Great post BC!!!!

Liberal

The only ones I've seen in this thread were to yourself. The very idea that you considered yourself "bulletproof" is a cause of concern.

I am with you BC. I enjoy your stories Troy. Thank you for sharing.

The way I see it, if someone is driving at night with a high powered rifle, and does take a shot at a decoy, I imagine they have done the same with a real deer and would again in the future. I don't believe that many folks who would never have thought to kill a deer off a road at night would see a decoy, and for the first time in their life, shoot it. I look at decoy sting operations kind of like a bait car. Sure, the person that got caught stealing the car may not have stolen that particular car if it wasn't there as bait. But in my mind, if they'll steal the bait car, they'd just as soon steal my or your car as well. As far as risks vs rewards, there are risks involved in taking down illegal/night hunters, but there are also a lot of risks involved in night/road hunting in general. The night decoy operations seem to be a good way of picking off the especially stupid poachers thats for sure. And thanks for all the awesome stories Bhamfred

He never said he was bulletproof... nor did he intend on shooting that kid. I'm pretty dang sure with the amount of training and experience Troy had in the field that he would have had the advantage on anyone, that's what he was trained for.

Your attitude is really getting under my skin. You're dissing a retired game warden that gave most of his life to protect the sport that we all love. Just shut up.

Troy,

Years ago my cousin in Coosa County had deer shot out of his front yard on several occasions. I remember he called the local LEO a few years and had them come out and set up a decoy. I think they caught 6 different trucks full of folks in one night one time. This would have been late 80's early 90's if I remember correctly. Lots of night hunting and poaching in Coosa County back then.

Troy
My best to you. Sorry my disagreeing with you made you mad. I don't and will never agree with law enforcement enticing people to break the law. That does not mean that I hate law enforcement or wish them any harm. Thanks for all the good you have done. I am vary glad you never had to shoot anyone or got shot yourself.

I've said all that needs to be said by me in this thread and I wish you a great new year.I hope you can see that my disagreement was not personal. Stay safe and God bless!

Great stories and keep em coming please. Don't let a few haters get under your skin. Some people will never understand.

Troy,

I had much rather the LEO catch road hunters around my property via the decoy vs. having them caught after they shoot one of my big bucks that I have worked my butt off growing and protecting until we got him mature.

Thanks for everything you did and for everything the current officers are doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

troy no on with the taz stories.i already know a bunch of them

i have never seen one of these deer, however i know a guy who, i am sure fred knows him....... was driving thru a county road that runs between a hunting club, this guy sees a deer a small buck in the woods off of the road and gets out lays rifle across the hood and shoots a couple of times. deer does not moved so he thinks decoy, unloads rifle sets it on the hood and steps back, waiting for the warden. after a few minutes the deer starts jumping off. guy still looking around finally realizes it a real deer and graps the rifle and loads it and kills the deer.
a couple of weeks before this the wardens put our a decoy and if i remember right caught between 15 and 20 people in one day. AND NO I WASNT INVOLVED IN ANY WAY....

scott

Some of these posts absolutely bewilder me. Seems all the deer hunters would want the illegal activities to cease.

I'll always honk at em or make sure they run before I shoot at them.

X2

yeah, very interesting stories.

I only have 2 stories that I have heard. My father in law and I used to lease some land off the Mccaa Bottom road near Aliceville. My father in law heads to his climbing stand one afternoon and as soon as he gets there he sees a deer in the edge of a hayfield on the edge of our land. Boom. Deer just stands there. Boom again. Then my father in law hears the game warden (Richard Knox) tell him to stop shooting the decoy. My FIL was did not get a ticket because deer was on our leased land and was far enough from the road to be legal.

Other time was a story that I heard at a NWTF dinner from another warden (cannot remember the name, but he was an older guy and this was probably 20 years ago). They were setup watching a decoy and all the sudden he hears "who are you and what are you doing on my land"? Turns out where they had setup was some land owned by a guy whose kid was visiting for the holidays. Kid was a Marine Scout Sniper and had snuck up on the warden.

Great stories, Troy. Thanks for sharing. Best reading on this board I've seen in a long time.

So these folks got tickets only? Didn't lose their guns?

Whether I consider myself bulletproof or not should not concern you. I, and all the other GWs, were/are the point of the spear in combating illegal, and sometimes dangerous, hunting activities. The citizens, and hunters, of Al do not want that point led by folks that are scared of their own shadow. What I did, and others still do, requires a stiff backbone, and faith in yourself to do the job that, honestly, most folks don't have the backbone to do.

Walk up on five black men in Greene Co that have just killed an illegal deer at night...by yerself....and see how tight that back gets. Friend of mine,Gulf States Deputy Warden Jimmy Vines, was killed in pretty close to that situation. Ask yourself if YOU would go forward or just go home in that case???

I wasn't a hero, a superman or anything else. Just a GW...LIKE A LOT OF OTHERS, that had a tough job and just did it. Next time you see a GW, thank him for doing that tough job.

we're good, ya just came on a lil strong at first.