NC turkey hunter killed by game warden

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:26 pm

Being a Game Warden is a dangerous job in its on level.. if you think ab out it, you are dealing with people that also have weapons and you never know what could happen. I didnt read the link, but for all we know the Warden may have been protecting hisself. Us on the force are trained to use a certain level of force that the situation involves. If someone threatens my life, I will do anything to protect myself or others. Im good friends with quite a few game wardens here since I'm also a Deputy for my County. I love risk, but its nothing more risky than walking through the woods trying to bust people breaking the law in full camo. I'm not saying the guy killed is to blame, since some people in Law Enforcement tend to think they own the world. Its sad to see, but hopefully we find out the real details soon. Thoughts and prayers go out to both familes in this situation.

Talltines · Post by **Talltines** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:02 pm

Well In MY opinion there are ALWAYS 3 sides to every story!!!!! There is the wardens side, the hunters side( for which we will not hear from) and the TRUTH. Very sadly we will NEVER hear the truth to this EVER.

The warden will NOT dislodge the whole truth as his job and lively hood and reputation is on the line.

I feel so bad and I also believe that a Game Warden is one of the most THANKLESS jobs and dangerous jobs out there. Most get all upset when they see one coming there way. I on the other hand say thankyou for doing your job. Remember if they werent doing it we would not have much game to pursue. The woods would be over run and poaching would be off the wall.

I have great respect for our Game Wardens

Prayers to both families

Brian

mikej · Post by **mikej** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:54 pm

i have great respect for them also but you will always find the odd one who get s on a power trip

Dumbazz · Post by **Dumbazz** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:32 pm

Talltines wrote:Well In MY opinion there are ALWAYS 3 sides to every story!!!!! There is the wardens side, the hunters side( for which we will not hear from) and the TRUTH. Very sadly we will NEVER hear the truth to this EVER.

The warden will NOT dislodge the whole truth as his job and lively hood and reputation is on the line.

I feel so bad and I also believe that a Game Warden is one of the most THANKLESS jobs and dangerous jobs out there. Most get all upset when they see one coming there way. I on the other hand say thankyou for doing your job. Remember if they werent doing it we would not have much game to pursue. The woods would be over run and poaching would be off the wall.

I have great respect for our Game Wardens

Prayers to both families

Brian

So you have great respect for Game Wardens, but you feel this one, or perhaps all, have no intengrity??

Talltines · Post by **Talltines** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:05 pm

Dumbazz wrote:
Talltines wrote:Well In MY opinion there are ALWAYS 3 sides to every story!!!!! There is the wardens side, the hunters side( for which we will not hear from) and the TRUTH. Very sadly we will NEVER hear the truth to this EVER.

The warden will NOT dislodge the whole truth as his job and lively hood and reputation is on the line.

I feel so bad and I also believe that a Game Warden is one of the most THANKLESS jobs and dangerous jobs out there. Most get all upset when they see one coming there way. I on the other hand say thankyou for doing your job. Remember if they werent doing it we would not have much game to pursue. The woods would be over run and poaching would be off the wall.

I have great respect for our Game Wardens

Prayers to both families

Brian
So you have great respect for Game Wardens, but you feel this one, or perhaps all, have no intengrity??

D AZZ, I DO have great respect for them its a THANKLESS J O B I NEVER stated all have no integrity there are allways a bad apple and I am not saying he is a bad apple we don't know the story either. He might have been right to use lethal force to protect his life. I just don't think we will ever get the whole truth. MOST wardens I have come across HAVE GREAT INTEGRITY. Wardens are doing this job NOT for the money they do it (I feel ) because they love the land and game and want to see it here for their kids and our kids in the future.

I have never had a bad experience with a Warden ever. One scared the crap out of me one time but was all good in the end.

Most wardens I have come across have been Educational in teaching me things when I was younger especially when I was fishing they helped me with where and what to use for opening day of trout season here in NJ.

Brian

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:22 pm

why was the guy up in a treestand turkey hunting? Maybe its a different style but ive never seen anyone do that. Im not trying to change the subject, but thats just odd. Maybe some do, if so does anyone here? During Spring gobbler season that is. I can see a hen walking by during fall season though.

hopefully all the details come out in court and if the warden was guilty he gets his punishment.

For all we know the guy could have pointed his weapon in his direction. Thats a 50/50 call and what would anyone do in that situation. Shoot or be shot? On the other hand, all we know the warden could have just shot him. I just find it hard to beleive that no matter how heated the discussion, I cant see a Game Warden shooting a man in a treestand

Espicially if he was 70+ years of age? It would be easier to believe say the other guy was twice his size and the Warden simply feared for his life.
It had to be some HUGE misscommunication

It's just to many what if's in this at this point

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:46 pm

crazyfarmer wrote:why was the guy up in a treestand turkey hunting? Maybe its a different style but ive never seen anyone do that. Im not trying to change the subject, but thats just odd.

Crazy, it's one of the most common methods employed by those hunting baited sites, whether in season or out. Nothing unusual about a poacher getting turkeys used to bait and then hunting them out of elevated stands. A "classic" scenario.

Not to say that the hunter in the case specified was guilty of this ... we don't know what he was doing, unless it is demonstrated that there was bait on the ground.

That said, it would be more than possible to ambush a patterned gobbler from a treestand. Some gobblers do the same thing most every morning. Here where I live, at least one a year will walk down the dike every morning. It would be easy to set up a tree stand to take advantage of that.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:38 pm

We only know two things about this:

1. It's sad that it happened.

2. We don't know why it happened.

It seems like the public always wants to "get to the bottom" of a situation like this, but invariably early efforts to understand become a bottomless pit of irresponsible speculation and commentary.

We live in a world full of armchair experts, living-room jurists and bar-stool judges ... all fanned into a fanatical frenzy by a "court TV" mentality and a shameless, drama-drumming media that loves nothing better than to work a gullible, emotional audience ... and there is no better place to see the symptoms of this sickness demonstrated than in discussion forums.

A good example of that would be to visit other forums and check out what's being said about the Minton/Coffey case. Sickening!

Once again, our Excalibur forum has distinguished itself.

We've done a pretty good job of keeping our heads above the whirling cesspool of idle commentary so far. Let's all continue to be discerning and discreet in what we say about this, and show the internet world that this is a forum that dares to be different.

Keep up the good work, guys and gals!

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:59 pm

Grizz, thanks for the info.. I just dont know of anyone here in Va that hunts that way. Right now since its no leaves on the tree's anyone in a stand would be easy pickins from a wise hen or gobblers eyes

Unlike deer, turkeys look up ALOT

but as you said, those are the only 2 things we know. The court will handle the rest and if someone can, let us know what happens. But this will probably go on for an year before something is decided. Everyone keeping this level headed and you couldnt ask for a better discussion

as I like to always say.. no matter what you are INNOCENT UNTILL PROVEN GUILTY! But most in this society decide before it ever hits the court

pdislow · Post by **pdislow** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:51 pm

crazy, there are about a million different "tree" stand . that said i have seen many turkeys from some while deer hunting but i do not turkey hunt from trees either.Time will tell i hope.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:43 pm

pdislow wrote:crazy, there are about a million different "tree" stand . that said i have seen many turkeys from some while deer hunting but i do not turkey hunt from trees either.Time will tell i hope.

oh dont get me wrong, I see plenty during the fall season from a stand. But spring gobbler hunting from a stand seems strange to me. Ive just never seen anyone calling a gobbler in strutting from a tree stand. Unless someone wants to sit and wait over bait, but what sport is that. Nothing beats calling in a big tom in full strut to 10 yards on the ground

pdislow · Post by **pdislow** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:19 am

I am with you all the way there crazy! i was just meaning that some tree stands are just a little more than standing on a big limb, and would not work for turkeys ,and others i have seen had gas heaters, were closed in , and many types in between. like you , i think a closed in one would be excellent for hunting over bait, as i have had many turkeys walk by very near closed in deer stands while i was deer hunting.

pdislow · Post by **pdislow** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:20 am

and like you said NOTHING beats calling one in in full strut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:14 am

Here is a comment from a man whose family lives in Wilkes County where the shooting took place. It's from a post about the shooting. Aside from all the BS, trash-talk, mudslinging, and misinformed banter about private property rights in that discussion, this lone quote sums up what seems to be known of the officer's situation. I've seen this same story four or five times now, from different locals on different forums ... so, for your continuing interest:

Quote:

My family lives in the area where all this took place. The story around the community says that the man was baiting turkeys, Officer Minton approached him and asked him to get out of the treestand (Don't know many that hunt turkey from a treestand unless it was baited). He replied if I get down someones gonna die. Mark called for back up and before the other officer could get there the man got down and raised his gun at mark. He tried to get him to put the gun down and the old man wouldn't he just pointed it at Officer Minton. He had no choice. I have had several dealing (hunting and fishing) with Officer minton and believe that he probably did everything in his power not to use deadlly force.

taureau noir · Post by **taureau noir** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:39 am

Here in Quebec it is illegal to hunt from an elevated stnd.Hunter MUST be on the ground,and no baiting are allowed.
Prayers for the two family
Taureau noir