South Dakota GF&P checking boats on I-90

[reddog]

I returned from Chamberlain this evening (unfortunatly working) and 10 miles west of Sioux Falls the GF&P had one rig pulled over, and as we went past, another GF&P truck sped by us and pulled over another fishing rig headed home. Why would they wait till somone was 120 miles away from the river to stop them, or are they just targeting Sioux Falls fishermen or non residents?? Both vehicles pulled over had SD plates. I know they are only doing their job, but why not make themselves visible at a boat ramp, or on the water. I wonder how they determined where these guys were fishing at, FC, Sharpe, or Oahe??

[THUMPER]

They may have had a tip that these guys had illegal fish on board or had done something wrong.

[EB]

When we travel through Ontario we routinely get stopped at fish check points while driving. They flag you down and inspect your vehicle and boat for any fish, they count up the ones you have on ice and check to see if you have any hidden. This has only happened to me North of our border, does this go on down here in the states? I've traveled alot thru the UP of Mich and Wisconsin and have never been stopped while driving. Just curious to know about other folks experiences.

[Dutchman]

This has been a practice of the SDGF&P for years. Check pionts are set up miles from where the fishing is. They have set up at boat ramps in the past also...

[Waterfowler]

This certainly isn't something new they have implemented. I've seen the same types of checks on pheasant opener ect....

[sdmike]

you need to remember that each county has a GAME WARDEN in it of which they may not have much to do during the summer because they don't have any water in Minnehaha County except for two small lakes of which the local teeny boppers chase around with jet ski's. They are bored and they have no specific goals for the day except to figure out how they can get some overtime in. Just the way it is. see ya

[tim(wi)]

Seems to me they are just doing there job. Thats what we all want isn't it? your tax money, tag fees and every other tax we pay are for. To many times people complain why don't F&G or the DNR do there job. I have been checked in CA, AK, and WI and thanked the warden each time. I for one feel there should be more wardens out and about enforcing fish and game laws.

[cisco]

The fisheries arm of any natural resource department (no matter what it is called in different states) is useless without enforcement.

In half a century of fishing I have been checked by DNR wardens only once on inland lake waters from Oregon and California in the west to Maine and Maryland in the east. I travel the midwest constantly with boat in tow -- stops or inspections are almost unknown to me. On Lake Michigan, however, I've been stopped many times by both DNR and the US Coast Guard.

Never on Leech, never on Mille Lacs, never on Oahe, never on Sacakawea, never on LOTW, never on the Mississippi, never on Geneva or Delevan or Silver or Green or MacKenzie or Moen or......... On Lake Michigan, yes.

[TJ]

I would hope that they had a tip that these guys had violated the law or better yet, personal observations by the officers. But I have my doubts.

I think, rather, that this may be just another example of the erosion of our personal freedoms and right to privacy that have come about over the last 15-20 years, primarily as a result of the "war on drugs." Random roadside checkpoints, "profiling", rambunctious seizures of personal property-they are all examples of the police state invading your privacy, even though you've done nothing wrong. A person used to have rights in this country, but we allowed the politicians to whip us into such a frenzy about drugs that we gave away the farm as far as Constitutional rights go. Unfortunately, once given away, we will probably never get them back. Prohibition has never worked. Prohibition will never work. People will continue to make personal choices introducing chemicals into their bodies for whatever reason. Sadly, their choice may kill them or make them very ill - but it is their choice. The huge costs of interdiction, eradication, policing, judication and incarceration are bankrupting our country. The system feeds upon our fear and all the players have financial interests in keeping it going. We seriously need to get our priorities straight.

My 2 1/2 cents.