First, I don’t work for VDGIF, but I am a strong supporter of their mission and what they do. As a sportsman, I value the role they play in protecting our wildlife and wild places and ensuring that these resources will be available for generations after me. I just want to put that out there. Everything in this blog post is coming from me.
Every state has an agency devoted to wildlife conservation. In Virginia, we have the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, or VDGIF. Hunting and fishing regulations come from these agencies, and these regulations don’t exist just to annoy hunters and anglers, which is what some people would like to believe. These regulations exist to ensure that everyone who would like to can have access to, and continue to have access to, enjoy these outdoor past times in a safe way. They manage public lands for us, lands that we own as the people. They are working in our interests, and that is something I think a lot of people lose sight of.
Of course, the most visible side of these agencies are the game wardens, or the Conservation Police as they are called, here. And not just because of videos like this:
They are the members of the agency that are most encountered by people enjoying the outdoors and since they are the enforcement arm, they catch a lot of grief. But always remember that they are enforcing regulations that are in place to make sure these resources are protected and that all Virginians (or those from whatever state you’re from, and I suppose people coming to your state, because we can all share, right?) are able to enjoy them.
So all of this is why I get irritated when I see people violating these regulations. There are creel limits and requirements out there, and following them helps ensure fisheries can thrive. I am not someone that turns his nose up at keeping fish, even largemouth bass. You just need to follow the regulations in place.
On a recent fishing trip, I encountered an individual illegally taking largemouth bass. I saw them in the water at his feet, verified that he had caught them, and managed to get him to admit that he was aware of the posted regulations regarding taking fish at Lake Shenandoah.
I went back to the parking lot, got a picture of his vehicle (because I didn’t get his name) and emailed wildcrime@dgif.virginia.gov to report a wildlife violation. After talking with a Conservation Officer about the situation, the officer visited his home and it is my understanding he was given three citations for illegal taking of fish. That’s a class 2 misdemeanor here in Virginia, and the judge can assign a value to the fish taken that is to be compensated back to the Commonwealth, and there is a potential for the revocation of your license. That alone is a serious issue to me!
I didn’t do this because I disliked the guy or anything, the interaction was fine other than the issue of the fish. The problem is that when you purchase a license to fish or hunt, you are agreeing to follow the regulations that are in place to protect and conserve our wildlife. They are OUR wildlife, because of the North American model of wildlife conservation where wildlife is a public good, a public resource. They belong to all people and so when someone violates the regulations it is not just a violation of the law, it is a slight against all other sportsmen and women.
So if you ever see anything like this, do your part for wildlife conservation. If you interact with the individual, make sure they know the regulations and report the wildlife violation. The Conservation Police can’t be everywhere to protect our resources, they rely on other hunters and anglers to make these reports.
Shenandoah Angling 