Behind the Badge - Respecting the Hunt
Respecting the Hunt
District Game Warden Riley Gerding
Deer season isn’t just a chance for people to get out and hunt.
It’s a delicate balance.
Each year, hunters take to the fields, following regulations designed to keep the herd healthy and the hunt fair.
But there are always a few who believe the rules don’t apply to them.
That’s where I come in.
As the sun dips low and the landscape begins to fade into darkness, I sit perched on a hilltop with a clear vantage point.
Just before legal shooting hours end, a gunshot rings out from behind me.
Moments later, I spot a vehicle coming down the road from that direction.
I raise my binoculars, tracking the movement as it turns into a field and parks near some trees.
I move quickly.
Driving out with my headlights on, I pull up behind the parked vehicle.
As soon as I approach, the driver takes off, heading back toward the highway.
I circle back to the dirt road and follow.
When I reach the highway, I activate my lights and pull the vehicle over.
I step out of my truck and approach the driver.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
He looks down, clearly uneasy.
“I messed up,” he admits.
“I shot a doe and loaded it into the bed of my truck.”
I asked to see the deer.
He steps out and opens the tailgate.
That’s when I notice the tag and it’s not attached to the deer’s ear.
Instead, it’s lying loose on the truck bed floor.
I pick it up and inspect it.
Something doesn’t add up.
The tag isn’t his.
When I asked about it, he claimed it was a mistake and that he meant to use his own tag.
I request to see the one he meant to use.
He hands it over and it’s a doe tag, but for a different unit.
Now we have a bigger problem.
Not only did he use someone else’s tag, but he was also hunting outside of his designated unit.
It’s moments like this that remind me why the rules exist in the first place.
Without accountability, we risk losing not just the balance, but respect for the hunt itself.