A Day in the Life Of (Installment 3)
I can’t begin to recall the number of times I have been asked about what an “average day” is like for a Game Warden in North Dakota. This simple question is often quickly answered with, “there isn’t an average day”. Hopefully this article will help better understand a brief snapshot of what it is like to be a Game Warden in North Dakota, but the short answer is, there is no such thing as an average day. Some days this is because we encounter something. More commonly though it is because our phone rings and off we go to handle that matter. On the chance things are “tame” (we try to never jinx ourselves using the word “quiet”), there may be things to assist with in our neighboring wardens district.
Way back when I was just going through hunters education in my youth was the first time that I can recall hearing just how important it was for sportsmen to be the eyes and ears in the field to stop poachers. While I believed in that concept then and the importance of conservation, I didn’t really comprehend the meaning and the scope of what it meant until I put on the game warden badge and began my first patrol.
I quickly learned that the days would be less the areas I wanted to get to and more about the areas I would have to cut out of that shift if I wanted to patrol the first spots properly. Without having others outdoors being able to call and let me know about illegal activities or injured wildlife, there would be no way to cover everything. Many days my plans change last minute or while in route to patrol a different area when the cell phone rings for an ongoing criminal complaint, wildlife call or just to help another agency.
North Dakota’s game wardens each cover a large area, sometimes with sizable distances between main outdoor locations such as lakes or prime hunting spots. Considering North Dakota is approximately 70,704 square miles and North Dakota employs 32 field wardens, that averages out to be 2,209.5 square miles per game warden. To put that into perspective, if during a standard eight hour shift a warden covers a distance of 200 miles and can see a mile to the left and right the entire time, that puts them at covering about 400 of the average 2,209.5 total square miles or percentage wise, less than 20% of that area (as long as they didn’t backtrack anywhere). As that game warden is the only one assigned to that area as well, it unfortunately leaves the remainder of the day without any patrol being conducted by wardens which, when we miss something, is frustrating. Having others watching and calling in as soon as possible allows us to do our best in covering this monumental task.
While game wardens in North Dakota are on call 24/7, except on scheduled days off, it’s not always hectic. Days with bad weather limiting outdoor activities allows us down time to catch up on cases, go through gear and well, write this article. Each season brings its own challenges with the busiest for me being fall when most hunting seasons are open, but so is open water fishing. I could start the day leaving at 4 a.m. to get out amongst the duck hunters, then on to elk hunters, after which heading to the Red River checking anglers and boats before running back to the wildlife management area’s around the Pembina Gorge for general patrol all the while waiting for the phone to ring and send me a different direction during which I cover an area larger than Delaware or Rhode Island.
While that may seem like an insurmountable task, I doubt there are very many careers out there that provide the freedoms of being a game warden in North Dakota. Each day we get to decide what patrol method will be best and when to go out. Whether patrolling via boat, snowmobile, ATV or in the patrol truck we get to see some of the most beautiful areas in the state and talk to those who are out enjoying the outdoors. We hope that these articles continue to provide insight into our duties and with warmer weather hopefully coming soon, we look forward to seeing everyone out enjoying North Dakota’s great outdoors. If you have any questions, feel free to stop and ask or give us a call. Our phone numbers are listed publicly online.
- District Game Warden Peter Miley
Interested in becoming a game warden? The Department has a full-time temporary district warden position open. Individuals must register no later than May 24. The test is at 10 a.m., May 27, at the Game and Fish Department's main office in Bismarck. Applicants must register by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website. Learn more.