This is in response to “A game warden that hunts” from the Record-Bee Thursday, Dec. 28,2006. A game warden that hunts, that”s a good thing.
Yes, a game warden that hunts is a good thing. How else could they relate to the outdoorsmen and women who enjoy the sports of hunting and fishing? And yes, it is a sport. There are rules and regulations that you must follow and penalties you pay if you don”t.It sounds like Danielle hasn”t experienced the thrill of matching a hatch or tracking and stalking a deer. And as far as “killing” goes, it is harvesting. Killing is just shooting something dead and leaving it. Hunting is harvesting. You shoot whatever game you are hunting and you take it home to eat.
If you were to ask a true hunter about hunting, they would tell you that the biggest thrill of the hunt is being out in the woods testing your skills and knowledge of the outdoors.
Think of a hunting and fishing game warden like this.
If you have a life-threatening illness, the only way you will live is to have an operation.You have two doctors who went to the same school, read the same books and are capable of doing the operation.But one of them has actually done this operation many times. Who do you choose? The one with the experience. Same as a hunting game warden. In fact I would bet it makes them better at there jobs.They can relate to the thrill of the sports, and the temptations of pushing or breaking the rules. Which, I bet, helps them catch the people out there claiming to be sportsmen, but [who] are just low-life poachers.
My son and I recently [went] to a hunter safety course that was taught by our fine and outstanding game wardens. They were also hunters and shooters. We both learned a few things we didnt know, and I,for one, liked the fact that they weren”t just teaching from a book that they had actually experienced the things they were teaching.
If you have ever met our wardens I”m shure you liked them as I dld.That is, unless you met them while doing something you shouldn”t. Then I hope they did their job.
In closing I would like to say thanks to our wardens, and I hope to see you out in the woods or on the river some time.
Randy Hoskins
Hidden Valley Lake
