Thread: Seen any wildlife officers this year?

the only ones I have seen this year were loading up their boats after being on traffic control (?) to keep boaters away from where they were putting up new power transmission lines over a section of my home lake (Tellico Lake). Just chatted a minute as they looked worn out and sunburnt from being on the water from sunup to sundown. One stopped me last year but just to do a survey of how much $$ I spent on each fishing trip and other questions in general, no boat/license inspection, etc. I usually don't get on the water on holidays and i think that is when they are out in force but not on regular weekends. I don't get to go much during the week, so can't say.

Plenty on the bigger lakes like Kerr and Falls, and I saw several on the Roanoke River at Plymouth. They are probably concentrating on large lakes that get a lot of recreational pressure.

I've been checked several times on Falls lake. Saw him at Harris. The most frequent sighting is at Bells church pier. Many violators for litter, no licenses and small fish. Seems like they check fisherman more and leave the rec boats alone.

Fished in Abbotts Creek and watched them ride by me in their skiff. I was checked at our local City Lake years ago once and then checked on Jordan Lake once. Fished on Badin Lake and watched once check everyone else but me. Seen one at High Rock on July 4th but it was raining, he was observing things from his truck and I was soaking wet. That's about all I can recall, pretty great officers if you ever get a chance to speak to any of them though.

...and usually when I do call for one, they're anywhere from 45mins away and longer.

I see them all the time on High Rock and Buggs, Tuckertown sometimes as the same warden patrols that lake I haven't been stopped or checked in several years. I know most of them. The same problem is on all the lakes i use also. I spoke with a couple and they said it is hard to get them to court, several names etc. same way in our local parks, open containers alcohol etc. I see them casting nets and putting all in a bucket run to shore, empty bucket in another container and keep this up for several hrs. no enforcement around.

I have seen two boats of wildlife officer the last two times I fished James on the weekend. I talked to one boat with two officers in it and they are mainly concentrating on the pleasure boaters and drunks who are on the lake. I asked them if anyone had been catching fish and they hadn't checked any fishing boats that day, also one evening there were two sitting at the landing in a vehicle and were writing tickets to boats coming in and violating the no wake zone. I saw them write up about 3 jet ski's before we left the dock. I think they are more worried about the drunks out there than someone catching over their limit or small fish. I guess you could call the commission and complain or tell them about the ones taking the small fish, it might help. Good luck.

Last checked about 15 years ago at Hatteras

I talked to a warden last week at gunpowder,He was sitting in his truck glassing the dock and loading ramps,He had been on the water somewhere because his trailor was dripping a bit of water,I drove by whittinburg saturday evening and it looked like maceys thanksgiving day parade with all the traffic.I don't know how many officers we have in this general area but it would take a dozen to check all the boaters and fisherman,Everywhere I go I see people fishing from the docks,swimming off the docks.Litter starting to pile up in some areas where the bank fisherman fish,I was at hurricane hill access sat evening talking to a young guy and his wife and small son,A drink can washed up on the bank and the young man picked it up and put it in a trash bag he had brought with him.I commended him on his actions and told him every sportsman and fisherman appreciated what he was doing to try to keep the lakes and fishing areas,,So their are still some hope out there