Stopped by a CT conservation officer (and I wasn't even metal detecting)

[RIdirtdigger]

Headed over to CT today to do some scouting at some potential sites Isaac and I might hit later this month. I was only planning on hiking today and did not take any of my detecting gear with me. I park at the trail head and as soon as I park an unmarked SUV pulls up to me and a conservation officer gets out and walks over. He asks me "why I'm here" "why I drove so far from RI" and "whether I knew anything about reptiles and rattlesnakes". Apparently the area is extremely sensitive to rattlesnakes and people have been coming in here poaching and killing the endangered species. I was not about to tell him I was here to scout sites to go metal detecting at so I gave a pretty lousy excuse about hiking. He asked for my information and we chit chatted a little more and then he released me from his custody. He also told me there were restricted areas and trail cams up there so he would know if I was up to anything illegal. I have to say I was pretty nervous through the entire affair even though I knew I had done nothing wrong and I'm pretty sure he didn't even have probable cause to detain me. It just stinks that people have to do such terrible things and poach rattlesnakes and cause someone like me to be interrogated. I know he was just doing his job and I'm glad he told me about the trail cams but I really think the whole thing was a little unnecessary. I doubt he would have stopped me if I had a CT plate and not a RI one

[The Rebel]

Humm, very interesting and yet strange. Was this a marked hiking trail? I'd go back & hit that place in the dead of winter when the snakes are hibernating anyhow, just to be safe.

[RIdirtdigger]

Humm, very interesting and yet strange. Was this a marked hiking trail? I'd go back & hit that place in the dead of winter when the snakes are hibernating anyhow, just to be safe.

Yes it was a marked trail, it was blazed and had a sign. Very strange encounter.

[The Rebel]

Yes it was a marked trail, it was blazed and had a sign. Very strange encounter.

Then that is certainly weird. Was he in uniform and show ID? Almost makes me think someone was up to no good & posing to be an officer.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Well, could be one of those environmental wackos posing as an officer to scare off and intimidate those who weren't locals, or an actual warden trying to flex his authority. I have unfortunately been victim to the latter more often than I can count. Game wardens aren't actually considered police or street level law enforcement, but are granted more rights by the government to circumvent laws and constitutional rights regular police must abide by such as warrantless search and seizure. So either way, just be careful! It only takes one bad attitude to change your life.

[leslie(nova scotia)]

Bouy doing his job albeit in a strange manner. Politeness and move on.

[MangoAve]

....I saw nothing in the news about this. I am sure if he was going to 'exercise' his authority, pending being a real conservation officer, there should have been something in the news before he would start grilling someone about it. Was it near where Isaac stays when he is up this way? He did tell me the area where his fam stays. That is part of the area where the DEEP map of the snakes shows. That and the NW corner of the state. I just couldn't imagine you being somewhere over the east part of the state (closer to you in RI but there still are parks and hiking trails) and encountering this sort of thing.
Idk why people have this nervous thing about being around any form of police. If there is no reason for being detained, you do not have to show him any form of ID. But then again, this is not a law forum. Besides how you mentioned being out of state.... parks have a resident price and an out of state price so they should expect non-residents to be at a park.

[ODA 226]

Game wardens aren't actually considered police or street level law enforcement, but are granted more rights by the government to circumvent laws and constitutional rights regular police must abide by such as warrantless search and seizure.

I don't know about CT, but in Virginia they are police officers with statewide jurisdiction. When I was a Deputy Sheriff assigned to the Governor's Drug Interdiction Force, we would always bring Game Wardens on narcotics surveillances and raids for the reasons you wrote in the second part of your statement quoted above.

[RIdirtdigger]

Then that is certainly weird. Was he in uniform and show ID? Almost makes me think someone was up to no good & posing to be an officer.

He was in uniform but did not show his ID but I did not ask for it. I should have but he had a gun so I wasnt gonna mess around and give him an attitude either way.

[RIdirtdigger]

I did find it strange for him to be in an unmarked SUV and not in a marked vehicle. In Rhode Island the environmental cops have vehicles saying "environmental police" on them and the DEM guys (departmental of environmental management) have trucks with that label on it. This guy was wearing a light tan uniform with the insignia on it.

[RIdirtdigger]

He also said he always stops people when he sees them and gets their information so if he sees them on the trail cams he'll no who they are and that he spoke to them

[Digger_O'Dell]

Idk why people have this nervous thing about being around any form of police.

That comes from years of bad experiences. I personally have been taken down at gunpoint and searched because I supposedly looked like the 240 pound Hispanic guy they were looking for. I was 120 pounds blonde hair blue eyes-can't get any more white! Years of harassment from a bored small town cop growing up, and so on. The mistrust was earned here.

As for being in an unmarked vehicle, here in Wisconsin I have been stopped by game wardens checking licenses for both hunting and fishing. Most had plain clothes and rusty old unmarked vehicles that would blend in.

[jbolf6]

Apparently he had nothing better to do

[del]

James , it was the equivalent of what some of us old timers call "being white carded" . johnny law was just flexing his muscle , reading you the riot act . you did the right thing by staying calm and cooperative with the gentleman. Most come on a bit strong to intimidate the "riff raff" (party goers and deviants) and I would be very skeptical if there were any trail cams . I wouldn't take it personal , you handled yourself well.

Dan

[ODA 226]

He also said he always stops people when he sees them and gets their information so if he sees them on the trail cams he'll no who they are and that he spoke to them

Absolutely ILLEGAL! I'd tell him to pound sand.

[MangoAve]

Absolutely ILLEGAL!

I did concur with that notion before you said it. You'd have to be detained for some specific reason to need to show identification, and just being in a public park is not considered probable cause to detain anyone.

That comes from years of bad experiences. I personally have been taken down at gunpoint and searched because I supposedly looked like the 240 pound Hispanic guy they were looking for. I was 120 pounds blonde hair blue eyes-can't get any more white! Years of harassment from a bored small town cop growing up, and so on. The mistrust was earned here.

That to me says to me being weary around authority and be prepared for anything, not to treat him like a superior being and tell him your life story besides. One person was even questioning whether it was illegal to drive without a shirt.... Umm... With many rights being 'taken away' lately due to someone being offended I can understand the notion, but I will reiterate that this isn't a law forum so the politics discussion should be left out. Being that this is a forum that surrounds issues pertaining to detecting, just read the ordinance of the town you are in or general statute (and state's EP website) for state parks so in case you find yourself doing nothing illegal and you get harassed by any authority you know your rights and can tell him GTFO. I'd suggest be respectful if he is being respectful as well.

[RIdirtdigger]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think this topic has been beaten to death in the past few days. I doubt this will ever happen to me again but I will make sure to get his ID and badge number before answering any questions.

[Jeff (or)]

So, did you see any rattlesnakes?

[del]

So, did you see any rattlesnakes?

very doubtful Jeff they are extremely rare in most of Ct.

[freemindstuck]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think this topic has been beaten to death in the past few days. I doubt this will ever happen to me again but I will make sure to get his ID and badge number before answering any questions.

That's the thing you didn't really need to answer any of his questions. You have the right to remain silent. Next time just hand him your id and when he hands it back walk away.