In this book, Bob Lee "revisits the days he spent as a fish and wildlife law enforcement officer in northeast Florida, detailing the many dangers he encountered while patrolling the waters and environs of the St. Johns River region from 1977 to 2007. With thirty years of Florida backcountry patrol experience, Bob Lee has lived through incidents of legend, including one of the biggest environmental busts in Florida history. His fascinating memoir reveals the danger and the humor in the unsung exploits of game wardens." --from jacket flap.
Of all law enforcement officers, game wardens inspire the most awe in the mind of the public. Working day and night, often in challenging terrain and bad weather, game wardens typically operate alone in remote areas and must understand the natural rhythms and cycles of the creatures and ecosystems they protect, all while encountering and sometimes interacting with people who are usually armed. Outdoors writer Jerald Horst spent one year riding on patrol with game wardens in the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In riveting episodes, he chronicles their adventures, providing an up-close view of this demanding job and the band of men who take it on. From the piney woods of the northwestern part of the state to the soggy Mississippi River delta and beyond to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Horst accompanied dozens of wildlife agents, observing them, asking questions, sometimes sitting for hours with no action, and occasionally fearing for his life, as in the case of one speedboat chase. His candid observations show that the work of agents is often mentally and physically challenging, sometimes tedious, and -- more often than would be expected -- humorous, but never dull. Whether wardens are conducting routine checks of law-abiding sportsmen or in pursuit of suspected poachers, the unanticipated is the norm. A seemingly ordinary stop can turn deadly in an instant. As one officer told Horst "complacency can get you killed." More than a job, serving as a game warden is a way of life, and Horst relates how the agents he met came to their calling. An objective look at a heroic career, Game Warden offers an enthralling portrait of both the profession and the men behind the badge.
In this colorful memoir, a South Carolina game warden recounts a quarter-century of adventure patrolling the woods and waters of the Palmetto State. Ben McC. Moïse served with distinction as a South Carolina game warden for nearly a quarter century. In this career-spanning memoir, the cigar-chomping, ticket-writing scourge of lowcountry fish-and-game-law violators chronicles grueling stakeouts, complex trials, hair-raising adventures, and daily interactions with a host of outrageous personalities. With a lawman's eye for fine details, a conservationist's nose for the aroma of pluff mud, and a seasoned storyteller's ear for the rhythms of a good southern yarn, Moïse recounts his stout-hearted and steadfast efforts to protect the lowcountry landscape and bring to justice those who would run roughshod over fish and game laws on the Carolina coast. Along the way he paints a vivid portrait of evolving attitudes and changing regulations governing coastal conservation.
This compelling nonfiction work takes the reader into a convoluted eight month infiltration of a group of squalid criminals trafficking in wildlife by two undercover game wardens. Latham doesn't hold back on the language in this book nor does he downplay the vile acts that occurred against both the human and wildlife victims in this twisted tale. If you think poachers are just a bunch of good old boys out for a bit of meat, this true story is bound to reshape your opinion. Books written about undercover wildlife trafficking investigations are rare --this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A wild collection of illegal hunting and fishing stories—all of them true! Life as a game warden is more dangerous and exciting than you might think. Tom Chapin served as a Minnesota Game Warden for 29 years, and his career was both exhilarating and harrowing. He had run-ins with everyone from illegal night hunters to major fish poachers. In Poachers Caught!, Tom shares the details of 35 of his most amazing, incredible cases. Each short story allows you to experience a riveting encounter as if you were a witness and participant. Fans of the great outdoors of all ages—especially hunters and anglers—will appreciate and enjoy this look into the life of a vital yet often underappreciated enforcer of the law.
In "Wildlife Wars," Terry Grosz serves up fascinating stories-alternately hair-raising, hilarious, and heart-wrenching-from his 30-year struggle to protect wildlife in America. A natural storyteller, Grosz writes about the remarkable characters he met-on both sides of the law-as he matched wits with elk poachers, salmon snaggers, commercial-market duck hunters, and a host of other law-breakers. Best of all, though, these stories are so remarkably entertaining you won't want to put them down. Wildlife Wars is the winner of the 2000 National Outdoor Book Award, Nature and the Environment Category.
Wayne Saunders is a retired Lieutenant Conservation Officer from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department; Lindsay Webb is a naturalist, wildlife biologist, and environmental educator. Together they collaborated with wildlife artist Ashley Mayers to produce The Cowboy in the Woods, the story of a boy whose love of nature leads him in unexpected directions. The idea for this book came from Wayne Saunders own childhood experiences growing up and exploring the woods and streams, lakes and ponds of his native New Hampshire. The love of nature instilled in childhood led to a career as a Conservation Officer. Cowboy in the Woods is the story of Bobby, a boy who spends the whole summer observing wildlife, writing notes in his notebook, fishing with his Dad, and keeping track of all the animals in his neighborhood. While trying to solve a neighborhood mystery, what he discovers is more than just an appreciation for the natural world.
Desperate and alone, game warden Mike Bowditch strikes up an uneasy alliance with a retired warden pilot, and together the two men journey deep into the Maine wilderness in search of a runaway fugitive--Mike's father. But the only way for Mike to save his father is to find the real killer--which could mean putting everyone he loves in the line of fire.
Over his 30 years as a wildlife protection officer for the California Department of Fish and Game, Steve Callan and his working partner, Dave Szody, conducted some of the most fascinating, complex and highly successful wildlife investigations in California history. They also collected a wealth of true stories--action-packed, suspenseful and often humorous.
