Cut our game wardens some slack

Shooting proves danger of their jobs

I hear regular complaints about supposed jerks wearing the uniform of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents. You know the refrains.

“They picked on me today, and gave me a ticket for not having a life vest.”

“Why don’t they go catch poachers instead of asking to see my life preservers.”

“The agents who stopped me today were rude and ugly.”

My response is normally pretty succinct: I’m glad they’re out there doing their jobs. And, in my lifetime of hunting and fishing, I’ve never encountered a game warden who was nasty or ugly to me as I was checked.  And, before you think that’s because they know who I am, my licenses are under my first name — so they don’t know me from Adam.

Every one of the wardens I’ve encountered (even the one who apparently followed me into the woods and waited for me to climb up a tree) have been professional and polite.

So, when I hear the complaint about game wardens being jerks, I generally know the “victim” probably instigated confrontation by heckling the agent.

But the question arises when I hear these complaints: Should game wardens be Mr. Friendly?

That would be nice, but we learned a hard lesson in May when LDWF’s Sgt. Scott Bullitt was shot in the back by some low-life the agent and his partner had stopped on Russell Sage WMA.

What did we learn? That the agents in charge of protecting our natural resources have potentially deadly jobs. Sure, every member of the law enforcement community face those same dangers, but a game warden’s job — by it’s very nature — often involves stops of armed men.

And remember that they aren’t just dealing with honest weekend warriors: They often encounter outlaws intent on raping our outdoors, transporting illegal drugs and breaking any number of laws.

That means every stop has potential for armed confrontation. So it’s logical that every agent has that thought rolling around in the back of his or her mind while going through the process of checking limits, looking at licenses, asking to see PFDs, etc.

Worrying about who has a gun and whether that weapon will be used during a stop has to have an effect on these men and women who protect our state’s fish and game.

Therefore, it’s not surprising agents don’t have huge grins when they pull up for a check. That professional detachment, which could be misconstrued as rudeness, helps them remain alert for dangers.

So cut them some slack. And instead of complaining about them doing their jobs, thank them for putting their lives on the line to defend against those who would ruin our hunting and fishing heritage.

About Andy Crawford 863 Articles
Andy Crawford has spent nearly his entire career writing about and photographing Louisiana’s hunting and fishing community. While he has written for national publications, even spending four years as a senior writer for B.A.S.S., Crawford never strayed far from the pages of Louisiana Sportsman. Learn more about his work at www.AndyCrawford.Photography.