So I decide I'm gonna hunt the Big Cypress for turkey before I head to the lease later this month. Of course I do no scouting but did have a few birds around during deer season so figure I'll give it a shot. Tried to load up the rhino yesterday afternoon and of course the batteries dead. Charge it up for a few minutes and it cranks right up so on the trailer it goes. Got all my gear together and loaded the truck. Set my alarm for 3 am, take a shower and head out for some drinks with some friends.
Got home by 11 and am pumped to be hunting in the morning. Get up a little groggy but I'm outta bed and ready for the 1 1/2 hour drive. Walk outside and start the rhino just to be sure and she fires right up so off I go. To get there I have to drive through the Miccosukee reservation and they're notorious for speeding tickets. That is 1 spot that I use cruise control and don't speed for 10 min. or so. As I'm almost through the area at about 5 am a cop pulls right up on me like he was going to push me down the road. 2 min. later as I'm pulling into the check station he decides to hit his lights and pull me over right at the check in spot.
I'm thinking no way. Wasn't speeding or swerving so what's up? Well next thing you know there are 2 more cops with lights on pulling up. So now he decides to walk up to the truck with hand on gun and asks me if I'm alone and I tell him yes and he asks me to put down all my windows so he can see in the truck. As this is going on trucks are pulling in to check in 50 ft. away. As I'm looking for my registration he asks if I have any guns and I tell him I have a shotgun in the back of the truck and a glock in the center console. He asks me to step to the back of the truck while he searches the truck and I'm thinking what the ????
As he comes out of my truck with my 45 I ask him why I was stopped and apparently I have a tail light on the trailer out. I checked the lights at 6 the night before and they're fine so I had to see for myself and guess what---they're out. I figure no biggie it should be quick and I still have time to get to my spot. Then I go through a series of questions---what color is my truck????? do I own the pistol---why is the trailer in my company name---do I own the rhino---do I own any other vehicles??? and so on.
10 min. later he comes out of the car and tells me everything checks out and he's giving me a ticket for faulty equipment for $114.00 but to fight it and he'll take care of it. Why even write it?????? Soooooo I check in and head down the road to the entrance gate.
Get there and it's only 30 min. to sun up and I've got an hour ride to my spot but what the heck I'm going. Park the truck, load everything on the rhino, drop the ramp, go to start it and the batteries dead. %#@!@^$#
As I laughed at myself I go to the truck to get my booster and realize I left it in my garage right where I could'nt forget it. #@!$#!$#!#$! I spend the next 1 1/2 hour ride home thinking how short the season is and that if I don't play hookie from work I won't get out again for another 3 weeks due to other commitments.
Planning to spend tomorrow on the flats boat and I sure hope this great luck I have doesn't continue.
Damn that sucks!!!! They can be a real pain in the azz down there. Between them and the park service it's always something. I think this was my last year down there.
Sorry to hear about that. Some of these LEO's seem like they are on a power trip. I was down in Everglades City and we got checked out on the water. The FWC kid looked at my license and had never heard of a migratory bird permit. I actually laughed at him and he didn't find it to be funny. Had I gotten a ticket I would have seen him in court and proved his incopetance
He absolutely had never heard of it and did not know what a migratory bird was
