DNR on my farm

[bullett67]

I was lucky enough to run in to them wile fishing in Dorchester county back in 96. Not friendly at all! Unless they have a damn good reason they're just like anyone else, if you don't want them on your property kindly ask them to leave, if they wont call the other cops!

 

[jmike1487]

Interesting I know of a guy that was stopped on his tractor on the middle of his field by 2 dnr yesterday as well. Said they had complaints of gun fire and asked him if he had a weapon on him while in the tractor. Of course they are hearing gun fire it's muzzle loader.

Same general area? Probably just looking for violations.

Stopped on a tractor in the middle of a field? I might have been upst that they drove across my fields

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[Speed3]

Stopped on a tractor in the middle of a field? I might have been upst that they drove across my fields

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They walked up

 

[sailskidrive]

About ten years ago I was boarded on the Magothy River by the DNR. They wanted to check my Y valve and holding tank on my sail boat.

I let them do it for the sake of expediency, however I did question the logic behind it and reminded them that Baltimore just illegally dumped over half a million gallons of raw sewage into the Patapsco that week and the river looked and smelled like chess pool. Gotta hand it to them though, they made sure my ten gallons was secure.

It was really kind of Monty Python level of silliness...

 

[BradMacc82]

There's a chess pool on the Patapsco, that sounds much nicer than a cess pool.

 

[huesmann]

Tell them to get off your lawn.

Preferably while holding an M1.

 

[whistlersmother]

Sigh. Whatever happened to being a bumbling idiot while making their life unconformable? Kids seems to excel at that. Case in point:

Make it inconvenient for them to leave the property.

Its just a weird coincidence that the tractor just happened to break down sideways in the driveway with that load of manure. Maybe its just out of fuel, maybe its a dingy-thing-a-bob that broke?

Offer them some cold bottled water or coffee while you walk back to the house to make some calls about the tractor. Then take three hours trying to call someone to fix the tractor.

Oh, and tell them not to drive around the tractor because they will damage your commercial sod grass... Video tape them actually driving over the sod grass and make a complaint to their supervisor.

If they're still there after three hours, go back out, tinker with the tractor and MAGIC - it works again...

 

[BradMacc82]

"Good fences (and numerous "No Trespassing" signs) make good neighbors."

 

[byf43]

Interesting I know of a guy that was stopped on his tractor on the middle of his field by 2 dnr yesterday as well. Said they had complaints of gun fire and asked him if he had a weapon on him while in the tractor. Of course they are hearing gun fire it's muzzle loader.

Same general area? Probably just looking for violations.

The way I understand the law (and IANAL!):

1. IF you're on your own private property, you can wear/carry at any given time.
2. IF the 'tractor' does not have license plates on it, you can wear/carry a firearm on that tractor 24/7, as long as you do NOT take it onto a public roadway.
(Side note: I frequently wear/carry while on a John Deere tractor while on the private farm that I have permission to hunt/shoot on, while cutting/mowing the field/working on the farm.) I am on PRIVATE property with written permission to be there, by the land owner.
That tractor is a FARM implement, not a 'motor vehicle'.

 

[JosephIV]

I got pulled over by a DNR truck on Route 81 last year in PA. No joke. The people sharing the road with me on 81 South towards MD were doing the typical redneck roadblock thing of driving side-by-side or getting into the left lane as I approached in that lane, blocking me from passing. Nearly all were MD plates, I still don't get why Marylanders do this.

Anyway, I got into the right lane bheind a tractor trailer with his left signal on. He got into the left lane giving me a huge opening. I punched the gas, put my left turn signal on, and moved left to get onto the ramp that I needed. This enabeled me to pass all 20 or so cars that were hemming up traffic. Behind all of these vehicles was a green DNR truck that I was aware of for the last 10 minutes or so.

I set the cruise control at 70 and expected a nice drive home. The DNR truck came flying up with its lights on, vehicles moving over to let him by. I wasn't worried as I was on the interstate and the only thing that I did wrong was speed when I was passing. I pulled over and the officer came out and walked up to my window. He said "I'm officer so-and-so with the Department of Natural Resources. He seemed a bit tense and a little puffed up. I asked why he had he pursued me with his lights on and that I hadn't done anything illegal on state game lands and hadn't been hunting or fishing. He stated that he witnessed me weaving through traffic, not maintaining safe distance between vehicles. "I saw you riding the bumpers of a few cars flying past everyone speeding." is what he said. I stated that I didn't believe that I had done that, that I had signalled my intentions, and that I only passed on the right because I was stuck behind the same vehicles that he had been stuck behind before he turned his lights on.

I asked if he was within his jurisdiction to pull someone over on the interstate. He responded that "All of this is my jurisdiction. I can hold you for the police if I witness you violating the law and report the infraction to them." I apologized for any of my actions that he deemed unsafe and promised to calmly drive home the rest of the way. He become very polite and shook my hand stating that it was in my best interests and the interests of my family and those around me. I thanked him for my "wake up call" and wished him a good day. He wished me a good day. We went on our merry ways.

To this day I chuckle about that stop. I never had a visit by DNR in all of my years in the woods hunting, or sport shooting, or doing anything within view or earshot of DNR. Then this happened.

 

[platoonDaddy]

My son-in-law is a Conservation Officer in South Jersey, besides DNR responsibilities:

serve warrants
traffic violations (vehicle & boats)
break-up meth labs

On and On.

As I previously stated, they have toooooooooo much power. Friggin game warden issued three weapons: sidearm, shotgun and M16's (yes, M16 hand-me-downs)

 

[Kimerazor]

MD DNR are state police (with all the powers) who happen to investigate game violations.

I have a great relationship with them being a hunter Ed instructor and needing their services to rid the property of trespassers & game violators. I'd be cordial and ask for answers. If you don't receive them, call their bosses.


NRA Life Member
SAF Life Member
GRRN Supporter

 

[Pstango]

I got pulled over by a DNR truck on Route 81 last year in PA. No joke. The people sharing the road with me on 81 South towards MD were doing the typical redneck roadblock thing of driving side-by-side or getting into the left lane as I approached in that lane, blocking me from passing. Nearly all were MD plates, I still don't get why Marylanders do this.

Anyway, I got into the right lane bheind a tractor trailer with his left signal on. He got into the left lane giving me a huge opening. I punched the gas, put my left turn signal on, and moved left to get onto the ramp that I needed. This enabeled me to pass all 20 or so cars that were hemming up traffic. Behind all of these vehicles was a green DNR truck that I was aware of for the last 10 minutes or so.

I set the cruise control at 70 and expected a nice drive home. The DNR truck came flying up with its lights on, vehicles moving over to let him by. I wasn't worried as I was on the interstate and the only thing that I did wrong was speed when I was passing. I pulled over and the officer came out and walked up to my window. He said "I'm officer so-and-so with the Department of Natural Resources. He seemed a bit tense and a little puffed up. I asked why he had he pursued me with his lights on and that I hadn't done anything illegal on state game lands and hadn't been hunting or fishing. He stated that he witnessed me weaving through traffic, not maintaining safe distance between vehicles. "I saw you riding the bumpers of a few cars flying past everyone speeding." is what he said. I stated that I didn't believe that I had done that, that I had signalled my intentions, and that I only passed on the right because I was stuck behind the same vehicles that he had been stuck behind before he turned his lights on.

I asked if he was within his jurisdiction to pull someone over on the interstate. He responded that "All of this is my jurisdiction. I can hold you for the police if I witness you violating the law and report the infraction to them." I apologized for any of my actions that he deemed unsafe and promised to calmly drive home the rest of the way. He become very polite and shook my hand stating that it was in my best interests and the interests of my family and those around me. I thanked him for my "wake up call" and wished him a good day. He wished me a good day. We went on our merry ways.

To this day I chuckle about that stop. I never had a visit by DNR in all of my years in the woods hunting, or sport shooting, or doing anything within view or earshot of DNR. Then this happened.

MD DNR are state police (with all the powers) who happen to investigate game violations.

I have a great relationship with them being a hunter Ed instructor and needing their services to rid the property of trespassers & game violators. I'd be cordial and ask for answers. If you don't receive them, call their bosses.


NRA Life Member
SAF Life Member
GRRN Supporter

this.
NRP have the same statewide powers and jurisdiction as MSP. He could have ticketed you for any one of your reckless moves. In Different parts of the state, they help support MSP as needed.

 

[Skins_Brew]

We were out crabbing this summer and DNR basically sat next to our traps waiting for us. We thought they left, so went back out, but sure enough, they were hiding on the other side of the lake. They came back to our dock and checked all of our crabs, docs, licenses, etc. There were three of them, and the boat they were running probably costs about 500k.....

great use of tax payer resources I tell ya, just great....

 

[Blaster229]

So, all that boat gets used for is to check fishing licenses? That's the only use huh?

 

[Skins_Brew]

So, all that boat gets used for is to check fishing licenses? That's the only use huh?

No, but they literally camped out for about 45 min waiting for us. This is all in a little tiny lake too, off selby bay. Just seems that resources could be used better.

Same reason that MSP helos dont fly around catching people running red lights.

 

[Ranchero50]

I run into them a couple times a year while putting in or taking out on the river. If I don't recognize them I'll walk up and introduce myself with my fishing license and boat registration. After that it's just a wave and hit the water.

Them camping boat ramps is easy money with all the idiots out there.

 

[fabsroman]

Did they have to go through a fence to access the property? Does the fence surround the property?

Wouldn't that fence be the boundary?

A fence or gate does not matter. They can go through/over/under the fence or gate.

 

[fabsroman]

3 of them were on my farm today and acted very rude. They act like they can drive on my farm when when ever they want. Can they? Can I ask them to leave? I have no problem if they are nice but they weren't. Thoughts?

Do you know who the DNR officers were? Was this in Frederick? I have done some DNR stuff in Court and most of them have been nothing but cordial. Even been checked in the field in Washington County, Frederick County, Howard County, and Montgomery County and except for one exception they were pretty cordial.

If they were rude, I would report the matter to their superiors, even if they cited you for violations. Of course, it also depends on your demeanor toward them.

To answer your question, they have the authority to come on to your property to check on hunters. There are several things that will make them decide to come on your property, including but not limited to, complaints, hearing shots fired, seeing hunters from the road, knowing from previous opening days that the farm is hunted, viewing hunters from the air, and viewing bait from the air.

 

[fabsroman]

Like usual, there is both good and bad advice in this thread.

if I had three DNR agents hanging out on my property, I would be asking a lot of questions. If they have a decent reason for being there and are cordial about it, I doubt I would have any issue with it. However, if they are just hanging out without a reason for doing so or they are rude to me, I wouldn't really stand for it if I am the landowner. Heck, I would not stand for it if they are rude and I am the hunter/fisher. There is no reason for anybody to be rude during these instances, neither the officers nor the outdoorsmen.