Welcome to America...Where the taxpayer pays the deadbeats way....

wayne,

you did the right thing, and called the tip line. they cant always catch them that day, but the DEP officers will know where you were and in the future patrol that area, more than likely very soon.

its not ofter there is an EConn officer in the vicinity of where we are when we call the tip line, but making tyhe call helps tip them off as to where it is happening and leads to enforcement. believe in this TIP line system: it REALLY DOES work guys, ive seen it first hand.

how bout a hand for Bunkerman, someone who gives a $h!T and DOES something about it!

A buddy told me the Mt. Hope River on River Road in Mansfield was being cleaned out a couple of days ago. It was stocked earlier that day! Tip line was called, no response. Seems that no one cares as long as license fees are collected for the "holiday" known as Opening Day. What a sham. Would be nice if if it didn't exist, so serious fisherman could ice fish into March and pike fishermen could fish places like Mansfield Hollow after ice-out - a lake that is not even directly stocked with trout. I surely wouldn't have a problem paying more than the recently doubled license fee if we were assured quality stocking, some law enforcement, no closed season and a measure of common sense. Isn't the Mass. Non-Resident license less than the CT Resident? WTF?

Bunkerrman, thank you and thank your brother for calling in on the TIP line. I apologize if an officer was unable to respond. We try to make it to all the complaints but the numbers are not on our side. I'm running some day shifts for the entire western half of the state with 4 officers and 2 officers on evenings. Our eastern district and marine district are in pretty much the same situation.

We have no control over the license fees. I, and DEP have gotten beaten up pretty badly over the issue but the fact of the matter is that the legislature, not DEP and not EnCon Police sets the license fees. I bought all my licenses (hunting, inland/marine fishing) and if I get out once or twice a year I'm lucky, so you don't have to convince me that sportsmen (and women) are not happy with the new license fees.

All I can ask related to calling in on the TIP line is that you continue to do so. If we only get one call for one area but multiple calls for another area we have to triage our response and the multiple call areas get the attention. Until we are able to get back up to our previous number of officers we will do the best that we can with what we have.

hang in there Capt. The fun is about to begin.