Behind the Badge
Sometimes Work Finds You
District Game Warden James Myhre
I had last weekend off and was out ice fishing on Devils Lake while the temperatures were in the 30’s and 40’s most of the time.
It was a great weekend to have off, but would have been better if the fish would have been a little more active.
Working as a game warden means we must work most weekends, as we need to be out there when many of the sportsmen and women are recreating in the outdoors.
Having good weather and the time off sometimes is a hit or miss.
While I was out fishing without a jacket on, it made me remember a weekend that I had off some years ago.
That weekend was a warm one for January as well and the sun was shining.
I had made plans to do some pike fishing with my neighboring warden on a lake in south central North Dakota, in his work district.
I got to the lake right away in the morning, and my neighboring warden was planning on getting there later in the day.
I pulled onto the lake and set up about 100 yards from a group of four men who had already set up and were fishing.
The fishing looked good as the group of four had several pike laying on the ice already.
I visited with the group off and on over the next couple hours.
One member of the group was very talkative.
He told me several fish stories and I told a few as well.
As it got closer to noon, I fired up my grill on the tail gate and cooked up some lunch.
I had plenty so I shared some of it with the group.
They gladly accepted and offered me some jerky in return.
In those days the limit on northern pike was three for that area of the state.
I had caught and released several pike, but I did keep two decent pike that were about five pounds each.
Then shortly after lunch the group of four reached their limit of 12 northern pike.
I could see that they had a discussion between the group.
Then two of the four put the 12 northern pike in the back of their pickup and left the lake.
The other two members of the group stayed and watched the 16 lines they had on the lake.
About 10 to 15 minutes went by and then the pickup with the two men in it came back with no fish.
Then the group of four continued to catch and keep more northern pike.
Then my neighboring warden showed up at the lake in his white pickup.
I immediately informed him what was going on as he pulled up.
I would have called him, but there was little to no cell phone coverage there.
He decided to keep going and fish away from me, because he had been the game warden in that area for many years and many people knew him.
I spoke to him for only a minute or two and then walked back to my lines.
One member of the group asked me if that was the game warden, I told him that I don’t know anyone around here because I don’t live around here.
That seemed to satisfy his curiosity.
Then after some discussion within the group they concluded that my neighboring warden, who pulled onto the lake, was in fact the game warden for the area because he was driving a white pickup.
I heard one member of the group say that they were OK because he must have the day off.
The four fishermen seemed to relax a bit.
Then I got the opportunity to listen to a few game warden jokes that they had.
Most of them I had heard before, but I did learn a couple of new ones.
They continued to fish and were very close to completing their second limit of pike for the day.
I decided that I would take the bait off my lines, so I would not be distracted by catching and releasing, but still have my lines in the water.
It wasn’t long after that when the group of four had their second group of 12 northern pike on the ice.
Then the group started pulling their lines up and preparing to leave.
I immediately pulled my lines up and grabbed my identification and badge.
I reached the group about the same time they were pulling the last couple lines and identified myself as a game warden by showing the group my badge and identification.
All four of them had the “deer in the headlights” look and did not say much right away.
We put the second limit of pike in the back of the pickup, and I got in with the driver of the pickup.
I instructed him to take me wherever they brought the first limit of pike.
He said that they hid them in a field.
We drove about five miles or so and stopped by an alfalfa field that still had bales in it.
We then walked out and grabbed the first limit of pike that were hidden on the far side of a hay bale in the field.
Then we brought both limits of pike back to the lake and met with the rest of the group.
The group of four were all cited for exceeding the limit of northern pike and all 24 northern pike were seized.
I certainly don’t go looking for violations on my days off, but when something is happening right in front of you, a game warden cannot turn a blind eye to it.
You must work when work finds you!