First Hunt / First CO

[simonvancouver]

So being very new to hunting, today was the first day out for me, I went up around Squamish and was hoping to shoot a grouse.
Saw a couple but both were in no shooting areas.

But on my way home I was stopped by a CO, now I don't know what their reputation is... jobsworths or good guys, but i thought I would post my experience as it is easy to moan but we sometimes forget to say when things went well.

The CO in question, was very polite, friendly and helpful, answered all my silly newbie questions without laughing at me (even i was laughing at myself with some the stupid questions coming out my mouth). While i was there i saw him deal with around 4 cars and was impressed with how he went about his job.

So just a nod of appreciation for the CO i came across today.

[Shikari300WSM]

It's great to hear the stories of the good guys. I had my first stop in cache creek last year. I came.out unsuccessful but had a chat with the CO about the hunt and we shared a few laughs. I think, like anything, there can be crappy guys, but for the most part they are good guys just trying to do their job.

[RBooth]

I've never had a negative experience with a CO.

[lorneparker1]

I've never had a negative experience with a CO.


Me neither.

But I also don't break the law, do dumb shit or talk like an a hole to them. So I'm sure that helps.

Lorne

[merik]

I have had a few contacts with CO's, all of them being positive. Last year I was stopped on a fsr, the officer asked if I had shot anything and I told him yes, I got a bear the day before and it was back at camp. He said he already had an idea that I had gotten one and I asked how he would. He pulled out a black hair that was stuck in the door that he saw while walking up to the truck. These co's are good at what they do and are most likely hunters like us. They have tons of info that they are usually willing to share. It's the same with police, if your friendly and honest from the beginning they are going to be friendly and helpful!

[Fella]

Me neither.

But I also don't break the law, do dumb shit or talk like an a hole to them. So I'm sure that helps.

Lorne
Really? You mean if you don't act like a moron they won't hassle you? What a concept!

[itsy bitsy xj]

Nice to hear of positive interactions

[Squamch]

Every CO I've dealt with has been a good guy, one of them even turned down the volume on a young Mountie that really wanted to search my truck for guns when I was bow hunting.

[Bernie O]

I only once had a bad experience outside of Kamloops. The CO was coming toward me above Deadman Creek, Turned on his lights and slid crossways across the road in front of me, I damn near t-boned him. He was checking for loaded weapons and wanted to make sure we didn't pass him. The guy was also an idiot but there is one in every crowd.

[Zedbra]

I just went through a big CO game check at Cache Creek last night - the CO was friendly and professional, I was in and out of there in 45 minutes.

[tipper]

I just went through a big CO game check at Cache Creek last night - the CO was friendly and professional, I was in and out of there in 45 minutes.
45 minutes are you kidding me?

[squamishhunter]

45 minutes are you kidding me?

Obey the police state, peasant....

[Rob Chipman]

Same experience with the CO check in Cache Creek. Good guys, good chat, looked at the guns, looked at the bear, shot the breeze a bit about how many COs there were, etc. Also checked out the CO mobile museum they had set up there.

Also stopped by a CO on the Jesmond road a few years ago. Also a good guy.

[caddisguy]

I haven't been stopped by a CO in my 4 year hunting career, but prior to hunting I was stopped a couple times to check guns. Never took more than a few mins and happy to see them out there. Wish there were more. All sorts of vandals, dumpers and poachers in the valley I hunt.

[SuperYeti]

Went through the Cache Creek stop this afternoon, good guy. Polite and respectful. First and only experience with a CO thus far in my career, and very positive.

[Zedbra]

45 minutes are you kidding me?

Not kidding - they had a lot of vehicles pulled over. When it was my turn, they checked all my guns, my licences, PAL, and then both my coolers. One was just dirty clothes and I had it packed in the very back of the truck, so he had to dig through to smell them - not sure he liked that part.

[Z71]

I went through the roadblock in cache creek on Sunday night...the CO congratulated me on my nice mulie while he checked tags and license..his helpers pulled a tooth from the lower jaw and conducted a survey about my hunting experience... I was not asked any questions about firearms or PAL...done in 15 mins and there was a large crowd of trucks pulled over.

[Looking_4_Jerky]

I must say I was very surprised to see the 2016 Cache Cr game-check still in place Monday night at 6:30pm given that it was there Saturday morning when we went north. I was in the car with the family, so we never got pulled over and I consequently didn't have a chance to interact with them and form any opinion on their professionality or lack thereof.

[.264winmag]

Only had 3 meetings with em but all super good guys, very positive and professional. Check firearms for ammo, hunting license, short bs and gone. Never yet asked for any firearms related documentation, even back during the long gun registry fiasco.

[Treed]

I got stopped at the end of a day of work up the oyster on Vancouver Island. Turned out he was a high school buddy. He still searched the truck, which I commented on. Totally professional, even when catching up. Saw a CO with a truck pulled over today outside the Loops. Guy wasn't looking too happy!

[Steelpulse]

Have had good interactions over the years in Kamloops, 5-6 run ins, they are good guys always worth talking to. they know about the areas really well and can be helpful with tips

[DarekG]

My first/only encounter with a CO was during the cow-killer craze, they had a road block setup near Rock Creek with 4-5 CO's there all at once!
The encounter went well, they checked for loaded firearms and hunting licenses and let us on our way after wishing us luck.

[wideopenthrottle]

they had a big road block set up yesterday near Princeton yesterday....I was unsuccessful on my short moose trip last month so I offered to take my wife and daughter up to osoyoos for the longweekend with morning and evening trips up to rock creek area...I was stopped just off fiva creek main by a really nice CO fellow named Dave on Saturday evening...no problem...I did get a small one Monday morning before the drive back but because I was with family and the deer was wrapped in a tarp and covered in stuff in the back of the 4-runner they just waved me through the road block....

[Leaseman]

How many of you remember when there was a "full time" game check at Cache Creek where the Liquer store is right now?

Was open for the full hunting season and all needed to report...or get pulled over by their "chase" truck! :shock: :smile:

[Ferenc]

I remember it Leaseman... My dad would go inside the building and I'd have at er checking out all the successful hunters in the lot... Sure do remember seeing some big moose antlers .. Also remember inside the building the large map with drop pins all over it... Ah !!! Back in the day !!

[Leaseman]

I remember it Leaseman... My dad would go inside the building and I'd have at er checking out all the successful hunters in the lot... Sure do remember seeing some big moose antlers .. Also remember inside the building the large map with drop pins all over it... Ah !!! Back in the day !!

Same memories!!

Was awesome seeing all the game and some of the guys would hang around for a bit showing off!!!:cool:

[SHACK]

Basically nothing but good interactions with all the CO's Ive ever delt with. Only one particular member down here on the coast that even his coworkers agree would give his grandmother a fine if he could, & other than a shoddy attitude it went well.

[papaken]

Went through the Cache Creek check. Stopped on highway, asked if we were good hunters or bad hunters lol. Told him we got skunked. He asked to see my drivers licence and pal. Had both ready. he said thanks and waived us through. Took less than a minute. Was expecting to get pulled in as I had a canopy on the truck and a trailer with a quad, 2 storage bins and a fish tote. I guess we just looked honest. :-P Was stopped one time up Whipsaw, woman CO stepped right out in the middle of the road to stop me. Told her she was lucky I wasn't do something illegal, she could have been run over. When I was young we travelled through Cache Creek usually quite late and nobody cared if we stopped at the game check.

[ian745]

ive had great dealings with the Island CO`s, reported a few poachers, including one of my former hunting buddies that thought bragging online about shooting out of season and accidentally shooting doe and then accidentally taking it home...idiot.... been stopped a few times, had some good conversations with them, even shared my coffee with one on a cold December morning near Sayward last year :)

had one even noticed my screw on the sling was backed way off on the part that holds the strap together and pointed it out to me saving me a costly screw up if it separated

all in all, great experiences with them :)

[mpotzold]

My only complaint is that BC needs at least 2x the CO's it has now. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Professional, friendly & helpful comes to mind.
In 2002 I was stranded in the woods & a CO used his sat. phone to phone a towing company. The starter went kaput.
The same CO on the same day caught a poacher in the same area. A doe was shot in the wrong zone.

A brilliant idea!
In March, 2012 John Cummins, Leader of British Columbia's Conservatives, announced that a new BC Conservative government would create a dedicated anti-poaching squad of Conservation Officers. Cummins was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Wild Sheep Society of BC.

"Poachers and those who do not follow hunting rules threaten our wildlife stocks and a BC Conservative government would give conservation officers the resources to go after poachers," said Cummins. "Just as the police have dedicated anti-gang task forces to deal with nothing but organised crime, this is a dedicated team that would do nothing but track and stop poachers. Poachers are organised, so the conservation service needs to be as well. The anti-poaching squad would be mobile and be able to travel around the province to hunt poachers of all types of wildlife, from bears, to eagles, to fish."