finally found a decent game warden

so after work yesterday i took a drive out to bamber lakes to go wheel my favorite spot. i brought a few contractor trash bags because last time i was out there i could see all the beer cans and other garbage strewn about along the trails, make shift fire pits and lake shore. i got out there and started picking some stuff up, about 30 min into my work a blacked out Durango pulls up and a game warden approaches me. At this point i have two bags filled to the brim with beer cans, he askes what im doin out here and i said that im cleaning up all this garbage because i enjoy coming out here and dont wan see trash all over. the warden starts naming off all the reasons he should impound my vehicle and arrest me. he says well this area isnt private property but you must of used private roads to get here since the other trail has a giant oak down across the trail. And how is he supposed to know im not the one who drank all that beer. i mean i can drink alot of beer but there must have at least 100 cans and bottles out there lol. any way he says come stand by my truck and he calls his superior to come out to our location. i couldnt believe this was happening when im trying to do something good. about 20 minutes later another truck pulls up, this time it was a 2011 power wagon (bad ass!). the second warden gets out and starts talking to the first. after a few minutes the first warden hops in his truck and leaves. the new warden comes up to me and asks if ive been drinking and if i had any weapons or drugs on me. i said no and that i was only out here to clean up because i love these trails and i want to make sure they stay open. he laughed and said well i appreciate what your doing out here and i wish others would be responsible for the trash they produce out here.
we talked about my jeep for a few minutes and about his power wagon which was cool. after a little bit he said dont worry about that guy hes a prick and said he would take the bags i already filled so i wouldnt have any problems if i got stopped again. i really cant believe that first warden was such a dick, im not out there doing anything wrong, i always clean up after my self and try to make it as if i was never there except for a few tire tracks, sure i may be driving on some private roads but there is absolutely no reason they should be private. i wish i got the second wardens name, he was such a cool guy. just wanted to share that experience.

Thank you for cleaning up and putting up with bad wardens.
When I kayak I try to clean up too. When I get off the river at a camp ground the dumpsters state for campers only. I get strange looks when I place the trash I collect in them.
On the Pine at low bridge US Forest service guys saw us( my friend was drunk) and talked to us. We were after posted hours, but they only asked if we had a good time.

You did a good thing and it is too bad people are such slobs and that is the reason places are closed down. For whatever it's worth, I now carry trash bags with me in with my off-road stuff.

It is also too bad that LEO's always accuse people of "bad stuff" and want to arrest you when you are trying to do good.

Also, "private property" should be "posted" and respected (not trespassed on) but if it is not posted how are you supposed to know? Not your fault if it is not posted and you drove on it. Then it's more like "entrapment" so "they" can arrest someone.

This leads me to ask if there are maps that can be obtained that show the "legal" and "non-legal or private" roads in the area so you know. This is important since you were planning a "run" in that area and everyone should stay only on the "legal" sections.

And for the record we at JKJC only condone "legal and responsible" off-roading.

Dave

Good on you NJ, and all of those that go out of their way.:happy160:

Up here we've practically lost all of our public areas. They have have been gated, or bermed off to wheeling. It is a direct result from asshats dumping garbage, trashing trails, and "inventing" new trails instead of clearing existing trails.
Many times we spent more time picking up trash and doing trail maintenance than wheeling. We just saw it as our responsibility to keep these areas open for everyone
Apparently we were greatly outnumbered by the jackwagons that have no respect for anything.

Keep up the good work ladies and gentlemen.

Dave said:

You did a good thing and it is too bad people are such slobs and that is the reason places are closed down. For whatever it's worth, I now carry trash bags with me in with my off-road stuff.

It is also too bad that LEO's always accuse people of "bad stuff" and want to arrest you when you are trying to do good.

Also, "private property" should be "posted" and respected (not trespassed on) but if it is not posted how are you supposed to know? Not your fault if it is not posted and you drove on it. Then it's more like "entrapment" so "they" can arrest someone.

This leads me to ask if there are maps that can be obtained that show the "legal" and "non-legal or private" roads in the area so you know. This is important since you were planning a "run" in that area and everyone should stay only on the "legal" sections.

And for the record we at JKJC only condone "legal and responsible" off-roading.

Dave

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Not that i have found. But ive been using openstreetmap.org and this new feature google maps has to make a detailed trail map. The thing that gets me is most of the trails are named roads on google maps but on the trails there are no markers or posted signs. Ive got pretty much every trail thats visible from the satellite images highlighted and place markers for all of my favorite pits and technical trails with descriptions of what kind of terrain you can expect when you get there. Im going out tuesday to use a gps plotter on my phone to map out the smaller tree covered trails and then add them to my terrain map. Once its all finished im going to photoshop it over a topo map of the area, print it out and then contact the state parks division to clarify what is off limits and have them authenticate it. That way if i keep in my jeep and i get stopped i have a state approved guide to where i can and cant go. The rangers and wardens just assume im out there to get drunk and **** around, when all i want to do is enjoy the the hundreds of acres of supposed "public state parks".

NJallDAY, thanks for all of the legwork to identify legal trails and cool places to wheel before the March 23 M&G. You're doing a public service for all of us, and thanks for being a responsible land user.

lfhoward said:

NJallDAY, thanks for all of the legwork to identify legal trails and cool places to wheel before the March 23 M&G. You're doing a public service for all of us, and thanks for being a responsible land user.

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No problem. Ive given the state way to much money in tickets already lol

We will pat you on the back instead!

This is something I have instilled in my daughter ... every time we go to the interior on canoe trips we come back with a couple bags full of other people crap.

Most likely the reason that warden was suspicious of you is because you are in the minority ... he probably spends his days not hearing a word of truth until someone like you crosses his path. Too easy to become apathetic when you deal with liars all day long.

Luke said:

We will pat you on the back instead!

This is something I have instilled in my daughter ... every time we go to the interior on canoe trips we come back with a couple bags full of other people crap.

Most likely the reason that warden was suspicious of you is because you are in the minority ... he probably spends his days not hearing a word of truth until someone like you crosses his path. Too easy to become apathetic when you deal with liars all day long.

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Yea i kinda want to get to know the wardens and rangers that patrol the area, and let them know what im all about. Then maybe i wont be ticketed as much, aside from people trowing trash around and getting ****** there are a few clay mines and rock mines that still operate in the area, im sure they have problems with people vandalizing or breaking the equipment.

One of my after-life wishes is that litterbugs are reunited with all their trash for eternity!