Memories From A Game Warden's Diary

By John Ford Sr. | Mar 25, 2010

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John Ford Sr.

Recent Posts by John Ford Sr.

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  Warden recovers from vicious assault to become commissioner

  By John Ford Sr. - Feb 02
  Looking back in game warden history, a serious incident occurred Aug. 6, 1946, in Hollis that nearly added another name to the Law Enforcement ...
  

• On to greener pastures

  By John Ford Sr. - Jan 28
  Sadly, during the final days of 2010, the Maine Warden Service bid farewell to one of its most dedicated wildlife officers.Retired Game Warden ...
  

• Truckin' through 1983 — a year in review

  By John Ford Sr. - Jan 06
  Another year had passed with many more memories entered into my warden diaries. The following incidents are highlights of 1983.In February, there ...
  

• Harvesting the weed

  By John Ford Sr. - Dec 22
  After 12 years of being a warden, several changes came about with regard to duties we were expected to perform as law enforcement officers. About ...
  

• 'Lobster One'

  By John Ford Sr. - Dec 07
  In my last column, I described an incident of bad timing wherein my technical skills were lacking after I'd arrested two men for night hunting ...
  

• Bad, and worse, timing

  By John Ford Sr. - Nov 29
  At one time or another, we've all experienced those moments when everything seems to go to pot. That time or two when we find ourselves in ...
  

• Assault on Blinky

  Nov 11
  Witnessing a father and his son desperately trying to scare Blinky, my mechanical deer, out of a field before someone shot at him had certainly ...
  

• What the hail?

  Nov 11
  There were times when even Mother Nature turned against those of us trying to protect the great outdoors from abusers.Such was the case June 13, ...
  

• Damn poor decision

  By John Ford Sr - Sep 14
  During the course of my career I often dealt with folks who, for one reason or another, made a poor decision involving hunting.Whether it was ...
  

• Marky's not happy

  By John Ford Sr. - Aug 31
  It was a hot summer evening in July 1982, when my Maine State Police trooper buddy, Mark Nickerson asked me to ride along with him for the ...
  

• The importance of a cooperative witness

  By John Ford Sr. - Aug 16
  Nov. 16, 1982, began like any other night on patrol. My working partner, Scott Sienkiewicz and myself patiently sat waiting for a night hunter to ...
  

• Warden Service goes green

  By John Ford Sr. - Aug 03
  Long before the current trend of environmentalists pushing hard for everyone in the world to go green to save our planet, the Maine Warden Service ...
  

• Blinky the miracle buck

  By John Ford Sr. - Jul 27
  Across the nation, game wardens were using decoy deer to capture deer poachers. Maine was no exception.Court rulings, along with a change in ...
  

• 'Good day to shoot a moose'

  By John Ford Sr - Jul 09
  In every district there were people who expressed a defiant and snide attitude whenever they were in the presence of a game warden. At one time ...
  

• Riding with rocket man

  By John Ford Sr. - Jun 28
  It was July 1982 when yet another Maine State Police trooper moved into the Unity patrol area. At that point in my 12-year tour as an area law ...
  

• Birth of The Sportsman's Calendar

  By John Ford Sr. - Jun 09
  As I patrolled my district, I found myself thinking about the possibility of somehow using my love of drawing to provide a service for sportsmen ...
  

• Never know what's next

  By John Ford Sr. - Jun 02
  The most interesting aspect of my job was never knowing from one minute to the next what to expect. A perfect example occurred the evening of ...
  

• Premonition or intuition?

  By John Ford Sr. - May 14
  With Memorial Day right around the corner, I ran across one of the more personally devastating entries in my diaries. It began June 8, 1981, when ...
  
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  Waldo County's Bermuda Triangle

  By John Ford Jr. - Apr 01
  As I scan through the diaries reliving the time I spent cruising around the district, there is an area of highway in Searsmont along Route 3 where ...
  
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  'What'cha got in the trunk?'

  By John Ford Sr. - Mar 29
  The deer hunting season was about to begin and I was scurrying about the district searching for those who might be trying to get an early start. ...
  
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  A water rescue and an attempt

  By John Ford Jr. - Mar 25
  In my last article, I mentioned rescuing two fellow wardens from Carlton Bog in Troy, when they found themselves up the creek without a paddle.That...