# Look out for Buzzards and Park Police in Flamingo!



## [email protected] (Feb 16, 2012)

Well it seems Buzzards picking on your truck windshield wipers and black rubber moldings, aren't the only thing to watch out for at Everglades National Park!  Due to the budget constraints of the sequester, the park police are resorting to radar speed traps to make up budget shortfalls.  Sportsmen frequenting the park are easy picking for them!  Be sure not  to go over posted or non posted speed limits, 35 mph if you don't see a sign!  They will get you! 







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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I've been told the 'safe speed' is 60mph by park rangers. the speed limit is 55 for most of the park. On the way out, I just cruise control it at 55. In the mornings, I cruise control it at 60 since a ranger told me it'll be cool.


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## Taterides (Nov 10, 2008)

I try to roll at 58. So far so good.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

The bastards got me last week on the way out. A nice little $130 ticket 42mph in a 35 zone at 5am. We were the only car in sight. It was the speed trap at that first entrance where it drops to 35mph. I was doing 55-60. And slowed down to about 40. Then when I went passed the entrance I got back on it and hit 47. While still in the 35mph zone. According to the Ranger. It also took about a damn hour to clear us. Since we had a few guns on us. And he searched every inch of my boat and coolers. Just what you want when you have 12-13 hour drive ahead of you.


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## [email protected] (Feb 16, 2012)

The park police/ranger hit me up for $125.00 right at the park exit, says its 35 mph.  Used radar while coming at me from the opposite direction.  I was the last in a line of cars leaving the park.  Towing a boat makes you an easy target.  He had a Napoleon complex, since he was short.  Also demanded a search of my cooler to see what I caught!  Dude was a real Barney Fife!  I may clean my catch at the dock next time!  Real nice the way they treat sportsmen that frequent the park!


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## [email protected] (Feb 16, 2012)

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;D


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## Rediculous (May 5, 2012)

> The park police/ranger hit me up for $125.00 right at the park exit, says its 35 mph.  Used radar while coming at me from the opposite direction.  I was the last in a line of cars leaving the park.  Towing a boat makes you an easy target.  He had a Napoleon complex, since he was short.  Also demanded a search of my cooler to see what I caught!  Dude was a real Barney Fife!  I may clean my catch at the dock next time!  Real nice the way they treat sportsmen that frequent the park!


They will always want to search your cooler, along with all comparments in your boat. I'm not really getting your point... You're upset that you were pulled over and ticketed for speeding in a National Park? I imagine it's a wildlife refuge, so why would you want to speed. I don't know the rules of that park, but you might wanna do a little check, before you go filleting your catch before you leave it. It could cause more problems for you. If your catch is legal, why do you care if they look at it anyhow. 
I wish everyone leaving our refuge was stopped and searched for illegal catch, boat or no boat. If you have a fishing pole, and you're leaving the park, you should be searched. IMO


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

[quote 
I wish everyone leaving our refuge was stopped and searched for illegal catch, boat or no boat. If you have a fishing pole, and you're leaving the park, you should be searched. IMO 
[/quote]

Come on Rediculous everyone? You really would like a 24/7 manned stop at every single exit leaving the Merritt Island refuge. Now that is well- ridiculous . If you are comfortable with the goverment in total control of you. Maybe you need to motor on down to Cuba. I hear the fishing is insane there.  Or maybe give it another 15-20 years here the way we are headed. :-/ I am all about conservation. I like most of the pole/troll zones. I rarely keep anything. Out of the 50-60 fish we caught that week. We kept 2 big trout and 1 red for the grill one night. In the last ten years I have only kept a couple of dozen fish. To me its all about the hunt and experience. That section is more about making money than public safety. Its in the middle of a 45 mile road to no where. And the speed trap is only about 200 yards long. I doubt it would make a difference to that cougar. If I hit him at 45mph or 35mph. And once you clean em off the water. They cant ticket you for under size. And if you skin em. They cant even indentify them. And they provide the cleaning stations at the ramp. If you clean em on the water. Then they have your ass. But once on land and cleaned. They got nothing on you anyway. But yes I was speeding. SO that opened the door for the hour long harrassment from Barney. If you give em a reason. They will take it. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. 

How does that work for all the bank fishers in Haulover? Since they are on land. I could see some a-hole heading and gutting one real quick. To get around the size limit law. I dont think that is illegal though. I have only heard of people getting in trouble while on the boat. With gutted/headed fish. Anybody know?

Rediculous I am just busting your balls a bit. Humor is some times is lost in the text in a forum. Me and you are on the same page 90% of the time. This is just one of those 10% moments. No harm meant by my statements


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

There is a cleaning station at the dock. One is allowed to clean the fish at the cleaning station and drive out. 


I have a simple solution for that, I simply just don't keep any fish. So I have no worries. I've personally never been stopped myself, and been in a few friends cars who have been stopped. Even with weapons in the car, and we've never been held for more than a couple minutes. Never been ticketed, either. But I'm sure they see my truck and skiff every few days during the spring through summer months. 

And they do usually check every boat's catch over at the marina once you pull the of the water, there's a biologist checking everyones catch with a ranger present to check safety equipment. Once you get to know them, or I should say they get to know you, it's not a big deal. They just ask how you did from afar and carry on. Or they'll come over just to talk fishing for a little bit if there's no one else around. Mostly during the busiest months in the park.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

The biggest crime I saw was the thieft at the marina gas pump  HOLY SHIAT!


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## [email protected] (Feb 16, 2012)

> > The park police/ranger hit me up for $125.00 right at the park exit, says its 35 mph.  Used radar while coming at me from the opposite direction.  I was the last in a line of cars leaving the park.  Towing a boat makes you an easy target.  He had a Napoleon complex, since he was short.  Also demanded a search of my cooler to see what I caught!  Dude was a real Barney Fife!  I may clean my catch at the dock next time!  Real nice the way they treat sportsmen that frequent the park!
> 
> 
> They will always want to search your cooler, along with all comparments in your boat. I'm not really getting your point... You're upset that you were pulled over and ticketed for speeding in a National Park? I imagine it's a wildlife refuge, so why would you want to speed. I don't know the rules of that park, but you might wanna do a little check, before you go filleting your catch before you leqave it. It could cause more problems for you. If your catch is legal, why do you care if they look at it anyhow.
> I wish everyone leaving our refuge was stopped and searched for illegal catch, boat or no boat. If you have a fishing pole, and you're leaving the park, you should be searched. IMO


All my catch was legit, no issues.  We frequent the park, pay fees, licenses for fishing.  We are good stewards of our environment, or we will not have a sport.  And we are being targeted!  The ramp has a cleaning station, and rangers usually check and chat with you about your day, I like them as I do not have a reason to be concerned when I come in from a day on the water.  My issue is the speed trap at the exit to the park and scrutiny because I'm towing a boat.  We are an easy target as no sign is posted about 35 mph.  If you think it's ok to be stopped and searched every time you go to the park you must be "Rediculous"!  Just want to give a heads up!
[smiley=stir-pot.gif]


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## Rediculous (May 5, 2012)

> [quote
> I wish everyone leaving our refuge was stopped and searched for illegal catch, boat or no boat. If you have a fishing pole, and you're leaving the park, you should be searched. IMO


Come on Rediculous everyone? You really would like a 24/7 manned stop at every single exit leaving the Merritt Island refuge. Now that is well- ridiculous . If you are comfortable with the goverment in total control of you. Maybe you need to motor on down to Cuba. I hear the fishing is insane there.  Or maybe give it another 15-20 years here the way we are headed. :-/ I am all about conservation. I like most of the pole/troll zones. I rarely keep anything. Out of the 50-60 fish we caught that week. We kept 2 big trout and 1 red for the grill one night. In the last ten years I have only kept a couple of dozen fish. To me its all about the hunt and experience. That section is more about making money than public safety. Its in the middle of a 45 mile road to no where. And the speed trap is only about 200 yards long. I doubt it would make a difference to that cougar. If I hit him at 45mph or 35mph. And once you clean em off the water. They cant ticket you for under size. And if you skin em. They cant even indentify them. And they provide the cleaning stations at the ramp. If you clean em on the water. Then they have your ass. But once on land and cleaned. They got nothing on you anyway. But yes I was speeding. SO that opened the door for the hour long harrassment from Barney. If you give em a reason. They will take it. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. 

How does that work for all the bank fishers in Haulover? Since they are on land. I could see some a-hole heading and gutting one real quick. To get around the size limit law. I dont think that is illegal though. I have only heard of people getting in trouble while on the boat. With gutted/headed fish. Anybody know?

Rediculous I am just busting your balls a bit. Humor is some times is lost in the text in a forum. Me and you are on the same page 90% of the time. This is just one of those 10% moments. No harm meant by my statements [/quote]



No harm taken. To agree or disagree, that is the forum. As far as being controlled by the government, they are government/federal parks. If you can clean fish at the ramp, do it. Why wouldn't you?.... 
I'd rather brake or swurve around a cougar at 35 than 45. 

My whole reason for posting, was really about the speeding and being ticketed for it, seriously duh.... My experience with federal enforcers, is they're not very lenient. But, if you're not doing anything wrong, they don't have a leg to stand on. You may say they only have concern for making money and meeting quotas, but they also have what is best for the park and its inhabitants in mind also. 
Any one who doesn't like it, has the simple solution of not going. Or expect to be fined for any violation they are caught doing. And ignorance is no excuse. Seems pretty simple to me.

Of coarse they would never have stops at the exits, that's just me wishful thinking. But, I would be totally okay with it, if they did. After all it is a federal/government funded park, I would kinda except some sort of government control. I'm not advocating government control in our day to day lives, by any means. Unfortunately, Merritt Island is a little to lax and I think it would be beneficial to crack down some.


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## Rediculous (May 5, 2012)

> > > The park police/ranger hit me up for $125.00 right at the park exit, says its 35 mph.  Used radar while coming at me from the opposite direction.  I was the last in a line of cars leaving the park.  Towing a boat makes you an easy target.  He had a Napoleon complex, since he was short.  Also demanded a search of my cooler to see what I caught!  Dude was a real Barney Fife!  I may clean my catch at the dock next time!  Real nice the way they treat sportsmen that frequent the park!
> >
> >
> > They will always want to search your cooler, along with all comparments in your boat. I'm not really getting your point... You're upset that you were pulled over and ticketed for speeding in a National Park? I imagine it's a wildlife refuge, so why would you want to speed. I don't know the rules of that park, but you might wanna do a little check, before you go filleting your catch before you leqave it. It could cause more problems for you. If your catch is legal, why do you care if they look at it anyhow.
> ...


I must be... I'm would be willing to be stopped and hassled for a few minutes, as long as the poachers and scumbags had to do it also. Which would in turn, eventually weed out a majority of these kind of people that are taking advantage of the resources. I would imagine it wouldn't take very long for these officers to become familiar with you. And your hassles to become very minimal, if you frequent the park as often as you say. PIB says he is recognized and never hassled, cause he is there so often. I guess I'm looking at it from a different perspective, cause it doesn't really seem that ridiculous to me. 
Also, why is it you think they are targeting just boaters? 

Edit: You may be a good steward and abide by the rules, but you're in a decreasing majority. There's a lot of scumbags, doing bad things that effect the whole environment, not just the fishery.


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## [email protected] (Feb 16, 2012)

> > > > The park police/ranger hit me up for $125.00 right at the park exit, says its 35 mph.  Used radar while coming at me from the opposite direction.  I was the last in a line of cars leaving the park.  Towing a boat makes you an easy target.  He had a Napoleon complex, since he was short.  Also demanded a search of my cooler to see what I caught!  Dude was a real Barney Fife!  I may clean my catch at the dock next time!  Real nice the way they treat sportsmen that frequent the park!
> > >
> > >
> > > They will always want to search your cooler, along with all comparments in your boat. I'm not really getting your point... You're upset that you were pulled over and ticketed for speeding in a National Park? I imagine it's a wildlife refuge, so why would you want to speed. I don't know the rules of that park, but you might wanna do a little check, before you go filleting your catch before you leqave it. It could cause more problems for you. If your catch is legal, why do you care if they look at it anyhow.
> ...


It's not just boaters, others have posted about the speed trap on trip adviser and other forums.  I was unlucky to be the last in a line of cars leaving the park all going the same speed.  I was "speeding" and paid my ticket.  Just want others to be aware and watch your speed. I agree with you there are scumbags and as I posted I dont have a problem with searching of my boat and catch on the water or at the dock. I hope they bust the poachers!


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## flyfshrmn82 (Oct 12, 2007)

This whole "rediculous" experience reminds me of a similar story....  

"Practice"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d29VsG35DQM


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## sickz284u (Mar 8, 2012)

> > [quote
> > I wish everyone leaving our refuge was stopped and searched for illegal catch, boat or no boat. If you have a fishing pole, and you're leaving the park, you should be searched. IMO
> 
> 
> ...




No harm taken. To agree or disagree, that is the forum. As far as being controlled by the government, they are government/federal parks. If you can clean fish at the ramp, do it. Why wouldn't you?.... 
I'd rather brake or swurve around a cougar at 35 than 45. 

My whole reason for posting, was really about the speeding and being ticketed for it, seriously duh.... My experience with federal enforcers, is they're not very lenient. But, if you're not doing anything wrong, they don't have a leg to stand on. You may say they only have concern for making money and meeting quotas, but they also have what is best for the park and its inhabitants in mind also. 
Any one who doesn't like it, has the simple solution of not going. Or expect to be fined for any violation they are caught doing. And ignorance is no excuse. Seems pretty simple to me.

Of coarse they would never have stops at the exits, that's just me wishful thinking. But, I would be totally okay with it, if they did. After all it is a federal/government funded park, I would kinda except some sort of government control. I'm not advocating government control in our day to day lives, by any means. Unfortunately, Merritt Island is a little to lax and I think it would be beneficial to crack down some.  [/quote]

I am with you 100% here. I get disgusted with the amount of pictures of obviously illegal over-slot sized redfish pictures taken in people's front yards on facebook with reference to the fish being caught in the lagoon. Things are way to relax over there. Makes me sick how many people abuse the rules. I am big into conservation and do my part on every level. Not to mention I get tired of cleaning up after other people every time I stop and visit some of the islands that I have camped on since I was a little kid. I was always taught to leave it in better condition then when you arrived. It's honestly a shame.


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