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GAME WARDENS

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Joined
Jul 8, 2004
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Location
GREATER ST. LOUIS COUNTY
GAME WARDENS
I recently had a subscriber who I am pretty sure was a game warden. This got me thinkinking about the Good Old Days when if you wanted a snack you didn't have to aim or anything difficult like that. You just fired whatever you had straight up and a rain of dead and dying passenger pigeons fell around you. The skies were black with them. They are gone now. Not a trace. This all happened before the funny Game Wardens,
Another Good old Days practice was to float a raft adorned with a row of I think, 8 gauge shotgun barrels , close together pointing in all four directions with another bank of barrels aimed up a very carefully estimated angl out in the middle of a pond which you had previously acted with duck goodies, a few decoys and whatever else would attract ducks.
When the pond was at peak capacity you would first fire the bottom row of barrels to get most of the ducks on the water and the very shortly after the first volley you would fire the second row of slightly upturned barrels to get those that escaped that first horror isle mass killing shot.You would gather this enormous number of duck bodies sorting out those killed with head injuries so you could send those to Diamond Jim Brafy's restaurant where the guest did not like finding gun shot in the delicious meat. Fortunately someone, somehow started the early days of the Gun Wardens before there wasn't a duck left.
The fact of the value of game wardens was demonstrated in a different way in, I think, Pennsylvania where the Bambi crowed got deer hunting stopped dead. No hunting at all nottoo long a time passed when people in Pennsylvanias mass forest areas noted that while the population of deer had certainly increased, the quality of these deer was disturbing, The deer were growing as much as before. Then They began showing indications of sickness and somehow someone figured that the increased population did have equally increased feed sources and that the the deer were nowhere up to the quality of deer when hunting was allowed. They reversed the NO DEERHUNTing Law and very shortly thereafter the deer resumed theirnold health standards and growth. All this was managed by the funny Game Wardens the butt of all those clever hunter jokes.
If you're a deer hunter and harvest one or just got to see one. Thank a game Warden. This also applies to ducks and geese as well.
I don't know about the passenger pigeon. If the sky was black with them the earth must have been white with that invigorating poop they must have provided. The parasol might not have been for sunshine alone.
Dutch Schoultz
 
Game wardens tell the best hunting stories.
I WISH WE COULD HEAR SOME OF THOSESTORIES.
I ONLY HAD ONE SOURCE OF STORIES AND THEY WERE FROM AN OLD GUIDE WHO THOUGHT ROUND BALL WAS A NORE EFFICIENT THAN MAXIE BALLS OR CONICALS IN GENERAL, DROPPING THE DEER WHERE HE WAS HIT RATHER THAB RUNNING FURTHER AWAY FROM HIS TRUCK.
I GOT MY SHORTS ROASTED OVER THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS MY PINION.
WE MUST INVOKE THAT OLD RULE, DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER.
DUTCH A FREQUENT MESSENGER.
 
Dutch
I'm one of those Game Wardens, been retired since 2002. Could relate lots of stories, some real funny and some very sad. It was a career that has drastically changed from when I started back in 1971. Was a great 32 years that went by so darn fast.
 
Dutch
I'm one of those Game Wardens, been retired since 2002. Could relate lots of stories, some real funny and some very sad. It was a career that has drastically changed from when I started back in 1971. Was a great 32 years that went by so darn fast.
I HOPE MY POST ON THE SUBJECT OF YOUR PLD PROFESSION didn't insult you and that profession.You Wardens are often the butt of jokes that depict the Warden as an easily fooled by the very clever rule breaking hunter.
It occurred to me that the congregation should be aware of the situation before there were wardens and later when the wardens put an end yo the professional hunters before they wiped out the entire duck population.
If you could toss in a story or event that furthers the point I was trying to make or just a short funny story from time to time It would be appreciated by everyone.
Are you a subscriber of my effort to teach these people accuracy or not.
If you email me a very short message so I would have your email address I would be delighted to send you a free copy of my eBook. You might find it interesting.
Dutch Schoultz
[email protected]
 
Well, most of my stories involving wildlife officers are from many years ago and I was not directly involved in any of it. In fact I was brought up to have a great respect for wildlife laws and wildlife officers but some of the family were steeped in a different tradition. It was always about feeding the family though and was never about trophies or profit.

Not excusing anything or anybody. That's just how it was. And, there are stories. Some funny some ironic.
 
While a child and growing up on a ranching\farming family business we ate a lot of game from the ranch, a great portion of that being deer.
I was a teen before I even heard of licenses and seasons, we had to eat and the local TPWD officer would come by every once in a while and my grandfather and him would sit on the front porch sipping coffee (or shine) and talk for hours. They knew as did we that we had to make a living and till eat.
Times have changed a lot, the officers are not as well tuned to the land holders or lease holders (as we were).
I did run across that same game warden some 20 years later after moving away from the ranch while on a dove hunt in a part of the state hundreds of miles from the homestead. He was about to retire. We spent some time visiting and met that night at a local eatery and had a nice long talk. I learned a lot about my grandfather that I did not know when i was growing up. My respect and admiration of my grandfather grew even more than it already was, along with my respect for the game wardens and the immense tasks they are expected to do. When you run across these guys and gals in the field - thank them for their service to us. They deserve a lot more respect than they usually get.
 
I enjoy the story of the old backwoods guy suspected of using dynamite to stun fish. One day the game warden came by as the old boy was just getting ready to head out. He asked the warden to go along. After they were out a ways the subject of how the old boy got his fish came up and the illegalities of dynamiting fish. The old boy reached into the tackle box and pulls out a stick of dynamite, lights it and hands it to the warden. "Now," he said to the warden, "are we going to discuss this or are we going to fish?"

I know several of the local wardens here. These are guys who spend a lot of time trying to expand the folks hunting and fishing by putting on clinics, special guided hunts and programs to get young people involved in hunting, fishing and shooting. They can also tell some good stories about folks trying to poach trophy deer and the lengths they go to get one that are illegal and unsporting.
 
Speaking of Game Wardens, there have been a few shows on different channels depicting the daily activities. The first ones I enjoyed watching was called "WARDENS" and it centered around the Montana FWPS folks , many of which I had the pleasure of knowing and meeting (as a Montana Hunter Ed Chief Instructor in Toole County Region 4) Watching those episodes and knowing the folks and areas they filmed i was great ! Next came Texas Wardens on "Lone Star Law". Now I didnt know any of the folks I did know the areas they worked in so again enjoyable to watch. What I noticed was even though 2 different states were represented I was taken how the folks were so similar in their methods of doing their job and working with the public, the "work with me and I will work with you" attitude was good. But there are also other departments that have been represented from different states (California and a few eastern states and it "seemed" that there was a much different attitude represented as compared to previous ! Not intentionally and maybe my take but seemed there was not as much "friendliness" as from MT and TX. Now I dont have any other input about those departments other then what is displayed so Im bot implying those states FWP are not as friendly (well California , who knows about that bunch) . BUT back to the point of the posts, When I attended our meetings with the FWP officals in Montana the stories related were both great and some sad. So for our Wardens we have on here share away please !
 
My father was a PA Game Warden. Growing up in that house was sure different. Pretty much didn't see him from Thanksgiving till the week before Christmas due to deer season. Every spring, our house turned into a wildlife nursery with folks dropping off infant wildlife. Eye droppers and tiny doll bottles and getting up several times through the night, The bear cub I cared for for a week was the foulest creature ever. One day, a fellow came with a cardboard box and said, this fell out of a tree as we were clearing for a highway. A downy Great Horned owl chick. I named him Igor and had him a year of so. (There was a ten dollar bounty on Great horned owls back then, perfectly legal to have.) Raised him on hamburger and bone meal. We cared for baby groundhogs, baby foxes, fawns, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, clutches of pheasants, etc. One day when dad was out somewhere, I answered the phone and got a call about a hunter who was hurt in an accident and was back up in the woods, but the brother did know the way back to spot. From the brother's description, I knew the spot. I drove out and met state police and an ambulance crew. we hauled that stetcher up and over the top of the ridge to the spot where we found the hunter, by this time bled out, and dead. I took turns helping carry the stretcher and then went to the police station. I sat there as the trooper at the desk called the widow. When she answered, He identified himself and asked what to do with his body. . Always thought they would be more delicate than that.
 
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Game wardens are unsung heroes for sure. They have a thankless job, and normally take a lot of heat from scum bags. I would certainly not want their job. That said, Ive had good dealings with them, and a few I've had some not so good interactions. I've never broken a game law, but a few times had some real condescending attitudes from a few wardens that IMO, should not be wearing the uniform. I guess it being a stressful job, it has gotten to them.
 
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Wardens (and cops) are just people like everyone else. Some great guys and some Richard craniums. I have friends that I have hunted with who are wardens and been hassled by others. We had two wardens search our Suburban and horse trailer after an unsuccessful trip once and the warden accused me of killing a deer because found what he said was blood on my tag in my fanny pack. Joke was on him when I licked it. It was chocolate from a melted candy bar. Got a shocked look on his face and backed off when I offered him a taste.
 
Game wardens are unsung heroes for sure. They have a thankless job, and normally take a lot of heat from scum bags. I would certainly not want their job. That said, Ive had good dealings with them, and a few I've had some not so good interactions. I've never broken a game law, but a few times had some real condescending attitudes from a few wardens that IMO, should not be wearing the uniform. I guess it being a stressful job, it has gotten to them.
One of my good friends is a retired DOW officer. A kinder more generous person you cannot name. He could be your best friend or your worst nightmare, depending entirely upon how you approached the interaction.

He also had no tolerance for the heavy handed law enforcement types. I don’t believe it’s right to make excuses for guys like that. Sure, it can be a stressful job, the day comes when you take the stress out on the public, even lawbreaking public, it’s time to look for another job.
 
One of my good friends is a retired DOW officer. A kinder more generous person you cannot name. He could be your best friend or your worst nightmare, depending entirely upon how you approached the interaction.

He also had no tolerance for the heavy handed law enforcement types. I don’t believe it’s right to make excuses for guys like that. Sure, it can be a stressful job, the day comes when you take the stress out on the public, even lawbreaking public, it’s time to look for another job.

I spent 14 years as a police officer/deputy sheriff/sheriff. During that time I worked with our local game warden who had to cover two counties totalling 1,152 square miles of rural Iowa. For those who don't know, we have a fair amount of game here, and thus lots of hunters. His job was rediculously difficult, yet he did it with class and treated folks with dignity and respect. Like me, he had no time for heavy handed law enforcement. It gives every man and woman in uniform a black eye and is quite counter productive. I got a surprising amount of information from people I had arrested (some multiple times) because I treated them with respect in spite of their offenses.

After a 3rd knee surgery ended my law enforcement career, I turned to teaching (7-12 grade English). I can say there are people who belong in neither of those professions, yet they exist. My observation, however, is that there are far more good ones than bad, but a few bad ones certainly make the rest look bad to the public.

One final observation. Since our Conservation Commission became the Department of Natural Resources, I believe the game wardens' job has become much more difficult. Broadening the scope of far beyond that of the Conservation Commission has pulled money and manpower away from the original purpose of the organization. What was once a dream job is often a nightmare for the wardens in almost every state. It doesn't excuse boorish behavior, but I certainly understand the stress they are under.

As a side note. My dad is a retired police chief who winters in Texas on Lake Texoma. A few years ago, he witnessed a boating accident in which a person drowned. With his help on the location, the wardens were able to recover the body fairly quickly. He interacted with some of those wardens you see on "Lone Star Law" and found them to be outstanding folks, so what you see on television is truly how they are.
 
I recently retired (medically) after 23 years of LE experience, mostly small towns and a Deputy Sheriff for 6 years.
First thing I always say is as long as cops are selected from the Human Race there's gonna be some that suck at public relations, and some that shine. I've worked with both, and always strived to be the latter.

I've worked closely with many Game Wardens, almost all are/were a great bunch of guys. When the nazi meth epidemic hit they spent as much time chasing meth-heads as anybody, and we backed each other up numerous times.

I will say those guys (Game Wardens) have the patience of Job; they'd sit on a place all night waiting for something to happen. Oh, and bring your walking shoes...they LOVE to park a couple miles away from a camp and walk in...(my feet hurt for a week).
For the most part a great group of guys.

Stay Safe
ET
 
I've never had a particularly positive encounter with a game warden east of the Mississippi. On the other hand I've not had a negative encounter with one here out west. Only problem I've had nation wide is with BLM people.
My eastern encounters were in Md. and Va. In the west only Az. The BLM guys were all anal about everything.
 
Add to the mix that wardens are often in remote locations where they could stumble on an illegal grow site or meth lab. Adding more stress to an already stressful job. Where you know that almost everyone you talk to is armed. I always polite and thank them when they do there job. And i usually get a good tip on movement patterns or hunting times from them.
And while im typing. A hearty a deep felt thank you to all the first responders working right now through this growing crisis.
 
When I was a kid I spent my summers living with grandparents a couple miles out of a very small town. There was an incident where two men escaped from a state prison and were thought to be holed up in the woods near town. It was night time and the state police, county sheriff and town marshal were all cogitating over what to do. They were inclined to wait until morning. The local game warden sneaked into the woods and crept up on their tiny campfire and brought them out.

He said that between the mosquitoes and chilly night air they were not difficult to deal with. :)
 
Game wardens are unsung heroes for sure. They have a thankless job, and normally take a lot of heat from scum bags. I would certainly not want their job. That said, Ive had good dealings with them, and a few I've had some not so good interactions. I've never broken a game law, but a few times had some real condescending attitudes from a few wardens that IMO, should not be wearing the uniform. I guess it being a stressful job, it has gotten to them.
What state was that in?
 

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