Met up with one of "our" farmers yesterday. He wanted to tell me he'd started turning peanuts and when he plans on harvesting peanuts in each of 3 fields. Also got an email from one of the property owners he leases from, and, as he always does, the property owner wished good luck, and we are free to park and be on his property. On my way to his first field, I stopped for a quick look around at a ranch property.
As usual, as I entered the ranch at 10pm, I turned off my truck lights and drove slowly to a barn so as to make minimum noise. Always park on the west side of a barn so as to be hidden from the fields and potential hogs while getting ready (all things that could look suspicious to an observer). I take the thermal and scan to the south then walk around the barn to scan to the east. As I start scanning east, I see a pickup in the harvested peanut field hidden from the road by the barn. That was VERY out of place, as the ranch owner lets us know if he'll be out at night for safety purposes. Immediately the pickup starts and drives right up to me. Turns out to be a FWC officer with night vision trying to catch a deer poacher. We introduce ourselves, exchange cards, and explain what each is doing there. Says he's glad to meet me. He asks if I'm gonna shoot...I say if I see a hog, can walk close enough, and can safely shoot, of course I'll shoot (I guess in case he heard a shot). Since I'm going to be in a field 2 miles to the north sitting, he says he'll stay were he is so as to not bother me while I'm watching for hogs. He was going to go to the north field area himself and sit hidden. Briefly looks through my thermal. Ask him if he wants to see a deer via thermal...no thanks. I tell him there's a deer in the peanut field about 100 yd to the north while he waits for poachers.
The officer had to have thought, "Oh boy, I've got me a poacher!" Checked with the ranch owner...he'd told FWC they are welcome to come watch for deer poachers. This is the 2nd time night hunting my partner or I've been approached by FWC officers in Santa Rosa County. Both instances were friendly, not tense like on TV on the game warden shows. Oh, saw no hogs. Chased coons and some deer off the peanuts. One deer walked by me about 25yd away until it got in my scent stream...boy did it take off then! Ran about 300 yd and then stopped.
As usual, as I entered the ranch at 10pm, I turned off my truck lights and drove slowly to a barn so as to make minimum noise. Always park on the west side of a barn so as to be hidden from the fields and potential hogs while getting ready (all things that could look suspicious to an observer). I take the thermal and scan to the south then walk around the barn to scan to the east. As I start scanning east, I see a pickup in the harvested peanut field hidden from the road by the barn. That was VERY out of place, as the ranch owner lets us know if he'll be out at night for safety purposes. Immediately the pickup starts and drives right up to me. Turns out to be a FWC officer with night vision trying to catch a deer poacher. We introduce ourselves, exchange cards, and explain what each is doing there. Says he's glad to meet me. He asks if I'm gonna shoot...I say if I see a hog, can walk close enough, and can safely shoot, of course I'll shoot (I guess in case he heard a shot). Since I'm going to be in a field 2 miles to the north sitting, he says he'll stay were he is so as to not bother me while I'm watching for hogs. He was going to go to the north field area himself and sit hidden. Briefly looks through my thermal. Ask him if he wants to see a deer via thermal...no thanks. I tell him there's a deer in the peanut field about 100 yd to the north while he waits for poachers.
The officer had to have thought, "Oh boy, I've got me a poacher!" Checked with the ranch owner...he'd told FWC they are welcome to come watch for deer poachers. This is the 2nd time night hunting my partner or I've been approached by FWC officers in Santa Rosa County. Both instances were friendly, not tense like on TV on the game warden shows. Oh, saw no hogs. Chased coons and some deer off the peanuts. One deer walked by me about 25yd away until it got in my scent stream...boy did it take off then! Ran about 300 yd and then stopped.