F & W Check

[Ronji]

Was out this weekend at a lake west of Edmonton. We had just parked our trucks on the ice, and within 2 minutes F&W stopped by. We did not even have our tailgates open yet. The officer got out of his truck and asked to see all of our licences and walleye tags. Everything was fine licence wise, he was totally professional, wished us good luck, and he drove away. He spent maybe 10 minutes with us.
One of our party, who only fishes twice a year at most, raised an interesting question.
He wanted to know why we would be asked to see our angling licences, when we were clearly not fishing. And as I mentioned previously, we had no holes drilled, tents set up, etc.
What is the protocol in this situation? Was he within his right to ask?

[livinstone]

l would say he shoud have let you start to fish then check and you should have ask him why he was asking as you were only doing the same thing as him, so did he show you his fishing info

[Scott N]

I think it's a safe assumption to make that a person with a group of people fishing, is probably fishing as well. That may or may not be true obviously, but if I was that officer, that would be my initial assumption.

[Tcon]

Originally Posted by Scott N

I think it's a safe assumption to make that a person with a group of people fishing, is probably fishing as well. That may or may not be true obviously, but if I was that officer, that would be my initial assumption.

There is no room for assumptions. Would you have a problem being pulled over on the highway by a police officer just because he assumed you had drugs in your vehicle but had no evidence to support that assumption? That kind of activity is a violation of your rights.

The same goes for the CO in this situation. There are many other activities one can do on the ice aside from ice fishing; skating, kite boarding and building ice castles are just a few examples. Until you are fishing, he has no grounds to assume you are going to be fishing. He is well out of line and I personally would have refused his request.

I fully support and welcome CO's, their job is not easy, but ignorance of my rights will not be tolerated.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by Tcon

There is no room for assumptions. Would you have a problem being pulled over on the highway by a police officer just because he assumed you had drugs in your vehicle but had no evidence to support that assumption? That kind of activity is a violation of your rights.

The same goes for the CO in this situation. There are many other activities one can do on the ice aside from ice fishing; skating, kite boarding and building ice castles are just a few examples. Until you are fishing, he has no grounds to assume you are going to be fishing. He is well out of line and I personally would have refused his request.

I fully support and welcome CO's, their job is not easy, but ignorance of my rights will not be tolerated.

So F&W is violating your rights when they stop you on a back road to check things out?

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by Tcon

There is no room for assumptions. Would you have a problem being pulled over on the highway by a police officer just because he assumed you had drugs in your vehicle but had no evidence to support that assumption? That kind of activity is a violation of your rights.

The same goes for the CO in this situation. There are many other activities one can do on the ice aside from ice fishing; skating, kite boarding and building ice castles are just a few examples. Until you are fishing, he has no grounds to assume you are going to be fishing. He is well out of line and I personally would have refused his request.

I fully support and welcome CO's, their job is not easy, but ignorance of my rights will not be tolerated.

Sorry dude, but they can ask you anything pretty much. How is this any different than a check stop for drinking? Plus, all the person has to say when asked is that they aren't fishing. Asking someone for their license isn't being unreasonable sitting at a lake. Asking someone for a fishing license at a Walmart Parking lot would be different.

[Kim473]

Why would he ask for Walleye tags when you were not even fishing ? Don't need Walleye tags to fish.

[Akoch]

This just seems silly, you were there to fish and he asked to see your credentials for fishing. The system works.

The police can pull you over indiscriminately as well, or have you never been through a checkstop.

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Why would he ask for Walleye tags when you were not even fishing ? Don't need Walleye tags to fish.

How would the officer know that if he didn't ask?

[mickeyjim]

Had a similar thing happen to a group of us one time. Was about 6 of us and only 2 guys fishing. Two guys that planned on fishing showed licenses and it was all good. He even showed us where to move our shack to where the walleye were biting. Some of them are top notch dudes.

[Dom4]

To me this thread is just going to start not needed bickering in between everyone on what was right and what was wrong. He asked for licences and you showed him and i am assuming that it did not affect your day of fishing at all. They do not have an easy job so maybe just try and cut them some slack? You never know who he had to deal with before he got to you

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Dom4

To me this thread is just going to start not needed bickering in between everyone on what was right and what was wrong. He asked for licences and you showed him and i am assuming that it did not affect your day of fishing at all. They do not have an easy job so maybe just try and cut them some slack? You never know who he had to deal with before he got to you

Agree 100%

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by Dom4

To me this thread is just going to start not needed bickering in between everyone on what was right and what was wrong. He asked for licences and you showed him and i am assuming that it did not affect your day of fishing at all. They do not have an easy job so maybe just try and cut them some slack? You never know who he had to deal with before he got to you

Quoted for truth. Guys out at a lake, asked for fishing licenses, produce them, have chat with CO, carry on fishing. It doesn't sound like a bad experience to me.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by mickeyjim

Had a similar thing happen to a group of us one time. Was about 6 of us and only 2 guys fishing. Two guys that planned on fishing showed licenses and it was all good. He even showed us where to move our shack to where the walleye were biting. Some of them are top notch dudes.

Originally Posted by Dom4

To me this thread is just going to start not needed bickering in between everyone on what was right and what was wrong. He asked for licences and you showed him and i am assuming that it did not affect your day of fishing at all. They do not have an easy job so maybe just try and cut them some slack? You never know who he had to deal with before he got to you

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Agree 100%

Originally Posted by Scott N

Quoted for truth. Guys out at a lake, asked for fishing licenses, produce them, have chat with CO, carry on fishing. It doesn't sound like a bad experience to me.

All of this ^^^^^^^^^^

[JDK71]

nice to see them doing there job

[Brandonkop]

I'm glad he's doing his job and using his brain. Guess what he saved you a ticket if some of you hadn't had your things in order and you did start fishing.

Checking early doesn't hurt just helps you out.

[Dom4]

I just do not like to see people give them a hard time because most of the time they are very nice people. This last week end we had two RCMP officers that stopped by our shed and we even had them inside warming up for a little bit so as far as i can see if youre nice and reasonable to them i dont see any problems happening.

[Ronji]

I was fine with the officer checking us. I just repeated the question that was asked to the rest of the group, and none of us really did not know the answer. The guy asking the question, is lucky to fish twice a year.
I ain't trying to stir the pot.

[Donkey Oatey]

Originally Posted by Ronji

I was fine with the officer checking us. I just repeated the question that was asked to the rest of the group, and none of us really did not know the answer. The guy asking the question, is lucky to fish twice a year.
I ain't trying to stir the pot.

From the Fisheries (Alberta) Act.

Power to demand licence

23 Where a fishery officer or fishery guardian believes, on reasonable grounds, that a person is or has been undertaking an activity for or in respect of which a licence is required, that official may order that person to produce

(a) the licence that authorizes that person to undertake that activity, or

(b) if the person is one referred to in section 18(1)(b), the instrument referred to in that clause.

I am guessing the conversation went something like

"You guys getting set up to do some fishing?"

"Yep"

"Can I see your licenses and tags please"

"Yep"

"thanks. Everything seems in order. Good luck and have a great day"

Nothing wrong here at all.

[Ebrand]

Did he return and "harass" you guys again?

Or maybe he wanted to check you while he was there and while you where there. Save him and you the hassle of interrupting you later while you were fishing.

Seems like a reasonable and legal check to me.

[Slash8]

The way I see it is if you're not breaking any laws then you have nothing to worry about. I would much rather see a CO checking licences gear and limits then some loser wheeling off the lake with a bunch of illegally caught fish and then read later on how the Walleye, pike, perch or burbot population was decimated due to over fishing and illegal angling acticvities. By making themselves actively seen on lakes rivers and stream people might think twice about taking home something they had no business keeping in the first place.

[Bigwoodsman]

Guys on here bitch and complain that F&W are not around when they are needed. Guys bitch and complain when F&W is around doing their job! Can't win for losing.

Figure it out guys, what is it that you want!

BW

[riden]

He can ask you anything, doesn't mean you have to do it. You made the choice to show him your licenses. Legally, you likely could have said no.

[Sundancefisher]

Fish cop was fine. You were looking like you were going to fish. Rather than wait around he asked. You proved you were going to fish by showing your fishing licenses.

If you were just sight seeing you would of said. I don't need a license...we are not fishing.

Seems very clear cut and dried. Long thread for something so simple.

SDF.

[AlbertaDang]

Originally Posted by riden

He can ask you anything, doesn't mean you have to do it. You made the choice to show him your licenses. Legally, you likely could have said no.

Riden is correct. They can ask you anything. It's up to you, if at all or how you answer, as you explain the events in your post. You could give the guy a hard time for doing his job, or you can answer (if licensed up), and get the guy on his way before he finds something more seriously wrong. Technically like it says in the code above, he had no right to ask you for your licenses if there were no visible signs you were fishing or about to fish. The code only says past tense that you had been fishing. Not that you intend to fish at some time in the future. It's like being pulled over on the highway, and the patrolman saying, I suspect you are about to speed so I thought I'd pull you over.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Ebrand

Did he return and "harass" you guys again?

Or maybe he wanted to check you while he was there and while you where there. Save him and you the hassle of interrupting you later while you were fishing.

Seems like a reasonable and legal check to me.

This is what I was about to say.

He could have sat and watched you for 20 minutes while you set up, but a quick check let him attend to other matters.

[WildCats]

Originally Posted by AlbertaDang

Riden is correct. They can ask you anything. It's up to you, if at all or how you answer, as you explain the events in your post. You could give the guy a hard time for doing his job, or you can answer (if licensed up), and get the guy on his way before he finds something more seriously wrong. Technically like it says in the code above, he had no right to ask you for your licenses if there were no visible signs you were fishing or about to fish. The code only says past tense that you had been fishing. Not that you intend to fish at some time in the future. It's like being pulled over on the highway, and the patrolman saying, I suspect you are about to speed so I thought I'd pull you over.

Code??

[Bemoredog]

Bit off subject... but do COs have the ability to demand you provide a form of identification in addition to your fishing license?

Can they compel you to provide your driver's license for example?

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by Bemoredog

Bit off subject... but do COs have the ability to demand you provide a form of identification in addition to your fishing license?

Can they compel you to provide your driver's license for example?

I'm not sure what the law is, but I have never been asked for anything more than my fishing license or hunting license when checked. If a person was being given a violation ticket for something, I'm sure supplemental ID would be asked for at that time. Just because they've only asked me for hunting / fishing license, doesn't mean that they couldn't ask me for me ID.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Bemoredog

Bit off subject... but do COs have the ability to demand you provide a form of identification in addition to your fishing license?

Can they compel you to provide your driver's license for example?

Yes, they actually have more leeway in search and seizure situations than other LEO's do.

LC c