I served as a state game warden for twenty-three years. I spent the first seven years in Flandreau serving the good and decent people of Moody County. My situation was quite unique. The Flandreau duty station had been vacant since 1959. Moody County west of Interstate 29 was made part of the Madison district while the remainder of the county was made part of the Sioux Falls district. I never learned why this decision was made but it goes without saying the decision to leave the Flandreau duty station vacant was a gift to the poachers. Moody County was wide open and unguarded and the poachers took full advantage of the new arrangement. The sheriffs deputies did what they could to answer the calls and stem the bleeding but they were mostly unfamiliar with the game laws. Besides, the deputies were overworked and overwhelmed trying to serve papers, transport prisoners, provide courthouse security, work traffic, investigate accidents, and keep up with the steady volume of calls involving more traditional crimes. The county descended into poaching chaos and the wildlife numbers steadily declined. It was the honest sports men and women who cried ENOUGH! They had grown tired of watching their wildlife being stolen by outlaws. They had grown weary of listening to the poachers brag about their latest conquest over an animal that couldnt fight back. They drew a line in the sand. They were no longer going to sit idly by as their wildlife resources were being pillaged. Moody County needed a game warden! The Forgotten Lawmen chronicles my years of service as a young game warden who eagerly and naively waded into the poaching cesspool known as Moody County.

About the Author

Born in 1960 in Philadelphia. Moved to Aberdeen, SD in 1968. Attended May Overby Grade School, Simmons Jr. High, and graduated in 1977 from Aberdeen Central High School. My mentor during my high school years was Carl Dauman who taught biology and advanced biology. His encouragement and support led to my receiving the outstanding biology student award my senior year. I attended South Dakota State University from 1977-1981 graduating with a BS Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. I worked a variety of seasonal jobs with the Department of Game, Fish, and Parks during summer breaks and after college finally landing my first permanent, full-time job in Chamberlain, SD in 1982. I was responsible for fisheries management in the southern half of Wildlife Division Administrative Region 2. I had no interest to speak of in hunting until we were introduced to the sport by Lynn Keiper. By age 12 I knew I wanted to be a game warden and began to work toward that goal. I interviewed for the warden job which had just opened in Flandreau in August 1983. I was hired shortly thereafter and began my career as a game warden in an area of the state that hadnt had a game warden assigned to the district for 25 years. I was 23 years old about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The rest of my story regarding getting accepted, the roadblocks, the pernicious lies and rumors, the perseverance, and ultimate success are detailed in the book. But boy did it come at a cost. I gave up my health and my personal and social life because thats simply what was expected. I commend those new officers who dont fall into the trap and are able to work hard without being sucked down inot the maelstrom. The pressure from both the public and the department to avail yourself 24 hours a day, day after day, is vicious and unrelenting. I had no idea what I was getting into and my inability or unwillingness to challenge the status quo probably accounts for the fact I never married and never seriously considered settling down. I was married to the job, for better or for worse, and the job won out. I was one of the departments best officers. Over time I became a subject matter expert on a variety of wildlife law enforcement topics and took on additional responsibilities, especially in the area of officer training. I was a certified instructor specializing in firearms training, use of force, Glock pistol armorer, and investigating fraudulent license cases. I often led the state in the most tickets and arrests per annum but I also knew how to use and apply discretion to my law enforcement efforts. It was never about the QUANTITY of cases. It was certainly about the QUALITY of cases. I developed relationships on a broad spectrum from the average sportsman to sportsman groups to private landowners and everyone in between. I wore the uniform with pride despite knowing I worked for the most despised and criticized law enforcement agency in the state. We battled poachers and radical landowner groups who wanted to privatize a public wildlife resource. We battled the state legislature who enacted game laws but really didnt want them enforced. They were seen as feel good laws that were more in line with suggestions or guidelines. I worked under 5 governors and only one supported game wardens. The rest actively agitated against game wardens, the worse being governor Marion Rounds who is now a US Senator from SD. He was so antithetical toward wardens he almost destroyed the profession. It was hard going to work each day knowing you had no support not even from your own agency. I wanted to write this book because I had an interesting story. More importantly I want the public to have a sense of what it means and what it takes to sign on as a SD game warden. Our story has rarely been told. Wardens risk their lives every day. WHY? I hope to answer that question in this book. BTW I served from 1983-2006. Thank you!