Behind the Badge - It is in the Stories
It is in the Stories
District Game Warden Gavin Herbert
Every young warden dreams of the “big bust,” a case that you can tell stories about for the rest of your career and into retirement.
While we do get cases that are great stories and are a thrill to listen to and tell, every day is not full of those stories.
It’s full of passionate anglers trying to catch their limit of walleyes or hunters trying to put a tag on that big buck.
When I put my boots on in the morning there is no guarantee what I will find.
Somedays I may not find anything at all.
But more often than not, it is not poachers that I come across.
It’s the weekend warriors and the everyday hunter, angler or boater that fills up most of my days.
They’re happy to present a hunting or fishing license before I even ask.
I get to hear stories and see pictures of “that big walleye” or “that big buck.”
I get to see in real time the next generation find their own passion when I see a parent passing the torch to their child in the form of a fishing rod.
The communities we serve in bring a whole new meaning to the “big cases” because without you all, there would be nothing to protect.
Your opportunity to participate in these outdoor activities is what I find to be the most fulfilling part of my job.
That is why when someone is taking advantage of those of you that follow the regulations, I do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.
This last fall, I had to seize multiple large bucks.
I can’t help but wonder if those deer would have been taken by someone legally if they had not been poached.
Now the opportunity for you to take a larger buck is not as much as it once was.
Because of someone else’s actions, the hunters in my communities have less opportunity.
When I check that family out fishing, I want them to do well.
When I check the tag on a big buck, I’m glad they had the opportunity to take such a great animal.
I’m glad to do my part to protect the opportunities we all enjoy.
Like you I have a passion for the outdoors, I know the memories and bonds that are made over the top of a good bird dog or laying in a corn field waiting for the ducks to fly.
Though game wardens love the stories of catching poachers, the stories that are made by North Dakota outdoor enthusiasts is what it’s all about.