Kudos to the DNR

My dad with the grandkids on the farm.

Saturday was a blustery winter day and I was lucky enough to be working at Simon Pearce, blowing some really big platters that needed to be done for some big Superbowl Party. It was nice to be working in the heat and staying toasty warm while others were complaining about the cold. 

When I got home from work I was surprised to see the Natural Resource Police sitting in my driveway. I knew that they were probably there to check on my little taxidermy shop. Even though it's more or less just a hobby, the DNR has jurisdiction over everything pertaining to wildlife and so they were there just to make sure nothing illegal was going on. The officer introduced himself and checked out my tags and log books and then we chatted a while about deer hunting and life in general. He mentioned how his day hadn’t been so fun as there was a Poker Run on the lake where snowmobilers ride from bar to bar. Apparently the ice fishermen were complaining about snowmobiles running over their tip-ups and his job was to try and sort it all out. I guess that’s not an easy task when there are a bunch of snowmobiles at the bar and they are all pretty much dressed alike. When he left, I believe that we each had made a new friend. 

And that took my mind back to the farm, politics, and how we treat people. Back on the farm, the milk inspector would show up periodically to make sure that things were clean and sanitary. You would often hear stories of how farmers would sic the dog on the inspector, or other ingenious tactics that would surely make the inspector's life miserable. My dad’s approach was a little different. He would usually invite them in for dinner or lunch or coffee. I often thought that if dad wasn't so nice to them maybe they wouldn't come so often. Looking back I see the benefits of that hospitality, not that it was used as a bribe but more of a working relationship. We didn’t have to fear the inspector. He was there to point out things that needed tidied up. On almost any farm on any given day, there are so many things that can give the inspector the right to shut you down. But having that good relationship, being shut down wasn’t a big worry for us.

I remember my grandmother talking about how there weren’t any deer around when she was little. She remembered the first time that she  saw deer tracks in the snow, and how it was so exciting. I remember being with my dad when I was seven or so and dad pointing out turkey tracks, the first ones that he had ever seen. I remember when the bears started coming back in the eighties and seeing my first bear. I remember when there were no coyotes around and then seeing my first one in the nineties. I remember hearing stories of people shooting deer illegally with spotlights and then when the Game Wardens came they would shine the spotlight in the wardens eyes and run him in the ditch so that they could get away. The consensus seemed to be that the game wardens were against the hunters. The debate back in the day was how much should the government be allowed to control. I’m sure that it was really heated and lots of people were sure that they were right. Should the government be able to own land? Should they control the deer and other wildlife? What about eminent domain? I’m sure that there were lots of heated arguments about it all and not everything done exactly right.

But as time went on, people, especially hunters and outdoorsmen, began to recognize that the Dept of Natural Resources was having an impact and making a huge difference in the opportunities around the state and country. And as the people with their different opinions started working together, things started to happen. Today we are blessed with  millions of acres of state and national forest where we can hunt, camp, fish, or just observe the beauty of it all. The hunting is possibly at the best place that it’s ever been. I can truly say that I’m thankful for all of those who took the time to listen to each other and work together to bring back the wildlife and to allow the state to put large tracts of land into public use.

And to Officer King and the rest of you all that work for the DNR, thanks for a job well done!