Romney experience (camp, costs, law)

[PaulNC]

I have been visiting the beautiful city of Romney,WV for over five years now enjoying the hunting opportunities that your area provides. My friends family has been visiting your fine town for almost 50 years. This past season we were hunting and had an experience with the local game wardens that really gave me pause to think. I will only presume to speak from my point of view and not my friend or his family. Imagine you leave the deer woods after a day of enjoying your god and law given right to hunt and in 5 minutes you are told you could be arrested. I was still on the mountain when I got to the camp and was greeted by the game warden. After a short discussion he asked me where my rifle was. It was in the back of the truck. The warden asked if it was loaded and I told him there was not a round in the chamber. I know ignorance is no excuse, but in NC it is not illegal to have a loaded rifle in the truck unless you are committing a crime. Apparently rounds in the chamber constitutes "loaded" . I will remember that for the rest of my life. I have paid for my out of state hunting license every year I have been blessed to come to your fine town and hunt. I have enjoyed visiting the city and giving my patronage. I just have a hard time understanding the philosy behind penalizing an individual who is not knowingly violating a law and is fully licensed to hunt in the state. I won't include my opinions about the extremely high court costs or charging those costs for each ticket. That just screams of injustice. I am just glad I only had the one ticket and I was able to keep my freedom. Just imagine how you would feel if one minute you're a free american enjoying the rights you possess as a citizen and then the next minute someone is telling you he can arrest you. I respect the members of law enforcement and the great state of West Virginia, but am having a hard time with this. If this is not the correct place to discuss this I appoligize, I am new to the internet and just wanted my voice to heard. Thank you.