If there’s one thing law-abiding hunters abhor it’s poachers, game-law violators, and other unethical louts.

Those officers tasked with policing our great outdoors perform a very difficult job, and they do so admirably.

But at what point does their responsibility to enforce wildlife laws interfere with a hunter’s civil rights?

At least two states—Idaho and New Mexico—are once again conducting mandatory roadside checkpoints this fall aimed specifically at hunters. The reasoning behind these stops is to collect biological data and apprehend wildlife violators.

Both are crucial tasks for state game agencies, but is simply wearing an orange hat or a camouflage jacket reason enough to stop every hunter that passes?

In Idaho’s case, all hunters and anglers are required to stop at any roadside check stations they encounter, whether they have game animals or fish in the vehicle or not. They must stop if going to their hunting or fishing spot or returning home afterwards.

They must stop even if they were unsuccessful.

Some check stations are biological, some are enforcement, and some are both. At biological check stations, biologists collect information on an animal’s weight, length, species, sex, number of antler points, etc. Enforcement check stations, on the other hand, look for compliance with fishing and hunting rules, including proper licenses and tags, validation of tags, evidence of sex, waste of game, size and bag limits.

New Mexico Game and Fish is operating roadblocks this fall similar to the ones being used in Idaho.

Stopping every hunter on the road certainly makes a game warden’s job easier, but imagine trying to get an hour or two of bowhunting in after work in the evening, only to get hung up for 10 or 15 minutes at a hunter checkpoint on the way there.

Or how about if you’re a new hunter and your truck is searched before and after every hunt? How long are you going to keep hunting if you are constantly hassled?

Moreover, law-abiding hunters are the ones who bear the inconvenience of stopping at these checkpoints; you can bet poachers and other law-breakers do everything possible to avoid them.

Game wardens have an important job to do, but treating innocent people like suspects, just because they possess a hunting license, isn’t the way to go about it.

What do you think? Does your state operate roadside checkpoints where hunters are stopped? Do you feel they infringe upon your rights?

Mid-November usually marks the official denning period for grizzly bears, but until then, they will remain very active in their search for food—creating challenging conditions for hunters.

On Oct. 3, 2011, two hunters in two separate areas of Wyoming  encountered grizzly bears; both suffered minor injuries as a result. In each case, the hunters surprised a bear which then became aggressive.

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, a Casper hunter in the Dubois area chose to “drop and cover” when the bear charged. He was bitten on the buttocks and ankle and the bear left the area.

In a second encounter on the same day, an Oregon hunter near Meeteetse surprised a bear and it charged the hunter, knocking him down and biting him on the hand as it ran past. Both incidents were investigated by Game and Fish personnel who determined that both bears were acting naturally. No attempt to capture either bear will be made.

“In most instances, getting too close to a grizzly bear and suddenly surprising it is considered threatening by most adult grizzlies,” said Dennie Hammer, Cody information specialist for Wyoming Game and Fish. “When threatened, grizzlies generally exhibit one of three behaviors; grizzlies either run away, bluff charge, or charge with the intent of removing the threat.”

Given their behavior, knowing what to do in an encounter is very important according to Hammer. “Should you encounter a bear while hunting it is important to know bear behavior and to be able to ‘read’ the bear’s body language—if there is time to do so,” Hammer said.

“A bear that hears or smells something that it cannot identify may stand on its hind legs to get a better look and/or smell. This is typically not an aggressive behavior. A bear that runs toward you with its head up, ears erect, and stiff legged is probably bluff charging. One that has its head down and ears laid back feels threatened enough to charge,” Hammer added.

Hammer stated that in instances where there is not enough time to read the bears behavior or to use a deterrent such as bear spray or a firearm, the only viable option is to “drop and cover.”

“Many people were taught as youngsters to curl into a ball and play dead. This might still work for those limber enough to stay in this position, but we think the drop and cover technique—lying flat on the ground with your fingers interlocked over your neck—is better. And, wear a daypack to protect your back—always,” Hammer said.

“However frightful this might seem, lying quietly and still is not threatening to the bear and most bears quickly determine that the threat is gone and they leave the area,” Hammer said.

To improve the odds of minimizing hunter-bear conflicts, Hammer suggests the following:

-- Carry a bear deterrent and know how to use it. Many aggressive bears have been deterred through the use of bear spray and all hunters should carry it where it can be reached and know how and when to use it.

--  Hunters should hunt with a partner and keep relatively close together.

-- When using calls, pay close attention to your surroundings, not just the area within which the hunted species is located.

-- Continuously watch for bear sign which includes tracks, scats, and diggings and for the bears themselves.

-- Retrieve game animals as quickly as possible and watch for approaching bears when field dressing and quartering.

-- If game must be left on the ground overnight, separate the carcass from the entrails when field dressing and place the carcass in an area that can be viewed from a distance.

-- When retrieving game, make lots of noise; use binoculars to search the area for bears and to determine if the game has been disturbed by bears prior to walking in on the carcass.

-- Bears often daybed near food sources.

-- If a bear has claimed your carcass, leave the scene and report the incident to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Have you ever had a close encounter with a bear while hunting? If so tell us about it below.