coming into a property un-announced, legal or not could be a little dangerous.
Some guys have had a lot of thefts and poaching going on. I have read all of the post here and agree partly with both sides but if a GW comes onto private land at dusk, I hope they have clothing that help them to be identified easily because that can be a recipe for a disaster. Their jobs are dangerous enough as t is.

If you are like me and obey the law, we just want to be left alone, but it doesn't hurt to have a good relationship with these guys. I have always been above courteous and respectful whether on the lake or passing by and chatting on the county road.

Man was at his house. GW walking around in his yard.

Not wanting to get into a banter but he saw blinds from the road, pulled up and got out of his truck. Spoke with the landowner letting him know he was the newly assigned warden to that county. Seems like he was just getting to know everyone and letting them get to know him. Not every encounter has to be a conspiracy theory.

Ours climbs over the fence and comes to the cabin, even though the gate is not locked and sometimes even open. Doesn't bother us at all.

I absolutely agree here. Doesn't sit well with me either. Feeling his new beat out? Well using his gadget to forcefully open someone's gate is not how you make friends. GWs need us on their side as much as we need them. And like others have said, has the potential to spread unduely to other facets of law enforcement.

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory at all. I just don't like anyone walking around in my yard unannounced. Period. Authority or not.

BTW, I don't like the many Border Patrol checkpoints inside the border I had to stop at 10 times last week either. Felt like Russia. Absolutely unconstitutional. They will be challenged and gone one day.

My impression was he was at home not deer camp (though it sounds like he lives where he hunts) but I can see how it would be disconcerting to see someone standing in your yard having somehow gotten past your electric gate. I had the GW come out to my place when I wasn't there. He went through my cooler, freezer etc because I had the barn door open. 6-8 weeks after is when I even realized he had been there because that's when I found a note written on last yrs TPWD annual hunting booklet with a note to call him and several things underlined. I didn't like that he had gone through my things without me present and the things he underlined (regarding deer processing) don't apply to me because they are for people who lease.
They have a tough job but some of the things they elect to do can be overly invasive IMO.

Welcome to the OP.

He was in the man's yard, not his hunting camp!

Not every property has a hunting camp.. some people actually live were they hunt.

Most new wardens will want to get to know the locals. Nothing but good can come from this unless your breaking the law

My problem with this is what happens if he comes on our land and our dog attacks. We have an 80+ lb Rhodesian Ridgeback that can be protective of our property (rightfully so).

If a police officer pulls into my driveway at home and I have done nothing wrong, then I have zero problem with that. I walk out to him and ask him politely if I can help or what he needs. Same with a GW - he is an officer of the law and has every right to be there. Again - I have no issue with any peace officer approaching me or my property

The constitution states otherwise.

OP, welcome to THF

What county was this in?

It is a gray area of the law - LEO's can enter your property for a number of reasons without a warrant. Probable cause, etc. Again, my point is if I have done nothing wrong or illegal then why would I have an issue with any LEO approaching me anywhere?

Surely you recognize that there is a world of difference between your driveway that is openly accessible from a street, and your front yard that requires you to have an electric gate code and rive 1/4 mile down a road to an area that is not visible from the street?

Had the GW even just wakled to the front door and rang the doorbell, introducing himself as the new guy in town and wanting to get to know the landowners, I have little doubt the situation would have been perceived 180 degrees different by the OP (or pretty much anybody else for that matter).

99.99999999999% of the time it's not that the GW decided to visit your camp - it's wholly a function of the actions they have chosen before, during or even after that visit that have the biggest effect on how you view them from that point on.

Anyone who walks into your yard un announced is going about "getting acquainted" the wrong way. Jimmying the electronic lock is "breaking". And while "entering" is legal, the "breaking" shouldn't be.

Most GW's have the good sense to climb the fence or ask to come visit.

The element of surprise can be a very dangerous and foolish endeavor.

What if your kids friend comes over one day and that dog attacks him...

Just ask, "Am I being detained?"

Say nothing less or more.

They like that.

Doesn't that just apply to your domicile, car, etc? Not open private property, fenced or not, particularly when there is probable cause. With probable cause established by the hunting stands.

4th Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects,[a] against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

There's a difference in knowing when someone is coming over versus just showing up. The dog can be put away if I know in advance.

Not sure how I feel about that. Does a box blind imply hunting? Does a barn imply farming?

Could simply be a wildlife photographer.

Just because there is a blind is not probable cause. There is clearly no law broken for a blind to just be setting in the yard. If probable cause that there are laws broken, enter, with a warrant.
Meth is made in houses. Just because I have a house is not probable cause that I am breaking the law.
Kidd-nappers use cars to take kids. Just because I have a car doesn't give an officer probable cause to search it.
Too many people say "I am doing nothing wrong, I don't have anything to hide." When truthfully if armed officers just walked right in your front door, because they were in the neighborhood, and strip searched your house, you would have a problem.
The point is you are innocent, there is a method for dealing with criminals. It is different than dealing with an innocent citizen. Do not treat me like a criminal.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. They know they are over the line. They just count on no one to challenge them or consent. 99% of the folks do. That's how they get away with it. But a good LEO doesn't push the envelope just because he thinks he can get away with it. Yet, some do.