Matters of Opinion
About once a year I’ll take a bit of a detour on this page to talk about something other than what readers will find between the covers of North Dakota OUTDOORS. This is going to be one of those times – and it will be the last time I do it.
I’m sure many of you know that I’m retiring at the end of July, focusing instead on a neglected honey-do list, but also hopefully spending more time fishing and hunting.
My full-time career of 39 years has had its share of peaks and valleys, as is the case with any job, but it’s been gratifying and not an easy job to leave. It has been a privilege working alongside some of the most professional and passionate fish and wildlife people in the nation here at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. They truly care about fish and wildlife and the citizens of our great state because that’s what they’ve been trained to do. While it’s hard to leave these people, I know the public has nothing to worry about. They are in good hands.
In my very first Matters of Opinion as director, I talked about the importance of my upbringing and how I felt it helped me in getting to where I was at. I still believe that, but my immediate family also helped shape that future to a large extent, while enduring some sacrifices along the way.
When I was a field biologist there were times during the spring spawning season where I would be away from home for weeks, missing children’s birthdays and other special events. As my responsibilities increased, those missed opportunities, unfortunately, weren’t remedied and it seems like I missed even more events as my children grew.
I’m not writing this with any regret or asking for sympathy since my family turned out fantastic in my opinion. The reason for bringing it up is that I’ve been equally passionate about all my jobs at Game and Fish and putting in extra hours and some sacrifice was simply part of it.
I’ve always felt like I have more than one family. While my biological family was and remains my priority, the Game and Fish family is a close second. We argue, we fight, but when the time to pull together arrives, that’s exactly what we’ve always done – gotten the job done together. I’ll always be proud that I had the opportunity to lead an organization such as the Game and Fish Department.
I’ve told many in the past month that I’ll likely “go silent” for a period of time while I relax out fishing or walking across a field looking for a bird or two, but there is a part of me that says I can’t stay silent forever. I’m not exactly sure what the next chapter holds for me, but I know it’s going to include fishing, hunting and a little more time with my wife, kids and grandkids whether they like it or not.
One thing I do know is that I’m going to do what I’ve suggested at the end of every Matters of Opinion article and that’s to go out and enjoy our great North Dakota outdoors. Thank you to my family, my Game and Fish family, and all the wonderful people of North Dakota who made my career at Game and Fish memorable.