Episode 69: Challenges to the Open Fields Doctrine and what it means for Landowners and Conservation Officers

Several states have seen recent challenges to the long accepted practice of game wardens entering private land without warrants.  The precedent that established this is from a prohibition era moonshining case, where the judge ruled that landowners did not have the assumption of privacy on land that was not inside the curtilage of their home.  In other words, the 4th amendment did not extend protection beyond your yard, even if you owned the land.     Successful challenges have led state Wildlife agencies to look for new ways to enforce the laws, which is vital to protecting the public trust and natural resources.   We dive into it here, on a very "Woodsman" level.   We want to emphasize our support for the Game Wardens and the job that they do.