FOXSYLVANIA

– – People tend to think that being a game warden is a fairly tame job; not necessarily so.  When a Pennsylvania wildlife conservation officer recently caught a felon illegally night hunting deer with a spotlight and pulled over the poacher’s truck, a ferocious  exchange of gunfire ensued that killed the officer and left the later-captured suspect wounded.  David Grove became the first game warden killed in the line of duty in PA since 1915.

Poaching is a crime which sadly continues in the 21st century, and game officers, usually working by themselves, must routinely investigate men who are armed, and usually  better armed than the officers.   While game lands can be beautiful places used to enjoy nature, after dark wildlife conservation officers can find drinking parties, drug sales, and people that are knowingly breaking the law.

About 1.5 million acres are under the jurisdiction of game commission officers in Pennsylvania, an area nearly the size of Delaware…