Fish and Game Spot Check

[4x4bassin]

While on my way home yesterday from a camping/fishing trip on the #400 just south of Parry Sound I seen a CO truck backed up into a rock cut

with a sign in front of it stating that there was a spot check ahead . First reaction was did I just see what I saw and am I suppose to pull in and get

checked . The check was in a rest spot just off the highway and it was quite the operation. From what I saw there were at least 5 CO trucks and a

couple OPP cruisers involved . So as I approached I decided to carry on down the highway and not pull in . About a KM down the #400 there was

two trucks pulled over with boats and a couple CO trucks parked behind them and the CO's were ripping these guys stuff apart on the side of the highway,

I'm assuming they were suppose to pull in and the chase was on . Anyways , I have traveled this highway for along time and have never seen anything

like this before so my question for the group here is who is suppose to pull into this spot check . Is it everyone who fishes or hunts that day or on previous

days or is it vehicles towing boats . I wasn't towing a boat just a couple quads but there is no denying the fact I had been fishing for the last 5 days so was

I suppose to pull in to get checked , I have no idea .

 

It was a welcoming sight to see this check but it has left me wondering !!!

[Terry]

I have seen it before and have been stopped a couple of times by them

The one time was about this time of year and I was towing my bass boat home from winter storage.

I had no prop on it no safety equipment. No rods no fishing stuff. Not even electronics. They asked if I had any fish I said no

Then they asked if they could search. And I said no

Then they said I would need to sit there until a warrant arrives to let them search

I said you do understand I it would need to be in the water to have fish on it. And without batteries and rods and what not seems unlikely I would have fish. In the end I let them search. And they asked. If you had nothing to hide why would you not allowed us to search. I said. Because if it's my right to say no. Why would you expect me to say yes.

They seemed upset they found nothing and sent me on my way

[dave524]

When I worked for the MNR at Long Point years ago, they would often set up a checkpoint on the causeway coming off the point, they pretty well had you as there is only one way on and off, opening bass weekend it was pretty much a given. They also sometimes checked duck hunters in the fall , but if I recall that was the pony police with the yellow striped trousers as they did a lot of Migratory Game Bird Enforcement back in those days.

[manitoubass2]

IMO if they expect you to stop there should be an officer directing traffic.

 

If not, I wouldn't stop. Why would you?

[grimsbylander]

I have seen it before and have been stopped a couple of times by them

The one time was about this time of year and I was towing my bass boat home from winter storage.

I had no prop on it no safety equipment. No rods no fishing stuff. Not even electronics. They asked if I had any fish I said no

Then they asked if they could search. And I said no

Then they said I would need to sit there until a warrant arrives to let them search

I said you do understand I it would need to be in the water to have fish on it. And without batteries and rods and what not seems unlikely I would have fish. In the end I let them search. And they asked. If you had nothing to hide why would you not allowed us to search. I said. Because if it's my right to say no. Why would you expect me to say yes.

They seemed upset they found nothing and sent me on my way

 

Everyone complains the MNR doesn't do enough, isn't in the right places, doesn't catch the offenders...and we have people like you out there trying to make their job harder...and for no good reason. Congrats and don't ever complain about the work the MNR does again.

[4x4bassin]

IMO if they expect you to stop there should be an officer directing traffic.

 

If not, I wouldn't stop. Why would you?

That's why I kept trucking down the road but that's really the question . There was no one directing vehicles on the highway to pull in so how would you know to pull in ?

[4x4bassin]

When I worked for the MNR at Long Point years ago, they would often set up a checkpoint on the causeway coming off the point, they pretty well had you as there is only one way on and off, opening bass weekend it was pretty much a given. They also sometimes checked duck hunters in the fall , but if I recall that was the pony police with the yellow striped trousers as they did a lot of Migratory Game Bird Enforcement back in those days.

I have seen the checks before on side roads or trails but never on a major highway like the #400

[fishindevil]

I have been stop in a fish & game spotcheck a few times,and they also had the canine unit to smell out fish.....I had fish with me and they checked and went through some things but it was a short 5 min stop and I am glad they are out there and wish we had more of this.......

[manitoubass2]

I have been stop in a fish & game spotcheck a few times,and they also had the canine unit to smell out fish.....I had fish with me and they checked and went through some things but it was a short 5 min stop and I am glad they are out there and wish we had more of this.......

Im certainly not opposed to it. Just make sure people know they have to pull over

 

In fact it's probably one of the best ways I can think of to catch poachers

[OhioFisherman]

Good question, it seems to me that a spot check would require them to wave you in to be checked? The only place I have seen C/Os doing checks here is right at a boat ramp or marina.

 

They had checks for trucks here on highways, but the signage was different, all trucks must enter the rest area or weigh station, and they had a chase vehicle standing by in case you didn't.

 

Maybe those guys getting checked alongside the road blew off a wave in?

[grimsbylander]

They check as many as they can...there is no regulation or criteria that stipulates who should and shouldn't stop. Just like they can pick and choose who they stop of the ones that keep going. I imagine for those that stop, they get checked pretty quickly and get on their way. After all, it's an odds game and why would poachers stop?? Those that blow by might get checked more thoroughly and then there's those like yourself that don't get stopped at all. Just like the fish, they can't catch everyone. I guess the poachers have to be smarter and take an extra vehicle without a boat on the back???

[manitoubass2]

Grimsby I've called that in before.

 

An American boat loading up a truck every few hours and the vehicle leaves.

 

But I never heard anything about it, as in if they were busted.

 

I called from Canada and they were on the American side near a lodge

[grimsbylander]

Grimsby I've called that in before.

 

An American boat loading up a truck every few hours and the vehicle leaves.

 

But I never heard anything about it, as in if they were busted.

 

I called from Canada and they were on the American side near a lodge

 

Yeah, wouldn't you just ONCE like to make the call and hear back they nabbed the culprit??? Once!!! LOL

[manitoubass2]

 

Yeah, wouldn't you just ONCE like to make the call and hear back they nabbed the culprit??? Once!!! LOL

Well I don't expect them to call me lol, but I could see them run back and forth all day and I never once seen the DNR

 

My wording was a lil off lol

Edited May 23, 2017 by manitoubass2

[AKRISONER]

i drove past the same spot check...

 

we had been fishing but obviously didnt pull in because we didnt have any fish, there was literally nothing for them to check.

 

i said as soon as we passed...they will definitely chase anyone towing a boat, and sure enough a little ways down the road there was literally every single person who skipped the check towing a boat being pulled over by a CO.

 

I am 100% for this type of event, i do wish the signage was clearer though. I had no idea what to do, it just said stop check ahead...it should have said "IF YOU HAVE BEEN FISHING OR HUNTING, PULL IN FOR MNR STOP CHECK AHEAD"

 

glad to see the boys out though!

[4x4bassin]

i drove past the same spot check...

 

we had been fishing but obviously didnt pull in because we didnt have any fish, there was literally nothing for them to check.

 

i said as soon as we passed...they will definitely chase anyone towing a boat, and sure enough a little ways down the road there was literally every single person who skipped the check towing a boat being pulled over by a CO.

 

I am 100% for this type of event, i do wish the signage was clearer though. I had no idea what to do, it just said stop check ahead...it should have said "IF YOU HAVE BEEN FISHING OR HUNTING, PULL IN FOR MNR STOP CHECK AHEAD"

 

glad to see the boys out though!

 

I thought someone here might of seen it . Sounds like you were thinking the same as me as you approached it . Agree with some better signage , the sign they had looked like a

"Garage Sale Ahead" sign . Definitely need more of these checks on the highways though, I'm sure they nailed a lot of guys yesterday

[AKRISONER]

a couple of the dudes that drove past it I am sure regretted it, and rightfully so.

 

aka the one guy we saw pulled over, If you are blowing past that check towing a 20 foot lund with twin tallons....hmmmm me thinks you were fishing some eyes this weekend, well unless you were fishing out of season bass?

 

what were you thinking by not stopping?

[Raf]

last time i seen one was propably 20+ years ago @ the french river bridge on 69.

[Terry]

 

Everyone complains the MNR doesn't do enough, isn't in the right places, doesn't catch the offenders...and we have people like you out there trying to make their job harder...and for no good reason. Congrats and don't ever complain about the work the MNR does again.

WELL AT LEAST YOU WILL HAVE A JOB COMPLAINING ABOUT COMPLAINERS ON THE INTERWEB...lol

i guess i should have wrote , his opening line was, so how was the fishing and i said boat doesnt even run, I am just picking it up now from winter storage , i did also say it didnt have a prop, plug or battery

 

but sure i guess i could just play along with their stupidity

[grimsbylander]

WELL AT LEAST YOU WILL HAVE A JOB COMPLAINING ABOUT COMPLAINERS ON THE INTERWEB...lol

i guess i should have wrote , his opening line was, so how was the fishing and i said boat doesnt even run, I am just picking it up now from winter storage , i did also say it didnt have a prop, plug or battery

 

but sure i guess i could just play along with their stupidity

 

I wasn't complaining about a complainer...I was complaining about someone being unnecessarily difficult to people just trying to protect the resources that very person uses. Go ahead, read it again.

Well if you SAID you weren't fishing then obviously there was no reason for them to want to search your boat. Plus nobody ever removes their prop and the battery is the first thing MNR officers check! LOL Yeah whatever...they're the stupid ones. Good job, you showed them!!

[Fisherman]

IMO if they expect you to stop there should be an officer directing traffic.

 

If not, I wouldn't stop. Why would you?

 

Exactly. If you were speeding and there was a radar trap ahead, do you think everyone would pull over and admit they were speeding? Not likely. If you had been drinking would you voluntarily drive into a ride check, I doubt it. So I think they should get their junk in the right order and make a proper stop zone, not chasing people down the road that have no idea they're supposed to stop.

[moxie]

I guess it's a good thing although I'd like to see more of them doing their job in the bush and on the water cause a fishing expedition on the side of the road is just that. A free for all infraction fest.

 

And for those that truly believe in the "If you have nothing to hide or have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about" mantra. Give your heads a shake Numb Skulls. It's about privacy creep and conditioning you into giving it up without even flinching. If I've done nothing wrong, go get your warrant cause my freedom and rights are worth all the time in the world.

[boombap]

I guess it's a good thing although I'd like to see more of them doing their job in the bush and on the water cause a fishing expedition on the side of the road is just that. A free for all infraction fest.

 

And for those that truly believe in the "If you have nothing to hide or have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about" mantra. Give your heads a shake Numb Skulls. It's about privacy creep and conditioning you into giving it up without even flinching. If I've done nothing wrong, go get your warrant cause my freedom and rights are worth all the time in the world.

 

Agree 100%

[Pigeontroller]

Drove by one towing a boat on the way to LSC on the 401 (at the London MTO inspection station-westbound), got pulled over immediately. CO was very nice and explained what they were doing. We explained that had they had some official looking signs instead of what appeared to be DIY hand painted signs we would have pulled in...

[PUMP KNOWS]

Yup, it's nice they have these but would be better if they patrolled the waters more.