The Chuck Box
I don’t know if “chuck boxes” are much of a thing with game wardens anymore, but back in the day, they were a big deal. When I started work in 1991, some of the more seasoned guys would have a chuck box in the back of their patrol vehicle somewhere that had a camp stove, coffee pot and various and sundry cooking utensils, a couple of plates and maybe a pot and a pan so they could whoop-up some grub when going to a local café or the Dairy Queen wasn’t an option.
Also in the box, there’d be some “ready to eat” options in case there wasn’t enough time to fire up the stove or build a fire. You know, things like saltine crackers, cheese, and of course, Vienna sausages. As a side note, I once saw a dude eat a whole can of Vienna sausages and then tip the can up to his lips and drink all the juice like it was a shot of whisky. That’s hardcore. I thought I was gonna hurl.
Anyway, chuck boxes would vary in complexity from warden to warden. On the low end, you might have a crate with everything just kind of chunked in there, while the high-end boxes would be more like custom cabinetry with slots for plates and little nooks and drawers to keep everything organized. I’ve even heard tell of guys, back when, who had a little hidey-hole for a backup pistol in their box in case anyone was to sneak up and catch them unaware while they were heating up a can of pork and beans.
The chuck box tradition got started out of necessity back when game wardens were using their personal vehicles for patrol. They would sometimes leave out for days at a time and either make camp, or find one, where they could take a break from trying to keep everybody in line and lay their head down for a while. And of course, they had to prepare accordingly. In addition to the chuck box, a patrol vehicle back then might have a tent, army cot or bedroll as well as assortment of firearms and fishing
equipment.
All this was necessary in the event their camp “down time” could be used to acquire whatever might be in season or whatever might be biting to provide table fare superior to those nasty sausages in a can. If it was duck season, they might take a couple of ducks. If the fish were biting, they’d have fresh fish.
Vestiges of those early days have stuck around through the years. I never had a chuck box, per se, because every boat barn had an ice machine when I started. Hence, my chuck box was an ice chest. I could buy a family box of chicken at the Church’s drive-through and be set for a couple of days. Like most game wardens, I rarely left the house without food.
I retired in 2020, so I don’t really know what game wardens are doing now. On one of my last border ops on the Rio Grande, there was a warden there who had a coffee roaster on the boat making fresh brew. Heck, with technology the way it is, today’s game wardens may be carrying little pellet smokers or some such in the back of the truck somewhere. And while I may personally be steadfastly opposed to any type of cookery that requires a software update to keep it running right, kudos to them for doing whatever they need to do to get the job done.
