It was a bright, sunny, fall Alabama morning. Game warden Jeff decided to go quail hunting. (Dove/quail hunting in the southern U.S. is very popular).
Loading the dog and shotgun in the pick up, he headed out. Arriving home, as the sun was setting across rolling fields of green, his wife met him at the kitchen door, saying the quail season opened next day. He phoned his boss, that evening, and turned himself in, relinquishing his birds and shotgun.
He paid the fine. Now that’s dedication to the job. Ask any conservation officer (C.O.) about his love of the outdoors and doing what he enjoys most, and it’s helping to protect the province’s fish, game and natural resources.
Going back a stretch, the old-time game warden’s started with Brian Williams as head. Over time, more wardens where hired, with volunteer deputies.
Then the provincial police, took an active role in protecting our fish and game, many men being war vets. Into the 1950’s, it became the B.C. Fish and Game branch.
The Okanagan-Shuswap had game wardens, who we as kids became quite familiar with, sneaking home with a .22 stuffed down a pant leg, and a brace of grouse or pheasants, in a burlap sack. Or being chased down a creek from snaring spawning kokanee at Mill creek or Mission Creek in Kelowna. Don Ellis was warden then, Alan Frisby, was in Vernon. His buddies on ride-alongs were Eddie Field and Les Viel, who had a sport shop and guns smithing venture.
Don Cameron was Samon Arm’s fist warden, followed by Don Sharpe. In the 1980’s Les Molnar took over. Les, and I as a patrolman for DFO at the time, had RCMP officer John Ollinger on duty as migratory bird man. We did many patrols together and many fish and game busts along the way.
After much lobbying by Salmon Arm Fish and Game club, and other organizations, we finally got another C.O. in Pat McCharg. Pat transferred to Invermere, and retired there. For the many who watch Backwoods Justice on TV (A game warden and police series) it shows how far some people will go to take game, fish or wood for personal gain with a attitude of disregard for the resource. Fishery officers and CO’s are being faced with the same scenarios in our province, but with shrinking budgets and fewer officers.
Revelstoke, Nakusp, Bella Coola have closed, along with other offices. With a growing population and more resource extraction (timber, mining and water use) today the CO’s duties include waste management, pesticide control, health and safety of wildlife and humans and the list goes on, plus dealing with the Fish and Game Act, and patrols.
Unfortunately, enforcement actions against polluters and violators diminished, with a work force stretched too thin.
Changes are happening in our woods, affecting the animals and birds that live there. It’s up to all of us to help in any we can, to report violations, pollution, and any infractions of fish and wildlife we see. It’s a start in a drastically changing world from what the old time wardens had to deal with.