Pulled over by CBP while scouting

[Zak]

I was scouting from my car near CNF land and apparently I looked suspicious for "looking like I don't know where I'm going" so some CBP guys pull me over and ask what I'm doing. I explain the whole hunting thing and they ask to search my car, which I politely refuse.

Next they bring out a dog, which supposedly reacts to something and gives them probable cause to rummage through my car. They don't find anything but a bunch of hunting gear of course, but now I'm skeptical if their dogs just react to every car to justify a search of everyone.

In any event, I don't have a problem with CBP and am glad they're out there, but I don't feel like scouting public land near the border anymore.. might just stick up north.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Very odd.. I've always had great encounters with them and always say hello to the camera when I pass by.

 

[invisible man]

Good idea.

 

[Kellendv]

All my encounters with them have been very positive. Don’t let the one incident discourage you.

 

[ilovesprig]

I've never had an issue either...In fact, just the opposite.

 

[Deleted member 27310]

I always thank them for the job they are doing to keep borders safe. When I hunt the border I usually just go find one of them on patrol and tell them I’m hunting that area. Kinda helps so that they won’t ruin my hunt.

Of course we can let our mind wander and start thinking racial profiling, power trip, ect, ect. Heck sometimes you can be right.

 

[chessie]

Only issue I had with them was going through the Border check just north of Wister with a Canada Goose in the back. I told them the Canadian didn't have papers.

 

[Smokey58]

Could be that a sensor(s) went off in that area or they had recent Intel regarding that sector so they were working that area hard. DHS has expanded Border Search Authority. I stopped hunting that area south of that casino close to the border because of border proximity and I saw all the northbound human tracks around the railroad track. BP was patrolling everywhere.

 

[HortoTheSlayer]

Had an undercover CBP roll up on me and my buddy last season in a Blue unmarked Ford Raptor. Thankfully our weapons were already in the vehicle and he asked if we had just come down the mountain because they had sensors go off. We told him yes and he let us know he was BP and headed off. My uncle is a CBP agent and confirmed it was an area they have foot traffic in.

 

[Zak]

I always thank them for the job they are doing to keep borders safe. When I hunt the border I usually just go find one of them on patrol and tell them I’m hunting that area. Kinda helps so that they won’t ruin my hunt.

Of course we can let our mind wander and start thinking racial profiling, power trip, ect, ect. Heck sometimes you can be right.

I think I just got unlucky, I'll probably give the area another try. But I wish when they asked what was in my cooler I could've responded "quail" instead of "ice"

 

[TRICER]

If you hunt south of the 8 you will have to deal with BP. I was once on a stalk for a deer and at that same time I was being stalked by BP pretty funny. Ended up getting to where the buck was and he was gone just does were left. The guy said he was following my tracks for a mile.
Never had an issue and I have been stopped a bunch of times down there. I am glad they are out there protecting our border.

 

[rbduffer]

After reading all these good reports, I gotta ask, how many of you were asked to be searched, and what did you say?

 

[ilovesprig]

Never been asked or searched...Profiling may be involved...Fat old guys are probably the least of what they're looking for...lol

 

[Smokey58]

I wasn't stopped but I attribute that to having a dog kennel in the truck and 2 bird dogs in it. Its just like a traffic stop, no one likes to be stopped and questioned but its all the officer's approach and attitude...
DHS officers (ICE, CBP, BP, HSI) have Border Search Authority and don't need PC for a stop and search in proximity of the border. Smuggling knows no ethnicity, too much money involved, and they see it all...

 

[Kellendv]

I hunt the border zones in D16 as well as in Southern AZ for Coues deer. My encounters with border patrol are too numerous to count. I’ve run into them in the field when they are patrolling, I have set off sensors and had a guy come all the way out to investigate and basically walk up on us on our glassing point, and I’ve had a dog alert on my truck at the checkpoint on the 8. My experiences with them are overwhelmingly positive.

The one thing I’ll say is that in my experience the dog handlers are “all business.” What I mean by that is that the dog handlers are usually not very talkative, are not that friendly, and are very focused on what they are doing, while the other guys seem to be ok with chatting and will offer you a place to sit or whatever. When the dog alerted on my truck they did search it and of course didn’t find anything.

 

[WaterDawg]

Game in my car has triggered the dogs and resulted in additional questioning. Like others have said, I thank them and usually part with thumbs up and “build the wall”’or “stop the caravan”.

 

[MJB]

Where's Jonny?

Him and the BP get along great......once they strip search his ass......but that's Jonny, he loves to get naked.

I've seen the BP helo up close more times than I'd like to count......they did drive me and my buddy out with two deer that were on our backs.......in the back of the paddy wagon of course, with the AC blowing dirt every where......but hey it was an unexpected ride that we enjoyed

 

[Deleted member 27310]

quick story from a BP agent buddy on horseback following track at night, chopper with infrared radios that something is tailing them. They do a counter move with chopper turning on spot light only to see good ole' longtail following them. I guess horse was on the menu that night.

 

[MJB]

^^^^ the seals do sniper training at a private ranch in East county......a few seals have been stalked by cats at night not knowing it.

 

[TRICER]

I stopped hunting down south at night because of that stupid infrared chopper. As soon as you see it hovering off in the distance you know it’s onlt a matter of time until the trucks will be on you.