez… twice in one day!
Our license fee went from $20 to $50 this year :shock:
I’ve haven’t sprung for the new one yet myself
BBW, ouch! Sorry for your misfortune. Last year, early on the Henry’s Fork, I was approached by a young Conservation Officer who asked to see my license (BTW - first time in 8 years!). I pulled it out, he reviewed it and then initialed and dated it. When I returned home I was looking for something in my wallet and came across my license and upon closer inspection I had handed him my 2008 licenses which he had reviewed to be correct and initialed and dated it with a 2009 date! Glad to know not just us older flyfishers have a problem with close-up reading!:lol:
Went out last year about an hour and a half drive from home. Got all geared up and flung about two casts into the river when something (???) said, “Where is your license?” No problem it’s in the truck so I’ll just wade back out and get it. WRONG!!! It was in the truck; but, as others have stated, it was a 2008 license. Then, reality finally struck.
(Do I really want to admit to the following???)
Another check of my fishing & hunting license holder revealed the LIFETIME FISHING & TROUT LICENSE my son had given me a couple of years ago for my birthday, stuck in the the back of the holder. That’s right folks!!! I went and bought a 2008 license and never needed to do it. Must of recovered a couple of brain cells in 2009 cause I didn’t buy one last year; however, my wife is now checking facilities that accept CRS (Can’t remember $*it) sufferers like me.
Hopefully the judge will be an older gentlemen or lady who has CRS also. I am going to use your little adventure to my benefit. I put a reminder in my calendar on Outlook to remind me to buy a license. This is the last one I have to buy, when you reach 65 in Georgia they figure they have gotten enough of your money and you get a lifetime license, for no additional fee. Getting old has a few perks, beside not being the guest of honor at a funeral.
I do not know what your age is, but, I would not purchase a lic. yet because they will expire on Feb. 28th, and you will need to purchase them again. The 2009 lic. are good until Feb. 28th, and I do not think you can purchase this year’s 2010 lic. yet.
Alaska hunting and fishing licenses are free at 60… Fortunately I have a while to go before I get them for free…
Went rabbit hunting with a friend last weekend and we passed a USFWS enforcement guy on the way. My friend realized he had not bought a license yet and so he was just going along for the walk… We told him the story when he came to check us and he only checked me. Figured I looked like the only one that could conjure up a story like that to put him off the trail…
art
Warden said it would be best if I showed up for my little get-together with the judge with a current license.
The fine is like $260!!! Hopefully he will let me off easy if I have a license. :lol:
I will bring my old license and my Arkansas license also to show I’m not a deadbeat(well not THAT much of a deadbeat)
It’s likely the judge will be a thirty something city living PETA member that will castigate you in front of the whole court and then bann your fishing priveledges for life. Since most states are linked on such things, you’ll be done everywhere.
Let me know if you wnat to unload your gear cheap now before they confiscate it all ;).
Bet you a cup of good coffee the judge is a Justice of the Peace who chews tobacco or smoke cheap cigars and would really like to know where he can go catch some trout, unless he thinks trout are for city boys and would really like a mess of crappie or catfish. I think BBW is either in west or middle TN. I have a friend a little further south who is what we used to call a JP and I know that is essentially the case with him.
Folks in most of TN think PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals. After all Memphis is the Epicenter of the BBQ Universe.
I moved here in 1992 and had some of the same stereotyping views as a lot of people. I can tell you some of the views are correct and most are dead wrong.
First encounter. Moved into an older home and wanted to get the old gas fireplaces working. Called the utility department. I was expecting the “they will be there between 1 and 4pm” and expected someone with little interest in what I was doing. The guy was there within a half-hour of my calling and he told me everything I needed to know about those old fireplace inserts and some I NEEDED to know. He was so helpful and knowledgeable it was unbelievable. He spent about an hour showing me things and giving me advice.
Most every encounter with folks here has been just like that. Just good, honest, caring people.
The encounter with the game warden was the same. He didn’t give me an attitude. He was respectful and helpful. Gave me a fishing guide and told me what to expect when I saw the judge. He said people forget to buy licenses all the time and not to worry about it but to be sure to buy a license before I saw him. I took that as “the fine may be waived if you show good intent.”
Went duck hunting for the first time of the year just before Christmas… Was sitting there after a couple hours of staring at the dekes with nothing to show for it, when I realized…oh crud!! Don’t have the Federal Duck stamp. Picked up the fakes and boooogied. I have a lifetime hunting license, with the state duck stamp, and forgot to go buy the fed…oopsie! No game warden, thanks to God.
Last time I was busted, the state park ranger who wrote me the bogus ticket didn’t show for the trial date…got my money back on that one.
Several years ago, I went duck hunting without the Federal stamp. Left it home on the counter. There was only one way out of the marsh where I was hunting. The F&G had a check station set up at the exit. We’d done quite well hunting, and were laughing and joking in a lighthearted manner until it came time to check the licenses, and I realized I hadn’t put the stamp on my license. My face got pretty long, in a hurry. I told my story to the warden, and he looked me in the eyes, with a solemn expression and asked. “Did you really buy a stamp”? As I met his gaze and gave my answer, I must have looked trustworthy, as well as pretty chagrined, cause he handed me back the license, and said, “You go right home and put that stamp on your license, and don’t forget to sign across it’s face”! He could have thrown the book at me.
At the Central Washington Fish In I bought my yearly non residence fishing license and got a $10.00 parking permit that came with it. At the fish in campfire I asked the guys from Washington how often do you get checked for that parking permit. A few of them said never, you don’t really need one but most said that I should be vigilant in displaying my permit.
Well being from out of State and out of Country I get a little nervous with the rules. So I displayed My permit while at Rocky Ford Creek. I was fishing at the handicap dock area when I looked up and saw a ranger/cop/type/guy handing out tickets to all who weren’t displaying their permits. He got 3 out of the 8 cars that were parked there. Whew! He didn’t accept people showing their permits after the fact either, if it wasn’t on display you got a ticket. If I remember correctly $100 a pop.
Yahoo! Just turned 65 so this is the first year I will only have to pay $1.00 for my licence instead of $40.00. Plus I get Provincial park camping spots at 1/2 price. This will save me over $150. this year.
When I was 16, I was fishing locally with my father and my brothers college football buddy. It was about 7:30 am and I had just casted when I hear that familiar “Can I see your license”. My father restates the warden’s qusetion as I reach for my wallet. Since I need two hands, I ask the warden to not only hold my rod but the half drained open Pabst Blue Ribbon I had just swigged from. I flipped right past my Va. drivers license and handed him the Va. freshwater permit. My father almost died on the spot. Anyway the warden never said or did anything about the beer. I laugh about it to this day.