Who is protecting our wildlife and outdoor heritage

The day broke like any other day. He kissed his wife and headed out to the SUV. The day was going to be a nice day to get in the woods. Our man drove to the regular spots, did a little check of some areas, and then proceeded to his stand. Parking the car for the short walk was not a problem as there was only one other vehicle in the parking area. He headed down the trail carefully so he didn’t spook game or another hunter with his presence. Suddenly, off to his right a deer exploded in his direction.

The hunter, in his stand a mere fifty yards away, raised his shotgun and tracked the animal. He was totally unaware that  Master Officer Grauer was in his line of fire as the deer ran his direction. Master Officer Grauer was trying to do a routine check on this hunter because there had been some complaints in the area. The hunter squeezed the trigger three times in quick succession and the buckshot hurled in the Officers’ direction.

The deer veered off and was safe from the hunters badly aimed shots, but Officer Grauer hit the ground as buckshot whistled through the air above his head and around him. Needless to say, that hunter got an earful for his trouble and should probably go back to Hunter Safety Class. This kind of day is rare, but our Conservation Officers live with the very real possibility of this type of dangerous situation occurring any time they are in the woods or on the water. Careless hunters, inexperienced hunters, poachers and trespassers are what these guys have to look forward to on an everyday basis.

The good news is that the bad apples, according to Master Officer Grauer, are far and few between. His experience is that ninety nine percent of the hunters in our area, that he deals with on a daily basis, are experienced, respectful and just want to enjoy their time outdoors. So how do our Conservation Officers handle the stress of knowing the next dangerous situation might be just around the corner? They train, make good use of technology, continue their education and try to be prepared if a bad situation occurs. Like a lot of soldiers, you don’t think about it and let your training take over.

Speaking of technology, Master Officer Grauer and I had some conversations about the kinds of technology toys that he, and his fellow officers, have at their disposal. Man I am jealous! I am not going to tell you about any of the cool toys that our Conservation Officers can deploy, but just be warned that if you are going to break game laws in our great Commonwealth, you will be caught. With the training, education and an astonishing array of technology gadgets, you don’t stand a chance. On the brighter side of things for us, there are over one million deer and growing in our state and one really doesn’t need to cheat to have a great hunting season.

Read the hunting regulations, continue your safety training, get out and practice with your weapon of choice and stay off the radar of your local Conservation Officer.

So there you go, my first “Ride Along” with a Conservation Officer went off without a hitch and I learned a great deal. The men and women Conservation Officers with the VDGIF are consummate professionals, extremely educated, dedicated folks. They are friendly and there to keep the woods and wildlife safe for us and for generations to come. So when you see them in the field, be polite, respectful, and listen to them. If I have learned one thing on this “Ride Along”, it’s that they certainly deserve it. Until next week, stay safe and get a kid outdoors.

Mike Cox covers the outdoor scene for the News & Messenger. He can be reached at outdoorspw@gmail.com.