Things you might hear a game warden say at a high school career day presentation when asked what he or she likes most about being a game warden: “I like being a part of the community”; “I like making a difference”; or “For me, it’s all about conservation for future generations,” or if they’re trying to be funny, “I like being able to pee outside more than I do in.”
Maybe some of those statements are true for a few, but I know some dudes who, in private, would tell you that’s all a bunch of bunk. If you asked them to elaborate, they’d tell you that the thing they like most about being a game warden is the adrenaline rush they get by catching someone red-handed in the act of breaking the law.
Deer season offers lots of opportunities for game wardens motivated this way to get their fix. They spend many hours on “sets”, which are certain spots game wardens use to conceal themselves and watch problem areas.
A set could be the top of a tank battery overlooking a road, a muddy hole along a fence line close to where a big buck is seen frequently, or a parking spot behind a gate that affords a nice view of places where deer are known to roam or stray.
For the most part, sets are boring as hell. You watch. You wait.
But then, usually around the time of night when it’s all they can do to keep their chin off their chest, they’ll see it – the glow of far-off headlights headed their way.
Whether the occupants of the vehicle are up to no good, or not, it’s enough to perk a warden up and make ‘em pay attention.
If they catch someone, it’s fun, but most of the time - especially nowad ays - the fun is few and far between.
In 1975, there was a lot of fun to be had, especially in and around the Davy Crockett National Forest in Houston County in East Texas. There was a hill along a road there that became the perfect set for catching night hunters.
It was named the “Auto Slide”. Several patrol cars could be parked just off a ledge that afforded a stad i um-like view of the road below without anyone on it being able to see what, or who, was above.
As sets go, this one was lavishly appointed, complete with a wood stove.
The route to get there was circuitous, but if a warden had to get on the road below quickly, he could just drive straight down off the ledge. If it had rained recently, they’d slide their way down, hence the name.
Anyway, one night during deer season, Bubba caught a group early at the Auto Slide. Of course, he got on the radio to tell everybody that he was “10-95 with the meat”, meaning he caught a group with a deer and was taking them to jail.
Game wardens, like sharks, can smell blood in the water from miles away. While Bubba was transporting his catch to the Houston County Jail, Jasper County Warden Billy Platt hit the Slide and caught a group. Not wanting to be left out, Cherokee County Game Warden Don Currie and Nacogdoches County Warden Tommy Smith followed suit, and they each caught a group.
All-in-all, those four game wardens caught five different groups, took 17 people to jail and confiscated four deer. They called it quits around 4:00 a.m. but made sure to pick up all the spent cartridges on the road before they went home.
When they returned after daylight, they found five new ones, indicating the poaching party continued after they’d left.
Time flies and ain’t nothing the same. I don’t know if the Auto Slide is still used by wardens today or not, but way back when, that hill had eyes.
PEE OUTSIDE MORE THAN I DO IN”
