Winter 2005

Welcome to the first installment of IGW’s new column devoted to books by, for and about the members of our profession – “The Warden’s Words”.   After some discussion with the editor Doug Lucyshyn and others I have decided to try and pick up somewhere near where Bob Mullen - “The Rathouse Reader” left off.  Through the life of this column I hope to keep the reader apprised of new titles, enlighten you on some older “classics” and on occasion provide my opinions. Rather than a book review column, I intend it to be an information source for readers of this magazine who also want to read other publications related to our profession.

Perhaps twelve years ago, I picked up my first Game Warden biography, probably based on something I had read in Bob’s column.  Not only was it informational to read about a game warden from a different time and place, but I also found the reading entertaining.  I set out to acquire and read more game warden books – biography, autobiography or fiction - it didn’t matter.  Book searches on the Internet turned up more titles than I ever realized existed.  More titles are being printed every year and the genre, especially Game Warden fiction, seems to be increasing in popularity.

Game Warden novels are not a new phenomenon – the warden was a central character in many young-adult fiction books as far back as the 1950’s.  However, in the last dozen years or so several series of mainstream novels have emerged and are immensely popular.

Ken Goddard, Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab in Oregon, penned three novels, beginning with “Prey” in 1992.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Henry Lightstone was the hero of this novel as well as its sequels, “Wildfire” (1994) and “Double Blind”(1997).   Although well crafted, the story line was far too fantastic and complex for me - a mere moose and goose guy.

Since 1998  Skye Kathleen Moody has written at least five novels about fictional US Fish & Wildlife Service Agent Venus Diamond.  I can’t really comment on these as I have not read them, but Bob Mullen provided more detail in his Winter 2002 column.  Bob also wrote about Jessica Speart’s first novel, “Gator Aide” (1997) in the Summer 1998 issue.  Her next two novels, “Tortoise Soup” (1998) and  “Bird Brained” (1999), were reviewed in the Summer 2003 issue.  The heroine of these novels is also a USFWS Special Agent and according to Bob (I have not read this series either) these books are entertaining, although they are poorly researched and not overly true-to-life.

Nevada Barr, a former U.S. National Park Ranger, now full-time author, published her first Anna Pigeon novel, “Track of the Cat”, in 1993.  Heroine Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger (modeled loosely on Barr) and each novel finds her solving a murder in a different National Park or Monument.  I really enjoyed most of them, but I have not picked up a copy of 2005’s “Hard Truth” and I have not yet read her twelfth, 2004’s “High Country”, because I am having a tough time getting through 2003’s “Flashback”.  It is a strange book – woven into the contemporary murder mystery are entire “flashback” chapters about fictional events that occurred at Fort Jefferson during the Civil War.  These chapters are written in what I can only describe as a “Wuthering Heights” period style and I am finding them very dry.  I’m sure they have some significance to the murder investigation, but I don’t have the patience to plod through them.

Something was missing for me in all the aforementioned novels, and I can tell from Bob’s reviews that he was looking for something else too.  That missing element, a good old-fashioned State Game Warden, finally appeared in 2001 in novels by two separate authors.  Joseph Heywood, an established Michigan author, published “Ice Hunter – A Woods Cop Mystery” (see Rathouse Reader, Winter 2001-02), with Michigan Conservation Officer Grady Service as the hero.  Officer Service was a realistic character that I could relate to.  Meanwhile Wyoming author C.J. Box introduced us to Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett in his first novel, “Open Season”.  Both books are fantastic reads, even if the story line isn’t all “moose and goose”.

In 2002, an author from the Lone Star State threw us headlong into the wild and wooly world of Game Warden John Marlin in “Buck Fever”.  Novelist Ben Rehder has a great tongue-in-cheek, shotgun-style of writing that bounces all over, introducing new events, and bizarre and colorful characters at every turn.  I couldn’t stop reading trying to figure out how on earth Rehder was going to tie it all together.  One word of caution – of the three authors, Rehder’s stuff is the raunchiest – I’d give it an 18+ rating.

Any of these three characters could be a real officer, but the authors have bestowed each with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses.  None of them is perfect and all have human flaws.   The supporting characters are also well drawn out and recur through each respective series of novels.

C.J. Box’s sophomore entry was “Savage Run” (2002), followed by “Winterkill” (2003) and “Trophy Hunt” (2004).  Joseph Heywood released “Blue Wolf in Green Fire” in 2002 and “Chasing a Blond Moon” in 2003.  Ben Rehder’s second novel, “Bone Dry” appeared in 2003 and was followed up with “Flat Crazy” in 2004.  I read each of these books as they came out and was not disappointed by any of them - each one left me anticipating the author’s next release.

In 2005 a new addition to each of these excellent series was published.  I just finished the latest Joe Pickett novel, “Out of Range”.  While not as action-packed as the earlier adventures, it is still a well-written and entertaining book, and probably the most true-to-life.  While Joe looks into the suicide of a fellow Game Warden in that warden’s former district, he continues to conduct regular wildlife enforcement and management duties.  As in each preceding novel, Joe’s character and those of his wife and family continue to evolve and the reader experiences the emotional ups and downs of a Game Warden’s family.

The fourth John Marlin novel, “Guilt Trip” was a blast.  Author Ben Rehder doesn’t appear to be slowing down, and supporting poachers Billy Don Craddock and Red O’Brien are chock-full of possibilities.  I am still waiting for my signed copy of the latest Woods Cop book, “Running Dark”, to arrive in the mail.  I’m sure I will enjoy it as much as the other three Grady Service novels.  I will let y’all know next time.

If you enjoy mystery-action novels, and want to be able to really relate to the hero, track down any of the books in these three great series and hunker down for a great read.

Also of interest, C.J. Box and A.S.A.P. Publishing released a Joe Pickett short story entitled “Dull Knife” this year.  There are two different limited editions of 200 numbered copies each.  There is also a limited run of twenty-six lettered special edition copies in a cloth-covered hard case, complete with a reproduction Wyoming Game Warden badge (which, incidentally, looks nothing like the real thing) affixed to the inside.  These editions are signed by author C.J. Box, illustrator Phil Parks and the author of the introduction, Ken Bruen.  The list price for the numbered limited edition of 200 copies was $40 and the lettered special edition was $150 and all were pre-sold to booksellers, so none are available through the publisher.

I would have thought that a Joe Pickett short story would have focused on a wildlife investigation instead of a murder, so I was somewhat disappointed with this work.  Being a short story it doesn’t really get off the ground.  The only reason to pick up a copy would be as an investment or to complete your collection.

So that’s it until next time.  If you have any questions or comments, drop me an email.  Stay safe and happy reading.
 

In the last installment of the Warden’s Words I introduced you to three great fiction series.  In this issue I will follow up on one of them, introduce you to another, revisit a great non-fiction series provide some info on a couple other titles –a new one and a couple of great old classics.

First, I would like to offer an apology to Skye Kathleen Moody, who I incorrectly referred to as Kathleen Skye Moody in the last issue.  I’d like to offer at least a partial apology to Nevada Barr as well.  I have given up on “Flashback” for now so I decided to take on the next book in the series, “High Country” (2004).  I have no complaints about this entry in the series – Barr is back in fine form and the book was very enjoyable.  In this novel, Anna Pigeon sets out to try and solve the disappearance of some residents of Yosemite National Park, only to come up against the usual bad guys and murderers and ultimately solve the mystery.

My copy of Joseph Heywood’s fourth Grady Service novel, “Running Dark” arrived just days after I submitted the last column.  As expected, I was not disappointed.  This one is a departure from the earlier novels, in that it goes back in time to Grady’s early days as a C.O. and chronicles his fictional involvement in actual events that occurred in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the 1970’s.  The plot centers on warden duties and there are no sub-plots about murder or drug trafficking that the Conservation Officer gets wrapped up in.  It’s a really good read and was hard to put down.

There have been advertisements for a series of novels by Kirk Russell in recent issues of International Game Warden.  I picked up a copy of the first novel in the series, 2003’s “Shell Games”.  I was introduced to Lieutenant John Marquez of California Fish and Game’s Special Operations Unit.  Marquez is a former DEA Agent who is haunted by the murders of his fellow agents and the killer who he believes is still out for his blood.  Although this novel begins with a double murder, Marquez and his motley crew of officers stick primarily to their fish and game duties.  Of course their work and the murder investigation become entwined and the excitement builds.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for your own library.  I will review his subsequent novels, “Night Game” (2004) and “Deadgame” (2005) in the summer issue.

From the non-fiction side of the game warden book business comes “The Thin Green Line” (2004).  This is the sixth and final installment of Terry Grosz’ excellent memoirs.  Johnson Books in Boulder, Colorado publish this fine series.  If you haven’t yet read any of Terry’s books I highly recommend you start.  Terry’s first book, “Wildlife Wars” (1999) won a number of awards and some of the stories in it were made into a TV special on Animal Planet a couple of years ago.

Terry is a masterful storyteller who always keeps you entertained from cover to cover, but this book makes a serious point as well.  In the preface to the “Thin Green Line” Terry makes a straightforward and impassioned plea to the reader and states that he is now convinced that we cannot win this battle we all fight.  He says we did not win because of the poachers, the general public, prosecutors, politicians, the “system”, inadequate budgets and ineffective conservation officers.  It is very powerful stuff and based upon his observations made over 30 years as a California State Game Warden, US Game Management Agent and Special Agent.

On a lighter note, retired Canadian National Park Warden Mike Schintz has recently published a recollection of adventures in Canada’s National Parks, through Rocky Mountain Books of Surrey, British Columbia.  “Close Calls on High Walls” (2005) is a very well written account of some of the close encounters Mike has experienced during rescues and patrols in his long career in the Rocky Mountains, on Lake Superior, and at other points along the way.  It isn’t full of your standard poacher chasing tales, but is enjoyable just the same.  Schintz has the natural ability to paint a very clear and vivid picture of the surroundings and the events, almost transporting the reader to the locations where the events take place.   Although he co-authored a history of the Park Warden Service in 2000, this is his first foray into pure story telling and he rises up to the challenge and wins.

Finally, for the younger readers and the book collectors, I’d like to make mention of two Jim Kjelgaard classics in the Game Warden genre.  Kjelgaard was an avid outdoorsman who primarily wrote books that featured young men and their dogs.  His best known title is probably  “Big Red” (1945).  His first book was “Forest Patrol” (1941) but his seventh book, 1949’s “A Nose for Trouble” is of interest to Game Warden book readers.  “A Nose for Trouble” is about a young man named Tom Rainse who returns to his native hill country and receives a bloodhound cross as a gift from an old family friend. Tom is then recruited as a Game Warden to help put an end to the market hunting that is occurring throughout his beloved hills.  It is a wonderful story to introduce young readers to game warden fiction and is devoid of all the murder and drugs found in today’s adult fiction.  “Trailing Trouble” from 1952 is the further adventures of Game Warden Rainse and his hound Smoky, but I have not yet been able to track down a decent, original copy of it so am unable to review it completely.  A clean, original copy of either book is difficult to find unless you are willing to pay handsomely for it.  Most used copies are ex-library books with the usual markings and card pockets glued inside them.

Where to find books:

Many newer titles are available in the US at major bookstores, but are much scarcer in Canada.  Many books can be purchased directly from the publisher or author as well.  If you are looking for older books or bargains on recent titles, and even signed copies, an online search can prove productive.  I have found a few great old books through visits to used booksellers, but many of these sellers are now registered with the online book-finder services so you can search from the comfort of home.  Great books, and the occasional deal, can sometimes be found on the Internet auction sites as well.  I live in the extreme north and don’t have a lot of opportunity to visit decent bookstores, and I prefer to collect signed hardcover copies, so online or direct contact with the author is my preference.

So that’s it until next time.  If you have any questions or comments, drop me an email.  Stay safe and happy reading.
 

Summer 2006

Welcome back to another installment of the Warden's Words.  I thought of reviewing books from Quebec, in honor of their hosting of the 2006 NAWEOA conference, but I couldn’t find any.  That’s probably a good thing because any that do exist are most likely written in French and my comprehension of the language isn’t so good.  In lieu of a Quebec feature I am presenting you with a veritable "dog's breakfast" from every corner of the “literary” map in an effort to try and cover off several loose ends.

As promised in the last issue I have now read both of Kirk Russell's follow-up novels in the John Marquez series.  I devoured these two books in very short order.  What I enjoy about this series is that the focus of the novels, and the work of the Special Operations Unit, remains primarily in the fish and game realm.  There is the occasional murder tossed in for the police to investigate concurrent with the SOU’s wildlife investigations, and the two inevitably become intertwined.   In "Night Game" (2004) Marquez' SOU is trying to crack a bear poaching ring in a district that is patrolled by a former SOU Lieutenant who bears (no pun intended) a grudge against Marquez because of circumstances revolving around the downsizing of the SOU eight years earlier.   This former SOU officer is indirectly involved with the local poachers, which further complicates the ongoing operation.  Add to that an informant who is not completely forthcoming with information, a possibly blown cover and threats against Marquez' family, and you have a great novel with plenty of suspense to keep you turning pages well into the night.

In 2005's "Dead Game" the SOU takes on sturgeon poachers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta area.  Unfortunately the team is now down to only three officers and is on its last legs due to budget cutbacks.  They are given three weeks to wrap up the sturgeon case before the team is to be disbanded until such time as new money is found.  Even with the odds stacked against them, the team forges ahead and makes the case (of course!). This third installment in the John Marquez series easily meets the mark in the world of "eco-thrillers" (a new terminology coined for this series).  In the acknowledgements for this novel Kirk Russell states that he wrote this series with the belief that he could help those who have devoted so much to saving open country and the wildlife in it.  In other words he wrote these books to help us educate a larger segment of society than we normally contact.  I hope he's accomplishing that - unfortunately these books are not easy to find outside the US.  They are published by Chronicle Books, 85 Second Street, San Francisco – www.chroniclebooks.com , and distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books, Vancouver.

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett returns in the recently released novel "In Plain Sight".  Although author C.J. Box doesn't appear to be letting up, poor old Joe is pretty much done and questioning if he wants to continue working for the state.  There has been an election with a new "Wyoming Democrat" governor taking power.  The Fish and Game director resigned as a result and has been replaced by meddling bureaucratic administrator Randy Pope, prompting Joe's supervisor to take early retirement.  Pope wants to rid the state of Game Wardens who have "gone native" or whom he has deemed to be uncontrollable cowboys.   Because of Joe’s record of going off a bit half-cocked and getting in some pretty big wrecks, killing a few people and burning up a few trucks, Pope has taken on the direct supervision of Joe’s daily activities.  Consequently he is micromanaging Joe to death.  Top that off with the arrival of a wacko out to seek revenge against Joe for his involvement in the deaths of several of his family members, and Joe's life is heading downhill.  The matriarch of a prominent local family goes missing and the feud between the two older brothers intensifies and has an effect on the whole community.  The new psycho in town leaves Joe and his family some chilling messages and when the local police are not moving as fast as Joe likes, he decides to throw caution to the wind and "go native".  Things get real hairy, real fast and it’s one heck of a good rodeo.  I don’t want to give the ending away, but this one leaves some big question marks and no doubt Mr. Box has some surprises in store for us in the next book.  I'm looking forward to it.

In the last issue I wrote about Terry Grosz' sixth and supposedly final book in his excellent series.  Well I'm here to tell you that the big man just can't seem to slow down.  Johnson Books, a division of Big Earth Publishing, 3005 Center Green Drive, Boulder, CO, 80301 – www.johnsonbooks.com , has just published the seventh and allegedly final installment in the series - "Genesis of a Duck Cop - memories and milestones".  While the first six books were intended to give the reader a sense of what the action in the world of wildlife enforcement was really like, this book provides you with insight into the man behind the badge.  The book is divided into two parts - the first part is called Memories and describes why and how Terry got to be a "Duck Cop".  Part Two, called Milestones, is where Terry again regales us with some memorable events from his 32 year career.  Unfortunately I can't provide you with a complete review of this book yet, because I just received my copy from Terry a couple days ago and I have a deadline looming.  However, I have not yet been disappointed with one of Terry's books and I don't expect to be this time.  You can pick up a copy of this book, or any of Terry Grosz' other fine books from most major bookstores, from the publisher or directly from Terry c/o 8041 Grizzly Way, Evergreen, CO 80439 – phone: (303) 674-1653.  The cost for Duck Cop is $20 US and an additional $2.07 for shipping in the US and $5 to Canada and overseas.

Five hundred copies of "Lost Patrols of the Arizona Game Rangers" by Kimrod Murphy were printed in 2005 and sold out in three months.  A second edition has been printed and is now available directly from Kim Murphy – all profits go to the Arizona Game Rangers Association.  Mr. Murphy tells the story of Ralph Morrow, a man who started as a Deputy Game Warden, rose up through the ranks, took an undeserved (but welcome) demotion and ultimately became a State Game & Fish Commissioner.  Murphy provides insight into some of the inner workings of the historic Game and Fish bureaucracy, provides some general Arizona historical information and tells a few tales about his own 38 year career.  There aren’t a lot of poacher-catching stories here - most relate to game management and departmental politics, but the author has such an easy style that it is a pleasure to read.  One can easily imagine him telling these stories, exactly as they are written, around the campfire.  If you care to part with $18 ($24 Canadian) you can’t go wrong, and you are supporting a good cause – send your payment to Kim Murphy, PO Box 16146, Portal, AZ, 85632.

“Insignia of the California Resources Agency” by Michael G. Lynch, Douglas T. Messer and Steven D. Huntington is a must-have for the badge and patch collector, especially one with an interest in California items.   This 58 page hardbound book is full of glossy color photos as well as a wealth of historical information about the agency and its badges, patches and other collectibles.   The book is well put together and a nice collector’s item in its own right.  It came about as a spin-off project from the California State Resource Protectors Sesquicentennial badge project.  While the badge was issued for wear by state Game, Parks and Forestry officers in 2000, the book wasn’t published until 2004.  This book is a steal for only $15 US (plus shipping) from Mike Lynch, Box 3212, Auburn, CA, 95604-3212, phone 503-885-9420 - email: lynch@psyber(DOT)com .

The final publication I want to tell you about isn't exactly a book, but is worth mentioning here, as our very own Patch Exchange columnist Mike Lathroum produced it.  Mike has put his massive collection of conservation patches and his network of collector friends to good use and produced a CD entitled “Conservation Agency Memorabilia – A Pictorial Reference for Collectors”.   If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this little project is about 6 million words, as there are almost 6,000 images on it.  I know how much time and energy was put into this project as I provided some minor assistance to Mike over the several years that it took to pull this off.  It is a comprehensive guide to the embroidered insignia worn by natural resource officers worldwide and is interspersed with historic and contemporary photographs of officers on the job.  The guide also contains non-enforcement, Smokey Bear, hunter safety, commemorative issues, and reproduction patches and more.  There have been other guides produced in the past, mostly just photocopied patch collections, but this one goes way beyond and even provides the dates of issue when known.  If this publication was printed as a book it would be massive – 8.5 by 11 inches and 400 pages long, but it is produced in Adobe Acrobat which is now the standard for computer based publications.  The Acrobat Reader is available for free online so if you’ve got a computer and Internet connection, you can view this CD.  If you are a collector or a historian I would highly recommend this reference guide.  It is available for $50 US, which includes shipping in North America.  For more information on this product take a look at Mike’s website - www.geocities.com/gamewardenpatchexchange/book.html or contact him at kmlathroum@comcast(DOT)net or at the address listed in the Patch Exchange column.

With a busy summer planned, I probably won’t get a whole lot of reading done in preparation for the next column.  I do have a pretty extensive collection of books in my basement though and I plan to get you up to speed on titles from my favorite vacation destination, “The Great Land”, in the fall issue.   If you have any questions, comments or a book you’d like reviewed, drop me an email

Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.
 

Winter 2006

I’m back after an unplanned absence in the last issue.  Sometimes your summer vacation doesn’t go exactly the way you intend and you end up spending a bit more time in the Great Land than expected.  I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say that my vacation was three weeks longer than planned and involved two new engines, a lot of rain, a lot of stress, some helpful and gracious people, about $7000 I didn’t have, and some very interesting experiences.  After all that, I hope I was at least missed by a few IGW readers.  I know one of my fellow officers here in BC has been reading the column, as he called and left me a message advising that he would help interpret any French-Canadian Game Warden books I happen to come across.  So far I haven’t been able to take advantage of that offer.

In my last column I said that I would get you up to date on books from the “Great Land”.  In case you don’t know, the Great Land is Alaska - the panhandle of which lies just to the west of my patrol district.  I frequently travel in and out of that part of the state in the course of my duties, but I like to head to the “interior” on vacation.  During last year’s trip through Anchorage (which incidentally is much larger and a couple hundred miles closer than the nearest city in my home jurisdiction of BC) I picked up several books I hadn’t yet read.  This year I had a lot of time to kill there and was able to pick up a few more and track down some signed copies of ones I already had.

We all know that the Conservation Officer ranks are composed of predominantly male officers, so it only follows that the majority of “game warden” books are either the memoirs of male officers or novels about male wardens.  There are many female game wardens within our profession but their stories have been slow in being told.   In fact if I look through my own large collection I have three fiction series with female protagonists and there is one chapter about a female officer in Terry Hodges’ book “Predators”.  So when a non-fiction title penned by a retired female U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent comes along it is of special interest.

“A Hunt for Justice”, written by Lucinda Delaney Schroeder, and published by Lyons Press, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437 in 2006, is a welcome addition to the game warden book world and my collection.  Many of us may be somewhat familiar with the story of how she posed as a big game hunter with an unscrupulous guide in Alaska in 1992 and ultimately brought about his demise.  In fact, on a larger scale the entire operation resulted in charges against a number of guides and their clients and forfeiture of numerous aircraft and other equipment.  This is Lucinda’s autobiographical account of her involvement in Operation Brooks Range.   And what an account it is - I read this book in two sittings as it was hard to put down.

Lucinda “Cindy” Delaney was hired as a USF&W Service Special Agent in 1974 - only the third woman to hold that title.  She became the first female field agent in 1975 when Willie J. Parker hired her to work out of the Raleigh, North Carolina office.  In Parker’s 1977 book “Halt! I’m a Federal Game Warden” he offered Cindy his praise and indicated that he felt she was destined for further success.

“A Hunt for Justice” is unique as it is not a collection of “war stories” but rather the story of just one complex case that Schroeder was involved in.  The book is written much like a novel, beginning with some background that develops Cindy’s character and helps you understand her motivation to succeed.  The remainder of the book is full of twists and turns, suspense, obstacles and intrigue – and it’s all true.  Cindy Schroeder writes with honesty and humility about her involvement in Operation Brooks Range and touches on the personal and professional highs and lows that many of us experience in our work.  It is obvious that this case was important to her, not only to prove she could overcome the barriers within her own agency, but also to protect the wildlife at all costs - professional and personal.  It not only serves to promote wildlife conservation, but it also recognizes the valuable contributions of one female officer in our profession without being boastful or self-promotional, while remaining entertaining through-out.  A nice added touch is a photo section in the middle of the book that helps the reader remember that what is written actually took place.

One of Cindy’s goals was to write a book that could be inspirational to all wildlife officers – to show what can be done in the face of adversity and what has to be done for the sake of our precious resources.  Yet what is great about this book is that it can appeal to a wide audience that includes wildlife professionals, conservationists and mystery lovers.  If you are going to read only one “game warden” book this year, or encourage someone else to read one, this should be the book.  If you’d like more information visit Lucinda’s website at
www.ahuntforjustice.com .

A classic game warden book from the Great Land, which has long been out of print, is “Trails of an Alaska Game Warden” by Ray Tremblay (1985).  Ray began his 25 year career with the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 1953 in Fairbanks as a “flying game warden”.  At that time the Territory did not have its own enforcement staff, and the federal agents who enforced the Alaska Game Law were called Alaska Enforcement Agents - the title was changed in 1956 to U.S. Game Management Agent to conform to the title used in the lower 48.  After statehood in 1959 came the creation of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, with its own Wildlife Protection Division, but Ray continued on with the USF&WS, eventually rising to the position of Special Agent in Charge.  After his retirement from the USF&WS in 1978, Ray went on to work for the Alaska Department of Public Safety as its Aircraft Supervisor.  Most of this book tells of his experiences during the territorial days and provides an interesting historical insight into wildlife protection, enforcement and predator control during that period.  There are lots of interesting stories revolving around the use of aircraft while conducting these duties.

Ray had always intended to write another volume to continue the story after 1959.  What eventually resulted was an updated version of “Trails”.  The order of the chapters has been changed, with each chapter re-edited and some additional material added.  A number of photos have been added (there are none in “Trails”) and about one quarter of the book is entirely new material from the period after statehood.  While “Trails of an Alaska Game Warden” is a bit choppy and rough around the edges (probably truer to Ray’s real character), “On Patrol – True Adventures of an Alaska Game Warden” is a highly polished publication.   Sadly, as the book was going to print in August of 2004, Ray passed away suddenly.   The book was published posthumously in September 2004, by Alaska Northwest Books, Box 10306, Portland, Oregon 97296.   If you don’t have either of these books, “On Patrol” is well worth having and easier to locate than Ray’s earlier title.  But if you already have a copy of “Trails of an Alaska Game Warden” I would recommend grabbing a copy of “On Patrol” for the additional material mentioned above.

“Beyond the Killing Tree” was written by Stephen Reynolds and published by Epicenter Press, Box 82368, Kenmore Washington 98028 in 1995.  Reynolds began his career as a Streamguard for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska in 1957.  This was followed by work as a New Mexico Game Warden from 1959 to 1969, followed by employment as an Alaska Wildlife Protection Officer-pilot, a big game guide and an Alaska State Fish and Wildlife Trooper.  He retired in 1986.   The first part of this book chronicles Reynolds’ activities in New Mexico and is a nice mix of poacher-catching and predator control tales written in a unique present-tense style.  Near the end of this section the stories become more introspective in nature, and this sort of storytelling continues into the Alaskan portion.  It’s certainly not the type of storytelling found in most Game Warden memoirs - the theme of the book is Reynolds’ personal evolution, yet his stories remain entertaining and definitely thought provoking.  If you’ve ever wondered why we do some of the things we do, or you have a hankering to get a feel for the Great Land, I recommend this book.

“A Little Further Up the Creek” is a self-published book from 2002 written by former Alaska State Fish and Wildlife Sergeant Bill Belligar.  Belligar began his twenty year career as a Protection Officer in 1962.  Like almost all other officers hired in that day, he was also a pilot.  This 124 page book is composed of 30 short chapters.  The first two chapters build the foundation for why Belligar chose this career.   The following 26 chapters run the gamut of game warden fare from Belligar’s career in Alaska and all are well written and entertaining.  There is not a lot of window dressing here – Belligar just tells the story in a concise manner and moves on to the next.  The final two chapters are more personal in nature and tell of his family and his own spiritual evolution.  He keeps it to the point though and doesn’t get all bogged down in it.  The book is interspersed with a number of photos.

“I Slept With the Bears” by David H. Carpenter (2003) is another self-published memoir from a retired Alaska Wildlife Trooper-pilot.  Carpenter wrote this book in a conversational style and intended for the reader to imagine him telling his stories by a cozy campfire somewhere in the Alaska bush.  Carpenter begins the book by telling of his move to Alaska from Michigan, and then quickly jumps to 1973 when he was hired as a State Trooper.  He tells of the academy, and of his postings in Anchorage and Delta Junction as a regular Trooper.  In 1975 he made the transfer to the “brown shirts”, as the Fish & Wildlife Troopers were known, and the rest of the book recounts his time in Kodiak, Palmer, and Haines and finally back to Anchorage where it all began and where he finished his career.   This book is a real potpourri of Alaska frontier policing and game warden fare – everything from stake-outs, flying, sleeping with bears, commercial fisheries, general patrols, and poacher tales.  It is a highly enjoyable, honest, and unpretentious story of his journey through the world of wildlife protection in the Last Frontier.  Dave Carpenter retired in 1994 when he felt that he could no longer keep up with the changing times – he was getting older and was not enjoying the long, cold hours as much.  The pressure to write copious citations and the requirement to use computers for writing his reports settled it for him and he decided to make room for a younger, more energetic computer whiz.

On Patrol, Beyond the Killing Tree, A Little Further up the Creek and I Slept with the Bears are all available through the Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers , PO Box 100280, Anchorage, Alaska 99510-0280; phone 800-770-5050; www.alaskatroopermuseum.com.

This next series of books is of interest because they are compiled by Chad Carpenter who is Dave (I Slept with the Bears) Carpenter’s son and because they depict Alaska’s wildlife, hunters, anglers, Troopers, Game Wardens, and a host of other subjects in a warped, twisted and hilarious way.  We all need a good belly laugh from time to time.  “Tundra” is an Alaskan grown comic strip that has increased in popularity over the last 15 years and is now enjoyed in the lower 48, Canada and Europe.  Although it is primarily a daily strip, there are a whole host of spin-off items, including 12 books (at least three of which are in full color).  I thought of reprinting one of the comics here to give you a taste, but I couldn’t decide which was the funniest – instead I ended up sitting here thumbing through one of the books and not getting down to business.  Chad’s artwork is unique and his sense of humor is way out there.  His material will make your eyes water and your stomach hurt, especially when he pokes fun at us and our clientele.   I’ll tell you what – log on to www.tundracomics.com and see for yourself.

I hope you enjoyed this segment featuring books from and about Alaska.  If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit the Great Land you are missing out on a real treat, but if you want to get a bit of a feel for what the 49th state has to offer, pick up any of the books I’ve written about here, and let your adventure begin.

In our next issue I plan to provide you with a mixed bag of old, new and forthcoming titles. If you have any questions, comments or a book you’d like to see featured, drop me an email - I enjoy hearing from you.  Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.

GW

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I was speaking with another officer a few weeks ago and he mentioned seeing the picture of my neighboring Yukon officer on the cover of the last issue.  I asked him if he’d been reading my column and he replied that he didn’t know I’d been writing one.  I directed him to the appropriate pages and he stated that he never noticed before because he only reads the articles if there are pictures that capture his attention.  I always thought that practice only applied to another less wholesome type of magazine – one that certainly wouldn’t have much use for a column on Game Warden books.  I’m certain he isn’t representative of most IGW subscribers; otherwise I’d be writing this column for nothing.  It will be interesting to see if he reads this column and recognizes himself.  As you will notice there is now a picture in my banner – hopefully it is interesting enough to capture a wayward “reader’s” attention and persuade them to hang around and visit.

You have probably noticed advertisements in the past two issues of this magazine for “When Whip-poor-wills Call” by William “Bill” Armstrong.  This publication is an autobiographical account of special events that occurred in the author’s life and career.  Most of the book takes place in the West Virginian Appalachia country, an area that I am not familiar with, but certainly gained a feeling for after reading this book.  The author has created a very warm and enjoyable book that illustrates how a game warden is affected by the people and places around him and how those same people are affected by him.  The book contains a nice blend of human-interest stories, excitement and humor.  There is absolutely no sense of boastfulness or arrogance that is occasionally found in other autobiographies and the book goes a long way to show that Game Wardens are human beings just like the characters they encounter throughout their careers.

An interesting departure from the norm is that the stories are told in past tense until the exciting parts which become present tense.  Once the action subsides they revert to past tense.  I don’t recall ever noticing that in other books, but I didn't mind it at all as it made the action seem more immediate and edgy.

This book will make a nice addition to your collection.  A signed copy of  “When Whip-poor-wills Call” can be ordered by sending $25 US or $29 CDN to W.F. Armstrong, P.O. Box 13, Colora, Maryland 21917, or online by credit card at www.whenwhippoorwillscall.com.

In an entirely different vein is a trilogy written and published by former Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer Murray Bates.   Murray’s first book, written in 2002 was titled “Game Warden – the Career of an Alberta Game Warden 1974-1999 ” and is for the most part a collection of warden tales and memorable events from his career, much like many other warden autobiographies, although this book is entirely about the law enforcement side of the occupation.  Over the course of 205 pages Bates discusses 18 cases in explicit detail.  I noticed very early that there are a lot of references to legal procedures and usage of technical terms that are not found in most books intended for the general public.  This could make the book somewhat unappealing to the lay-person.  However, it’s a well written book and easily related to by anyone in our profession.  Murray was also a guest lecturer and instructor in resource law enforcement at Lethbridge College and it becomes apparent that he hopes this book will become required reading for the students.  Murray finishes this book off with a brief explanation of his final case, some history of the near demise of the Fish and Wildlife Division in Alberta, and of his early retirement for medical reasons.

Murray Bates throws us another curve in his 129 page follow up from 2003 entitled “Game Warden II – Cases from the files of an Alberta Game Warden 1974-1999”.  It is clear that Murray is not just telling stories for entertainment.  He is on a mission to delve a bit deeper into the psyches of the poachers and the finer details of his investigations.  Murray begins the book by providing some background on his classification system for violators and then discusses four cases that illustrate these categories.  That portion of the book, although informative and entertaining by virtue of the bad guys getting caught, is clearly designed to act as a sort of training manual.  The final chapter is a departure from this technical training as Murray discusses the changes to the Fish and Wildlife Division in greater detail than his first book.  He explains how those changes resulted in his demotion and the cover-up of a poaching incident Murray was attempting to investigate involving his replacement (who had come from Alberta Parks).  It’s very clear that Murray was dedicated to his profession and made catching poachers his number one priority.  Although he is clearly bitter about his own treatment, he is also bitter about the near demise of an agency that he was so proud to be a part of and the near erasure of the identity of the “Game Warden” in Alberta.

The final installment in the series was published in 2004 and is titled, “Game Warden III - the Profile of a Poacher”.  This is another unique book because Murray tells about a number of cases that were never solved – how often do we see that?  He takes several different cases, involving several different violators and informants, and strings them together as if they all involved the same individuals.  In this way he gives the reader some understanding into the mindset of a hard-core poacher.  The book illustrates the importance of confidential informants and reveals how much will go undetected in your patrol area if you don’t utilize them.  It is made quite obvious that general “deterrence” patrols will most times barely scratch the surface of what is truly taking place.  My only real criticism of this book is that it was too short – only 90 pages.

If these books sound intriguing, I’d recommend acquiring the entire set.  Murray can be contacted at pcwilb@telus(DOT)net or through Murray E. Bates Publishing, RR 2, Sundre, Alberta T0M 1X0, phone (403) 638-8066.  Make sure to ask him about a Game Warden discount package deal.

The Minnesota Conservation Officers will be celebrating their 120th anniversary this summer by hosting the NAWEOA conference.  It’s timely then that the officers association recently came into over 500 unsold copies of the 1987 book about their history.  Former Minnesota Conservation Officer Woody Schermann penned “Minnesota Game Warden - A History 1887-1987” in 1987 and the book sold well at the time.  As the centennial came and went, interest in the publication waned, and Woody was left with several cases of books stored in his home.  Woody is not well now and his wife has donated these first-edition books to the Minnesota Conservation Officers Association.

I have just read a copy of this publication and it is an eclectic collection of tales and facts from the first 100 years of Minnesota conservation law enforcement.  It is certainly not your standard textbook style historical chronicle.  It is a fairly light read and the author’s personality is stamped all over it.  Schermann relies on many quotes from the reports of the Game Commissioners, newspaper tidbits and recollections of officers of the day to paint a picture of the early years of wildlife protection in the state.  Much of the later material comes from the author’s own experiences, or from events that were in the news during his own career.   He occasionally editorializes what he’s written about, which gives this book a very personal feel.  Some of the material, such as lists of staff, is of substantially more interest to officers in Minnesota than it would be to the rest of us, but I found that many of the trials and tribulations of the Minnesota Warden Service closely parallel issues that existed in my own jurisdiction in the past.  There is a short synopsis and obituary for each officer who was killed or died in the line of duty, along with a picture of each.  There are numerous photos throughout and a couple in particular, taken at the crime scene where three wardens were simultaneously gunned down, are quite poignant.  There are also pictures of early badges and all of the shoulder patches worn up to 1987, albeit in black and white.

This 334 page “new-old-stock” book is a real steal – it’s a large format soft-cover (8.5 x 11 inches) and is less expensive today than when it was first published.  The price in 1987 was $20 including shipping but if you’d like a copy now, you can send a $14 check or money order in US funds payable to “Minnesota Conservation Officers Association” to MCOA, P.O. Box 171, Stacy, MN 55079.  International customers (and that includes Canada) will have to pay a bit more because of added shipping costs.  Contact Bruce Lawrence at bruce.lawrence@dnr(DOT)state(DOT)mn(DOT)us or at (651) 674-2705 for more information.  Copies will also be available at the NAWEOA conference in July – if there are any left.

I made brief mention of two vintage Jim Kjelgaard books that I hadn’t yet read in the Spring 2006 issue.  I have since obtained both books and recommend them both for teenagers or for those of us looking for a bit lighter or more family oriented story than is found in contemporary “Game Warden Literature”.

“Forest Patrol” was Kjelgaard’s first book and was originally published in 1941.  I was expecting to be a bit disconnected as I read about the duties of a Forest Ranger in Virginia  in the 1940’s, but was pleasantly surprised as most of  John Belden’s adventures are more game warden oriented.  When old Ranger Fred Cramer is temporarily re-assigned to another area, he appoints young John as his replacement.  John gets involved in chasing poachers, stocking trout, fire fighting, nuisance bears and a water pollution investigation and never has a dull moment in between.  Unfortunately, this book is long out of print and I am not aware of any more recent paperback printings of it.

“Trailing Trouble” was originally published in 1952 and is the sequel to “A Nose for Trouble”.  It is the further adventures of young Game Warden Tom Rainse and his hound Smoky.   In this book Tom and his partner Buck Brunt are on the trail of bad guys who are creating havoc for fishermen in a wilderness area that is proposed to become a National Park.   There is plenty of action and intrigue to keep the reader’s attention.  It’s pretty light reading for adults, but a great introduction to “Game Warden Literature” for youngsters.    This book is often seen in paperback form, and many public and school libraries will have a copy of it.  Hardcover, clean original editions of these two books are quite rare and highly collectible – not because they are Game Warden Lit, but because they are some of the rarest of the popular Jim Kjelgaard titles.  As such they are not easy to locate and can be quite costly, even when covered with library markings.

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Here are some updates regarding some of the contemporary novelists we have become familiar with:

Library Journal has chosen C.J. Box’s “In Plain Sight” as the best mystery novel of 2006 and it is now available in paperback.

C.J.’s new novel “Free Fire” is scheduled to be on the shelves May 10th.   I was promised an advance copy but it hasn’t arrived in time for this article, so here is the synopsis from Putnam’s:

“Joe Pickett, recently fired from his job as a Wyoming game warden, is working on his father-in-law’s ranch when he receives a visit from the governor. Governor Rulon – a devious but down-home politico – has a special request; one Joe knows he can’t refuse. For weeks, the headlines have been abuzz with the story of Clay McCann, a lawyer who slaughtered four campers in a far-off corner of Yellowstone.
After the murders, McCann immediately turned himself in at the nearest ranger station. Seemed like a slam-dunk case for law enforcement – except that the crimes were committed in a thin sliver of land with zero residents and overlapping jurisdiction, the so-called free-fire zone. McCann has taken advantage of an obscure loophole in the law: neither the state nor the federal government can try him for his crime. The worst mass murderer in Wyoming history walks out of jail a free man.
Governor Rulon, sensitive to the rising tide of public outrage, wants his own investigation into the murders and will reinstate Joe as a game warden if he’ll go to Yellowstone “without portfolio” to investigate. Joe, happy to get his badge back, even under these circumstances, agrees.
It quickly becomes clear to Joe that McCann is deeply involved with some illegal activity taking place in the park – someone tremendously lucrative and unusually dangerous. As Joe and his partner Nate Romanowski search for the key to the murders, they discover that it may be hidden in the rugged terrain of the park itself.”

The next Ben Rehder novel, “Gun Shy” will also be out in May and promises to be as much fun as the earlier John Marlin adventures.

Kirk Russell, author of the John Marquez eco-thriller series of novels including “Deadgame”, has no immediate plans to continue that fine series.  He has published a novel about a San Francisco homicide detective in hopes of broadening his audience.  He states that “abalone, sturgeon and bear aren’t for everybody, but my heart is there and I'm headed back that way.”

I have taken the time to compile a list of all books reviewed in IGW since the first issue.  The list is separated by reviewer (IGW editor or guest, Bob Mullen and myself) and then sorted alphabetically.  I have converted it to Adobe Acrobat and anyone who wishes to have a copy for reference can download it here: IGW Book Review Listing

That’s it for this issue.  In just a couple of months folks will be traveling to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the NAWEOA conference, so I wish you all safe travels.

If you have any questions, comments or a book you’d like to see featured drop me an email - I enjoy hearing from you.  Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.

GW

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Summer 2007

While I was out of town recently an old friend of mine called my home and spoke to my wife.  He told her that he’d just seen the latest issue of IGW and noted that I now had a picture of myself in my banner.  Without beating around the bush he told my wife that the picture made me look fat.   He then said that I should have used my wife’s picture because that would attract more readers (and then my friend from the last issue might actually read it too).  Truthfully it isn’t the picture of me that makes me look fat!!  They say the camera adds ten pounds, but light duties due to a broken ankle and surgery on my arm probably add another ten or more.  Let’s face it, I was already fat and now I’m fatter.  I’m half bald too but I just accept it as part of getting old. However, I did omit the evidence of one of my other physical disabilities from my readers.  Truth be told, I can barely see the pages of the book that I am holding, but I am still too vain to submit a picture of myself with my “Granny glasses” on.

As I was putting the finishing touches on the master list of book reviews that I told you about last issue, I noticed I’d mistakenly listed Ray Tremblay’s classic “Trails of an Alaska Game Warden” as “Tales of an Alaska Game Warden”.  Suddenly the realization that I may have also done so in the text of the Winter 2006 edition struck me.  Sure enough there it is, five times, in print forever.  Spell-check would have never caught it and even though I proofread like crazy, I missed this one.  So I offer my apologies to the family of Agent Tremblay and to my readers.

In honor of the 2007 NAWEOA conference in Minnesota, I have a pair of recent books from the Gopher State to introduce you to.  “They Used to Call Us Game Wardens” and “They Used to Call Us Game Wardens Volume 2” were published in 2006 and 2007 respectively.   They are each a collection of stories by retired Minnesota Conservation Officer Bill Callies and were compiled by his daughter Ivy Hanson and his son Fred Callies following his passing.  Bill was considered a natural storyteller and upon retirement his family encouraged him to write down his stories for them.  He agreed but on the condition that they not be published until after he died.  After Bill’s death in 2003 at the age of 86, the task of typing all his hand printed stories was undertaken.  There were enough stories for two books, but only one was initially planned and the family only wanted to print 100 copies for family and friends.  However, a minimum order of 500 was required.  Ivy and Fred were concerned that this would be a costly venture, but they forged ahead and all the surplus books sold in three weeks.  They had orders for more so a second printing was done.  The response was far more than expected and the second volume was published in January of this year.

Bill Callies didn’t become a Game Warden until he was 43 years old.  He’d worked as a floor layer up until that time, but had always admired his brother-in-law Jerry Leimandt and the freedom that his job as a Minnesota State Game Warden afforded.  This went on for about 10 years and in 1958 Bill took the written and oral exams to become a Game Warden and scored 23rd out of eleven-hundred people who took the tests.  He was offered a position in 1960, conditional on meeting with three senior wardens.  One of the wardens, who later became his supervisor, objected to hiring him because of his age and his snow white hair.  Normally the maximum age at time of engagement was 35, but a law was in place that allowed the age restriction to be waived for applicants who had been honorably discharged from the Armed Services.  Bill was in and took a $6000 pay cut to become a Game Warden.  That is a lot of money even by today’s standards, but in 1960 that was a 60 percent drop in pay from the $10,000 he’d been making in the floor-laying business.  If you could ask Bill Callies today if it was worth it, I’m sure his answer would be a resounding “you betcha”.  He often stated that being a Game Warden was the best job in the world.

What amazes me about Bill Callies and his stories is that they begin at an age when many of us are well into our careers and perhaps at our peak, or maybe even on the downhill side.  Bill put in twenty years as a Conservation Officer and the energy, enthusiasm, determination and love of the job are evident throughout the pages.  He wasn’t the type of warden we’d refer to as “old-school”, a term that frequently denotes an officer who turns a blind eye to a lot of things and would rather fish and hunt on the department’s time than get out there and stir things up.   From his telling of it, Bill ran herd on the poachers in his assigned parts of Minnesota and when one of his fellow wardens wasn’t pulling his weight he’d let him know about it.

I enjoyed both of these books.  They are easy to read and apparently are written pretty much as Bill would have told the stories out loud.  It’s a personal thing with me, but I like the longer more involved stories, which is what Volume 2 is mainly comprised of.  The first book is mostly short one or two page stories.  Either book will stand alone, as they each cover the various duty stations Bill was assigned to, but they also complement each other and being quite reasonably priced there’s really no reason to only buy one or the other.

The books retail for $13.95 each and can be ordered from Barnes and Noble and Amazon or directly from the publisher, Callies/Hanson Publishing, 3308 1st Avenue, Hibbing, MN 55746.  If ordering from the publisher the cost is $17 US each which also covers tax, postage and handling.  They will ship to Canada for the same price.  It is hoped that copies will be available for purchase at the NAWEOA conference as well.  For further information you can call (218)258-7831.

While doing research on new titles as well as older ones that have been overlooked, I came across a book titled “You Win Some…You Lose Some, Recollections of a Newfoundland Fishery Officer” by William Roche.  It was published in 2002 by Creative Book Publishing, P.O. Box 8660, St. John’s Newfoundland, A1B 3T7.  This memoir is only 131 pages long and set in fairly large type so isn’t a long read by any stretch.  It is also not a heavy read and in fact left me asking not only “where is the rest of it?” but “what was the point?”  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect every autobiography to ramble on and on, but I do like to read a few exciting stories.  Maybe it was the mood I was in, but this book never really got going.  Officer Roche worked as a Federal Fishery Officer in Newfoundland for some 24 years, and it’s clear from his tales that fish poaching was rampant in the province, but the stories are pretty much routine patrol type fare.  I suppose to a layperson the stories might provide some level of entertainment and excitement, but to a person who works in this field they were merely run-of-the-mill.  Perhaps they could have been made more entertaining by an injection of humor - something that was noticeably absent.  Another thing I enjoy seeing in these books is what type of fines were imposed in the past and in other jurisdictions, but with only one noted exception Officer Roche merely states again and again that hefty or substantial fines were imposed, or in some cases just that the accused was found guilty.  I had never before seen a book written by a Canadian Federal Fishery Officer and was hoping for something unique and fresh, but unfortunately was disappointed by this book.

Ben Rehder’s latest John Marlin novel “Gun Shy” was recently released and is a bit of a departure from the four previous entries in this series.  As far as being a Game Warden novel, well it really isn’t one this time out.  Although our hero John Marlin is still a Texas Game Warden, he drops everything to assist the Blanco County Sheriff’s office with the investigation of the murder of an illegal Mexican alien.   The backdrop of this story is the national gun debate, and Rehder masterfully pokes fun at both sides as he weaves his satirical web of dirty deeds.  This novel is pure Rehder, from the colorful cast of characters that you need a Rolodex to keep track of, to the raucous wit, biting satire and rapid-fire pace.  Toning down the Game Warden angle is clearly a calculated move to try and draw a bigger share of the market and this book will hopefully do that.  It is a highly entertaining entry from a very talented and humorous author.  As a lover of Game Warden literature I hope that Ben doesn’t stray any further from Marlin’s roots, but if he does I will still continue to read his stuff as he’s one of a kind.   Be warned though, as with previous Rehder novels, this one can get a little raunchy, so it isn’t for the young reader or those easily offended.

I provided some information regarding the release of the seventh of CJ Box’s Joe Pickett novels “Free Fire” in the last issue.  As you read in the abstract from the publisher, Joe is re-instated as a Game Warden by the Governor and asked to go to Yellowstone and see what he can uncover about the murder of four people (from Minnesota by the way), by a lawyer who subsequently walked away scot-free because of a strange anomaly in the law.  Amazingly enough, I learned that this loophole may actually exist and was discussed by Brian C. Kalt in 2004 in a 23 page legal research paper entitled “The Perfect Crime”.  Thankfully no one has ever actually tested this theory in reality, but Box fictionally puts it to the test in “Free Fire”.  He also expands upon another theory regarding the volatility of the Yellowstone caldera.  By weaving the two theories together with a multiple murder, then throwing in Game Warden Joe Pickett and his pal Nate Romanowski to stir up the pot, Box makes for a compelling story with no shortage of interesting turns and bumps in the road.  To make matters more complicated the Governor disavows any knowledge of Joe’s assignment and the National Park Service wants him gone as his antics are drawing too much attention back to the park and to the so-called “Zone of Death”.  As everything begins to unravel and fall into place, it becomes clear that the cause of the murder is much more sinister than just someone out to run a test case through the courts.  This is another well written and entertaining entry by an author who has received well deserved praise for his work.

Steve Reynolds, author of “Beyond the Killing Tree”, a book that I wrote about in the Winter issue, has advised me that he still has about sixty original copies of the book available for direct purchase.  He will sign and personalize a copy for you and ship it out for $15 US all inclusive – he’s not trying to make any money off this one, just recoup some costs.  Steve can be reached via email at RiverRanchRoad@aol(DOT)com or by regular post at 7315 River Ranch Road, Montague, CA 96064.

So that’s it for this issue.   By the time you read this the 2007 NAWEOA conference should be underway.  I’m sure it will be a good one.

Next time I plan to look at another Minnesota warden book, an overlooked Robert J. Adams (author of “Fish Cop”) title, the three book “Poacher” series by Chuck Shipley, and the latest Grady Service novel by Joseph Heywood which is due out in September.  I may throw in a surprise or two as well.

Stay safe out there.  Until next time, happy reading.

GW

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Fall 2007

I have found this Fall column difficult to prepare for. I submit the column about two months before you see it, so it’s mid-August as I try and get this done. Today is the editorial deadline and I just finished the final book I want to write about last night. It was a fine summer’s eve, something that has been lacking in my neck of the woods this year, and it was tough to be inside reading. But it is still too “buggy” to try and read outside in the evenings.

There are also a lot of things going on in the summer as we all know, but this one has been especially busy for my family, with little time to sit down and try to get a half dozen or so books read. There have been a number of roadblocks and tests my family and I have had to negotiate through this summer, including making preparations for a transfer to a new station. We are making our move within the next two weeks (from when I am writing this) and as anyone who has transferred knows, there are huge to-do lists, both at home and at work. The thought of taking a hiatus this summer did cross my mind, but I received a lot of positive comments about my column from many readers, authors and publishers this summer, and that certainly gave me a morale boost.

By the time you read this column I will be in place in my new post in Powell River. I’m moving from an unincorporated town of about 350 people, home of the most westerly and northerly field office in B.C., to a southern coastal “city” of around 15,000. Can anyone say “culture shock”, “kid in a candy store” and “mortgage payments”?

I hope that everyone who made it to St. Paul had an enjoyable time and a successful conference. It was pointed out to me that I referred to it as the 2006 conference in my last column. I made those intentional little mistakes just to check if people actually read the column and I’m happy to learn that some people actually do. And if you believe that, I know of a Nigerian investment opportunity with huge returns for you. Maybe I should enter the names of people who point out my mistakes in a draw for a free book?

Anyway, that’s enough procrastinating and it’s time to get on with business.

In the Summer 2000 edition of this magazine, Bob Mullen introduced us to Robert J. Adams and his career as an Alberta Fish & Wildlife Officer in “Fish Cop”. Mr. Adams continued to write about his escapades as a Fish Cop in “Skunks & Hound Dogs” in 2002 (see Rat House Reader Winter 2002). He has also written a number of books about his youth and one about his time in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, all of which were reviewed by Bob Mullen. Just by chance I came across a third entry in his Game Warden series. This one was published in 2003 and is entitled “In the Shadow of the Rockies”. As with all his others, it is published by Megamy Publishing Ltd., PO Box 3507, Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3A7; email: megamy@compusmart(dot)ab.ca . The cover price is $16.95 CDN.

“In the Shadow of the Rockies” is a welcome addition to my bookshelf, and like Bob Adams’ previous books this one is very well written and highly entertaining. I’m sure Adams could write a book or three about chasing poachers and making the big cases, but he chooses to write about the lighter side of the job – the odd characters and situations, and his tribulations with “The Powers That Be”. From “A 4X4, a Lot, and My Family”, through “She’s a Class ‘A’ Guide” and “A Bear Killed My Wife” to “The Trapper’s Teacup”, Adams natural story telling abilities shine through. With a wry wit and impeccable timing he kept me in stitches from start to finish. It’s not a long book, 179 pages, and is set in large enough type that I can read it at arm’s length without my granny glasses, but it is a very satisfying read. It’s interesting to note that all the stories in the three Game Warden books from Adams appear to come from the early part of his career, so there is great potential for further tales of misadventure from this author. Although the biographical information at the end of each book makes no mention of it, I recently learned that Mr. Adams rose through the ranks of the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division and in fact became one of the “Powers That Be”, serving as Director of the Enforcement Services Branch. I think there might be the makings of an interesting book in that little ironic twist. If you haven’t read this one, or any of Adams’ previous titles, you are missing out on some great Game Warden entertainment.

I might as well continue on with another three book series from Alberta. Author Chuck Shipley is a retired 32 year veteran Alberta Fish & Wildlife Officer who published his first book, “Poachers, Cranberries & Snowshoes” in 2003. This first foray into the world of Game Warden memoirs is a very well done self-published book that consists of a random collection of stories of Shipley’s adventures throughout his career. The book contains a nice mix of tales covering all facets of work in northern Alberta beginning in the 1960s, and is entertaining and easy to read.

Shipley’s 2004 sophomore publication is “Poachers, Beans & Birch Bark”. The stories are still enjoyable, although I didn’t find them quite as fresh as in the first book. A common issue in self-published books is the editing and normally I try and overlook it as long as the stories are engaging. However, I started to notice more editing misses in this book than in the previous one. One particular issue that made the book difficult to read and was quite distracting as it interfered with the flow was the use of the numeral “1” in lieu of the written word “one”. The word is never actually written anywhere in the book, and there is a natural tendency on the part of the reader to confuse the numeral “1” with the word “I”. Use of the numeral is not too bad when referring to a given number of items, unless it is the first “word” of a sentence. Compounding the situation however was Chuck’s tendency to refer to himself or other people as “1”, as in “if 1 needed to go make yellow snow after lights out, 1 had to pick ones way over numerous inert bodies”. Now I don’t know if this was a typesetting problem or what, but if Shipley is planning another printing of this book, I’d suggest addressing this issue.

Chuck’s third book, published in 2006, is “Poacher Chaser Holidays”. There are a few warden stories in this book, but the majority of the stories are, as the title suggests, about Chuck’s days off from poacher chasing and his vacations to his cabin on the Peace River. He paints a wonderful picture of his off-duty life and the history of the Peace River region of Alberta. Although I am obviously a fan of the Game Warden book genre, I do grow weary of reading about the “same adventure, different jurisdiction” over and over. I found it pleasant to see a different side of the author and to read about his personal time with his family and friends. However, I was distracted by the editing of this one as well. The issue this time was primarily punctuation, but some spelling mistakes, repeated phrases and grammatical errors tended to make the story telling somewhat choppy. Hopefully these issues will be remedied for the second printing.

These three books are available through many Canadian book stores or directly from the publisher, JBS Publishing, Rural Route 3, Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 2A3. Their website is www.jbspublishing.com. The cover price on these books is $18.95 CDN. The books, and the ads for them in IGW, list Chuck’s email as cesj1@telus(dot)net and his phone number as 403-845-4234. I tried emailing Chuck following release of the third book and received no response after a few attempts so I gave up trying. I ended up finding my three copies in the “Canadiana” section of a large independent bookstore in Prince George, BC.

There have been a few biographies of retired wardens, and there have been individual stories told about officers who are still serving, but I am not aware of any books written almost entirely about an active duty officer. “Border Warden”, written in 2006 by Murray Mills, is primarily a collection of stories about Conservation Officer Lloyd Steen of Ray, Minnesota. Why would Mills decide to write about Officer Steen while he is still on the job? Mills had originally thought of traveling the US in an RV and interviewing game wardens in various jurisdictions, with an eye to writing a book. The RV plan never materialized and attempts at making short local trips to interview local wardens didn’t pay off either. He bought a resort in Lloyd Steen’s patrol district in upper Minnesota and upon meeting him was enthralled with his stories and even spent time with him on patrol. Sort of like a literary version of the television shows “Game Warden Wildlife Journal” or “E-Force” with all episodes following the same officer.

“Border Warden” is actually a very good book and the stories are top-notch and engaging. Mills writes about Officer Steen with obvious admiration and respect for him. He doesn’t portray Steen as some sort of Superwarden, but as a regular guy who has an important job to do and possesses the determination and perseverance to do it well. In “Diabetic Walleyes” we read about Steen’s gut telling him over and over to keep looking because something with this elderly couple isn’t quite right. I know many of us have been there and tenacity is what broke the case. In “Bitten Twice...the Same Day” we read about Steen trying to release a live wolf from a leg-hold trap – without the benefit of immobilizing drugs. Then there are the compelling events of “Left on the Ice…To Die” and “I Would Have Killed You” that illustrate just how tenuous and hazardous this job can be. These are just a few examples of the great true stories found in this book. There are numerous photographs of Steen on the job interspersed amongst the text. The graphic design and layout is very appealing as well.

One of the early chapters is titled “No Sainthood for the Author” and tells of a minor poaching incident that Mills was involved in during his childhood and although I think I understand why it’s there, the book is supposed to be about Steen and this chapter doesn’t really add anything to the subject matter. It would have been better incorporated into the appendix about the author. There is also a “bonus” fictional chapter at the end of the book that is a wildlife tale, but is not a warden tale. However it was a story that the author felt compelled to write and including it in this manuscript guaranteed its publication. I have to say that it is actually a well written and interesting short story that I quite enjoyed.

“Border Warden” is published by Tower Hill Publishing, 41926 Daley Larson Road, Bigfork, MN 56628; telephone: 218-743-6575; email: borderwarden@bigfork(dot)net. The cover price is $16.95 US or $21 CDN. With the current exchange rate I’d buy it in US funds and save a few bucks.

For fans of Joseph Heywood’s Woods Cop series, a new entry was scheduled for release in September. I had opportunity to read an advance copy of “Strike Dog” and was quick to note that this novel is following the same theme that I noticed in the novels I reviewed last issue. There isn’t really much “Game Wardening” going on in this one, as our hero Grady Service is on the hunt for man-killers. The book opens with Grady learning of the death of his girlfriend and his son in a traffic accident, and it soon becomes apparent to him that they were actually murdered. Then he is sent off to provide assistance to a federal investigation into a serial killer who may be targeting the best Game Wardens in each of the fifty states. There may even be a connection between the murder of Service’s family and the Game Warden murders. It is kind of a far-fetched, fantastical story but author Heywood is able to keep it all on track and tie it together making for an interesting and gripping novel, full of suspense. It has been described by the publisher as being almost a psychological thriller, presumably because it is contains less action and leg-work and more criminal profiling, link analyses and head-work.

It is unfortunate that characters we have grown familiar with in previous Woods Cop novels have been killed off, but perhaps the author saw that Service was becoming too tame and wanted him to go back to the rudimentary existence he led and regain the edge he had when we first met him in Ice Hunter. If you are looking for pure Game Warden fare, this book is lacking in that regard and doesn’t compare to previous Woods Cop novels, but it is a good read nonetheless and a good vehicle to introduce murder mystery fans to this series.

So there you have it for another issue. If you’d like to contact me, point out any mistakes I’ve made this time or know of a book you’d like to see featured, drop me an email. Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.

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Winter 2007

I hope you all had a safe and productive fall season and that things have slowed down a bit so you can spend some time with your families and loved ones.

My fall was busy with trying to get oriented to my new patrol assignment and the challenges that it brings, along with getting my new home in order. I didn’t find nearly enough time to read and prepare for this column as I had hoped so I am offering you a bit less material than usual.

I had also hoped to submit a couple items of a different nature for possible publication this issue but you know how it goes – day to day life and work get in the way. Maybe in the next issue – stay tuned.

I am pleased to note that no one has contacted me to advise of any mistakes in the last column, so the prize pool is still full. However, I did receive a couple inquiries about the investment opportunities I briefly mentioned last issue and may soon be opening an offshore “retirement fund”.

The good news for Canadian book buyers is the soaring Canadian dollar (Loonie) which went as high as $1.10 US at one point. It has always caused me frustration that the Canadian list prices were so out of whack with the exchange rate. Many book sellers responded to the Loonie’s rise by charging the US cover price, but technically we were still overpaying. The sellers claim we pay more because of higher labor and shipping costs. If we buy the books from the US in Canadian dollars we can actually now get them for less than the US cover price. I haven’t yet taken advantage of this, as there is still shipping to consider unless I was making a trip to the US on other business anyway.

At the NAWEOA conference that was held in British Columbia in 2005 I picked up a copy of a self-published book entitled “All in a Day’s Work – Removing Problem Wildlife” by retired British Columbia Predator Control Officer Jack Lay. Although the book was of special interest to me because of my interest in the history of the BC Game Department, it wasn’t a book that I felt really stood out from the pack. The subject matter was interesting enough but the writing and the book’s pacing was pretty rough. I chose to delay reviewing it; mainly because I felt I had saturated IGW readers with enough British Columbia material in the Summer 2005 issue to last them for some time.

In the meantime Jack Lay took the manuscript to a professional publishing house where it was re-edited, some additional material was added and the cover design was altered leading to a re-release in 2006. The basic content is the same but the book is now much smoother and easier to read. As before, the book is full of humor and insight. This is actually the first book that is entirely an autobiographical accounting of the work of a member of BC’s Game Department. One chapter in A. Bryan William’s 1926 classic “Game Trails in British Columbia” discusses his role as the Provincial Game Warden and the only other book that explores the job of the old Game Department in BC to any extent is “Never a Time to Trust” (see Rat House Reader, Summer 2002) which, coincidently, is primarily about predator control as well. There are a few other books written by former BC Game Wardens but they do not discuss the workings of the department or the job (if you are interested in knowing more about them send me a note).

As the first book of its kind published in BC, and one of the few “Game Warden” books to deal exclusively with predator control and not with enforcement, this book is a welcome entry to the genre and should appeal to anyone who has an interest in “Game Warden Literature”. British Columbia was one of only a handful of jurisdictions that ever established a dedicated Predator Control Division and this book also provides some history of that branch and the role that its employees played.

“All in a Day’s Work” (ISBN 0-9781690-1-8) is published by Talus Publishing Group - www.grouptalus.ca. . The cover price is $17.95 CDN and $16.00 US. Please direct any inquiries regarding purchase of the book directly to the author at Box 243 Princeton B.C. V0X 1W0 , via email to JELay@persona(DOT)ca, or by phone - 250 295-6016.

I stumbled on this next book completely by accident and for the first time since I began this column in 2005, I am writing about a book where the story takes place outside of North America – this is International Game Warden after all. I had never really heard of a Patagonian Toothfish until I saw, and subsequently read, the non-fiction publication titled “Hooked – Pirates, Poaching and the Perfect Fish” by G. Bruce Knecht (2006).

Readers may be more familiar with the restaurant industry’s name for this fish - the Chilean Sea Bass – which despite its simple flavor was all the rave on the restaurant scene beginning in the 1990’s. The demand for this fish, which was readily adapted to any type of recipe, exploded and as a consequence over-fishing occurred. As stocks declined in one area, new areas were exploited and despite attempts to regulate the fishery, it was widely abused by “high-seas pirates and poachers”.

“Hooked” begins with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority patrol vessel Southern Supporter locating three vessels suspected of illegally fishing in Australian waters. It then turns the pages back to 1977 as the Patagonian Toothfish is “discovered” and marketing attempts are begun. The chapters then alternate between the attempted intercept of one of the fishing vessels, the Uruguayan registered Viarsa, and the story of the rise in popularity of the fish now known as the Chilean Sea Bass, until the two timelines intersect. The book then focuses on the dramatic and dangerous sea chase that took place between Viarsa and her pursuer. This is the story of one of the longest hot-pursuits ever undertaken at sea and a story about international law enforcement cooperation as Australia hires an armed boarding party from South Africa to finally take control and seize the Viarsa.

Although the end result of this true story is less than satisfying, the book is highly engaging and although intended as an entry into the field of “environmental issues” it also makes for a pretty decent “Game Warden” type story with a fresh perspective and style. There is also a great selection of black & white photos in the book that help give life to the details of the story. “Hooked” (ISBN 13 978-1-59486) is published by Rodale and distributed by Holtzbrinck Publishers.

“Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden – A Memoir” (ISBN 978-1-57003-728-3) by Ben McC. Moise is slated for general release in February 2008. I was fortunate enough to receive an uncorrected proof and very much enjoyed this book by this retired coastal South Carolina Conservation Officer. Ben served from 1978 to 2002 working primarily in the marshes and coastal waters of the Palmetto State. Most of the stories revolve around routine patrols and investigations and there are no really ‘fantastic tales” that make your heart race. The stories are pure, honest and unembellished and because of Moise’s professional writing style he is able to evoke a very clear and bright image of his work in the lowcountry and to ably demonstrate his passion for, and love of, his job. If someone unfamiliar with the work of a Game Warden were to pick up this book it would be a superb introduction to this genre for them.

I am unfamiliar with the southern US coast and in my own career I have not had the opportunity to work many of the types of cases that Ben writes about, so the opportunity to ride along with the author, as he paints his literary pictures in this area of rich and colorful characters, was a real treat. Keep your eyes peeled for this fine addition to the world of Game Warden tales this spring and grab it as you will not be disappointed. It will be published by the University of South Carolina Press, 719 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208. Phone 800-768-2500. Their website is www.sc.edu/uscpress. .

I’d like to make mention of a couple of series of books that readers may not be aware of but may find of interest. The first is a series of books about a character named Webb Carrick, a fictional officer of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Service. The late Scottish author Bill Knox first introduced readers to Carrick in 1964, with “The Scavengers” and ultimately wrote 15 books in this series, the final one being 1991’s “The Drowning Nets”. I have only read a couple of his books, specifically “Hellspout” (1976) and “Witchrock” (1977), and found them well written and entertaining. They are primarily murder mystery type books but Carrick becomes involved because of his duties as a Fish Cop so they fit within the genre. Unfortunately they were never readily available in North America and are all out of print, but copies can occasionally be found through used-book sellers.

Another series that I discovered during one of my trips to Alaska, while not exactly a Game Warden series, sort of sits on the fringes of the genre. Author Elizabeth Quinn has penned five books featuring Dr. Lauren Maxwell, an Anchorage-based investigator for the Wild America Society, which is a fictional Sierra Club-like entity. Maxwell’s role is to investigate the potential effects of industry and government programs on wildlife and wild areas. There are five books in this series, beginning with 1993’s “Murder Most Grizzly” and concluding with “Dead by a Whisker” in 1999. There is absolutely no “Game Wardening” in these books which are strictly murder mysteries. They are very light reading, albeit well written, and are not overly complex or technical. So why am I mentioning them? I have seen these titles listed under the broad category of “conservation” and even “conservation law enforcement” and I wanted to point out what they actually are, so no one unwittingly picks them up thinking that they are Game Warden fare. They are not bad books if you are looking for an entertaining mystery and a distraction.

I have written in the past about obtaining signed copies of books for my own collection and although I am not collecting books as an investment I often wonder what makes a book more valuable, so I did some research to see what the main schools of thought are on this. Certainly the author’s basic signature on the title page, which is frequently referred to as “flatlining”, will increase the value to some extent. However, the more flatlined signed copies out there, the less the overall increase will be for each copy. Maybe you’d think that an inscribed copy would be more valuable, but that is a matter of much debate. If the book is inscribed to the owner, it can be argued that this will verify the signature as authentic (assuming the owner can provide proof), thus making it more valuable. However, a collector will not likely consider a book that is inscribed to some other unknown collector as more valuable than a clean flatlined copy. One exception to this would be where an inscription is to a well-known person indicating the book came from their personal collection, which in itself could make it more valuable. Add to this the author’s signature and you might have a very valuable book. In the case of a non-fiction book, an inscription to a character who is mentioned in it would certainly increase the value of that book substantially. I have signed books meeting all of these criteria in my collection, but I’m not all that hung up on their value on the open market – their sentimental value to me is what’s most important.

Well folks, there you have it for another few months. Please drop me a note at moosecop@moosecop(DOT)net. I am always looking for books from new authors and old titles that I was not formerly aware of. Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.

GW

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Spring 2008

Happy Spring!! I trust everyone made it through the winter unscathed and none the worse for wear, apart from a little bit of winter fat from inactivity and Christmas dinners.

This time around I am devoting my column entirely to non-fiction books and publications about the Park Ranger profession. I realize that many of this magazine’s readers are Park Rangers and Wardens and they have been neglected somewhat.

There has really been very little written about non-fiction Park Ranger books in IGW in its 24 years of existence. Apart from the odd book or two appearing in a list of “Game Warden” books in the early 1990’s, I was only able to track down two reviews or synopses of U.S. Park Ranger books and three of Canadian Park Warden books, so I am setting out to remedy that in this one issue. My list will by no means be exhaustive, nor do I intend to try and review every title. There are also a large number of books out there about the history of the national and state parks services, but I will focus on books written by or written about the personnel, specifically the field staff.

What I believe might be the first book that touches on the work life of a Park Ranger was published in 1928 and is entitled “Oh, Ranger”. It was written by Horace M. Albright, who at the time was the Assistant Director of the National Park Service, and by Frank J. Taylor, a newspaper reporter and author. While it is primarily a light hearted book about the National Parks Service in general, the title alone justifies it’s inclusion in this list. The book is “dedicated to The Rangers and their Chief Stephen Tyng Mather” so clearly the authors considered the heart and soul of the National Park system to be its dedicated field staff. The story of the parks system is told by inserting the ranger as a key figure throughout the book. “Oh, Ranger!” is nothing short of a Park Ranger classic. Early editions of the book are still available from a variety of used book dealers for a reasonable price.

Another book that provides much greater detail about the early days of rangering in the National Park Service is “The Making of a Ranger” (ISBN 0-935704-18-3) by Lemuel A. Garrison, published in 1983. Mr. Garrison began his 40 year career with the NPS in 1932 as a seasonal, and worked his way up through the organization to Director of the Mid-West Region, followed by Superintendent of Albright Training Academy. This book provides a history of the NPS through the memoirs of Mr. Garrison as an employee of the agency during its early evolution. It’s a very well written book with an important place in any collection of Ranger memoirs.

“Park Ranger” by C.B. Colby was first published in 1955 and a second edition was published in 1971. Colby authored a number of books about a variety of careers which were geared toward a younger audience and provided primarily a pictorial look at those jobs. This is a great book for anyone who wants a quick visual overview of the life of a ranger 50 years ago. The black and white photos are crisp and clear and provide a wonderful reference for anyone interested in ranger or NPS history. Most copies on the market today are former school library copies and are quite inexpensive.

Bob Mullen (Rat House Reader) wrote about “Rangers – the Law of the Land” by Paul D. Berkowitz (1995), in the Spring 1997 edition of this magazine. The first part of the book relates the history of Rangers within various US Federal Land Management agencies. The next part of the book contains 364 pages of incident reports involving deadly force and assaults. The final section of the book is a series of essays on a number of subjects of interest to all natural resource protectors. At the time Bob considered this book to be a “must read” and I concur, finding the material to still be relevant in 2008.

“Guardians of Yellowstone” (ISBN 0-688-09213-6) was written in 1991 by then Chief Ranger Dan R. Sholly with assistance from Steven M. Newman. This book is a great snapshot in time of the life of a Park Ranger in probably the most famous national park in the U.S., if not the entire world. It’s another must have for a Park Ranger book collection.

On the Canadian side of things are three separate essays each entitled “Guardians of the Wild”. The first, published as a 148 page hardcover volume, was penned in 1936 by M.B. Williams. It is more of a thumbnail history of the Canadian National Parks system than it is a Park Warden anthology. The second use of the “Guardians” title was made for a chapter in a larger publication entitled “A History of Canada’s National Parks” (ISBN 0-662-11497-3) written by W.F. Lothian and published in 1981. This chapter provides a fairly detailed history of the Warden Service since it’s inception in 1909. The third use was for a very in-depth and well researched history of the Warden Service (ISBN 1-55238-018-1), written by Robert J. Burns with assistance from Mike Schintz, and published in 2000. Bob Mullen wrote a glowing review of this work in the Summer 2002 issue of this magazine.

One of the first true Park Warden biographies from Canada is “Men for the Mountains” (ISBN 7710-5852-7) written in 1978 by Sid Marty. This book is often considered a Canadian classic with regard to National Parks and mountaineering and no Park Ranger/Warden collection should be without it. Mr. Marty wrote the “sequel” to this book in 1999. “Switchbacks” (ISBN 0-7710-5669-9) contains more Warden stories, although they are less interconnected than in “Men for the Mountains”. I don’t know quite how to describe the difference between the two, other than to say that “Men” was written for the reader’s sake, while “Switchbacks” seems to have been written more for the writer’s sake – more about style than substance.

A very interesting book, that puts a twist on the usual fare, was written in 1985 by Ann Dixon, and is titled “Silent Partners – Wives of National Park Wardens” (ISBN 0-9692189-0-7). Bob Mullen wrote a nice review of this book in the Spring 1998 issue and suggested it was a must-have.

I should also make mention of “A Ranger Alone – Experiences of a Young Park Warden”, written by Ray V. Fetterly in 1993. I’ll also remind readers of “Close Call on High Walls” written by Mike Schintz in 2005 and reviewed in my Spring 2006 column.

A recent title I read is “The Last Season” (ISBN 0-06-058300-2) by Eric Blehm, 2006. This is the story of long serving seasonal Park Ranger Randy Morgenson who mysteriously disappeared while on a routine back-country foot patrol in King’s Canyon National Park in 1996. The book moves back and forth between the personal and employment biography of Morgenson, and the ongoing story of the difficult search for him. It is a backcountry detective story of a search for a man who might not want to be found and the author leaves the reader wondering at every turn if Morgenson went into hiding, was the victim of foul or an accident, or just simply fell off the face of the earth. It isn’t the type of book that I regularly read for this column, as it isn’t about chasing poachers and bears, but I found it to be a gripping and worthwhile diversion that is extremely well written.

Another recent Park Ranger book that I devoured and had a hard time putting down is Jordan Fisher Smith’s “Nature Noir” (ISBN 0-618-22416-5), published in 2005. The core of the book centers on Fisher Smith’s career in the Auburn State Recreation Area of California. It takes place in an area that was to be flooded upon the construction of the Auburn Dam by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960’s, but due to a series of roadblocks the area remains above water to this day. California States Parks, through a contract with the Bureau, continues to patrol the deep canyons of the American River, up to 300 feet below the surface of the future reservoir. Many of the activities that would be forbidden in all other parks are overlooked, or are permitted here, as there is little sense in trying to protect the natural resources of an area that is doomed. The rangers spend the majority of their time protecting the users of the area from one another. Interwoven into these tales is the fascinating background story of the reservoir that was never completed. As an amateur historian and professional law enforcement officer, I found this book both informative and fascinating. It’s a first-rate read.

There are a number of more recent Park Ranger books in print which I have not obtained or read, but felt it worthwhile to mention here, should anyone be looking for other books in this genre. If anyone has read any of the following books and would like to pass along their comments, or wants to guest write a review, feel free to contact me.

“The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot: A Park Ranger's Memoir” (ISBN 0-78-643140-7) by Tim Pegram, 2007.

“I'm Just a Seasonal: The Life of a Seasonal Ranger in Yosemite National Park” (ISBN 0-97-291194-4) by Thomas A. Smith, 2005.

“National Park Ranger: An American Icon” (ISBN 1-57-098392-5) by Charles R. Butch Farabee, 2003.

“Park Ranger: True Stories from a Ranger's Career in America's National Parks” (ISBN 0-96-745954-0) by Nancy Eileen Muleady-Mecham, 2004

“Ranger Stories: True Stories Behind the Ranger Image” (ISBN 1-58-385114-3) by Michael John Meyer, 2006.

“Seasonal Disorder: Ranger Tales from Glacier National Park” (ISBN 1-55-566374-5) by Pat Hagan, 2006.

“Hey Ranger! True Tales of Humor & Misadventure from America's National Parks” (ISBN 1589791916) by Jim Burnett, 2005

The U.S. National Park Service has an exceptional history site on the internet containing a wealth of information on all aspects of the park system. One item of particular interest is an online book titled “Badges and Uniform Ornamentation of the National Park Service” which was researched and prepared in 1997 by R. Bryce Workman. It is only available online and contains an abundance of written information, as well as photographs and drawings of NPS badges, patches, buttons and other insignia and uniforms. It is a great resource for badge and patch collectors with an interest in Park Ranger items. You can view the book here.

Finally a few housekeeping items:

Bob Snow, President of the Federal Wildlife Officers Association wants to let readers know about a link on their website titled "Wildlife Officer Classifieds". The purpose of the site is to provide advertising to Game Wardens selling anything of interest to other game wardens – books are one such item that comes to mind. Advertising is currently free of charge. If you would like to list an ad contact Bob through the website or at kysa543@gmail(DOT)com. He will need either a link to an existing website offering the item to be sold or a .PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file with the advertisement already completed. You can preview what they offer by clicking here - FWOA Website

In the last issue I wrote about “All in a Day’s Work - Removing Problem Wildlife” by Jack Lay. Jack and the publisher have requested that all enquiries regarding the book be directed to the author. Jack can be contacted through the following routes - Box 243 Princeton B.C. V0X 1W0, via email to JELay@persona(DOT)ca, or by phone at (250) 295-6016.

Feel free to drop me a note by email if you have any suggestions or information to pass along. I am always looking for books from new authors and for old titles that I was not formerly aware of. Until next time, stay safe and happy reading.

GW

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Summer 2008

Wow! It’s hard to believe that this is my tenth installment of this column. When I first began this column in late 2005, I didn’t really intend for it to be a book review column, but more of an information source for Game Wardens regarding books about our profession. However, as it evolved I found myself doing reviews and expressing my opinion about certain books. What qualifications do I have to be a book reviewer? I’m not yet a professional book author but I have a bit of formal communications training and have written and published a few magazine articles over the years, as well as my regular column in this magazine. If readers don’t agree with my observations that’s their prerogative, but hopefully they will see it for what it is - constructive criticism. If I read a book that is truly a mess I feel bad for the author and because I am not really a “type-A” personality I worry about upsetting him when I say something unflattering about his book in this column. It’s worse when an author has sent a complimentary book to me as I feel a certain obligation to please him. I have to weigh that obligation against the one that I have to my general readership to provide them with a fair account of the books I write about in this column. Despite all that, I always try to find and say something positive about each of the books that I read, and with very few exceptions I have been able to achieve that goal. This issue’s column is no exception – I was fortunate that of the five books I am reviewing, four were first rate, and the fifth, while not exactly in the same league, does have some redeeming qualities. I have observed that occasionally it is a side-effect of one method of publishing that can be a determining factor in whether a book is outstanding or just run of the mill.

There are two methods of book publishing taking place with Game Warden books, and unfortunately the differences between the two are often readily apparent in the final product, especially when it comes to typographical errors and structure.

The method that will lead to the widest distribution and the best quality product, but will also eliminate many authors from the pool, is the use of a professional publishing house. This may require submission of your manuscript to dozens of publishers, but if accepted by one, it also means that they will proof-read and edit your manuscript as part of your contract. Generally they will only want to publish material that will appeal to a wide audience. The real plus here is that the only cost to you is the initial mailing of your manuscripts – if the company feels the book is worthy of publication, all associated production, promotional and distribution costs will be borne by them. However, with the added benefits, comes less profit per unit for the author, but you will likely see a much wider distribution which could mean more profit overall. Generally you do not own the rights to your book until the expiry of your contract with the publisher.

The other method, which is often referred to as “Vanity Press”, a term that inaccurately assumes these publications will not have any appeal to the general public, is to simply pay a company to publish your book for you. Some will require you to do all the layout and design and are merely a printing house that will send the finished books to you for final distribution. Some companies will do layout and design for you for an additional charge and some will even distribute your book for you for an additional charge – the more you pay, the wider the distribution. In most cases you will retain all rights to your manuscript. Once the book is complete, you stand to make more profit per unit than the professional publishing house method, but it’s unlikely that your book will sell anywhere near the numbers that can be generated by the professionals. Think about this – if a publishing house sold 10,000 copies of your book and paid you $2 per copy, or you independently sold 2000 copies at a profit of $10 per copy you would make the same amount of money but you operated risk free and worry free with the publishing house.

The one very important thing that these self-publishing companies will not do for you is provide a proofreading and editing service. Reliance on family and friends will not provide you the same quality as the discerning eye of a professional editor. Relying on your word processor’s “spell check” feature is dubious at best, as many spelling mistakes result in actual words, but not the word that should be used. As previously stated I’m not really a professional, but I can quickly spot spelling, grammatical and structural mistakes in the material I read and I find it distracting and something that generally degrades the quality of the publication. If you are considering publishing a memoir or series of Game Warden tales by this latter method, I can’t stress enough the importance of proof-reading well, even if you need to pay someone to do it.

“It Takes One to Catch One - Confessions of an Alaskan Wildlife Trooper” by Steven A. Knutson was published in November 2007 by Outskirts Press. The author spends less than half of the book’s 278 pages telling the usual Game Warden stories. The majority of the book is an entertaining recollection of the author’s childhood and adolescent misdeeds, followed up with tales from his adventures with the US Air Force, both in Vietnam and in the US. These stories clearly illustrate his somewhat reckless nature and why he claims “it takes one to catch one”. There are some very enjoyable warden tales spun as the author transitions into that phase of his life, but there