Game Warden Of The Year

As the writer of this feature in the past, I have written from information I have been told or read. This time it is about a friend and a long time partner, so my apologies if this is more personal than the other articles.

I came to know Terry when I started with the Department in 1978. Assigned to Harper County and living at Laverne, I became acquainted with Terry through a mutual friend. Terry was one of the few avid archers in the part of the country that was more about hoping to see a deer, rather than killing the big one. Several years later, Terry was employed as a Game Warden and went to Murray County, but we continued to keep in contact. When Dale Long retired in Woods County in 1982, Terry and his family made the move to Alva and he became a close partner. Even though we were 75 miles apart, we still made time to work and play together on a regular basis as we shared 20 miles of county line. When I moved in 1989 to Major County we then shared 30 miles of county line. He had spent quite a bit of time in my county working and knew a number of my "regular" clients and was very helpful in getting me acquainted with my new county.

There could be many stories told about our experiences that would tell you about him. So, maybe just a few for old time sake.

Terry had an individual who thought it was his duty to rid his part of the world of those pesky deer that his neighbors were complaining about. Of course it took an out of state nephew to help him do this and he wasn't bashful about where he shot the deer, even if it was out from under someone's deer stand (with them in it). We decided that Friday evening before rifle season would be a good time to intercept them. I was camped in the bar ditch with Terry well hidden in his catch pickup as we watched our decoy. When the suspect vehicle was spotted, it was headed the long way around but we expected it to come by in time.

After about 15 minutes, there was a shot south of us and from my vantage point I could see them stopped in the roadway about one half mile away. Terry picked me up and we eased down the road to get a better view. They were driving out of the wheat field with a deer in the back as we came in close and shut them down. We got the two of them out, and as I started the paperwork, Terry began to collect the firearms and unload them. Let see, there was a now mostly loaded rifle, a-- chamber loaded .22 rifle, a chamber loaded shotgun, and a fully loaded .44 Mag handgun. Suddenly out of the stillness came a loud POP It could only have been one thing, and I shot a glance to locate our suspects that were standing by. I eased down the ditch to where Terry was and asked the inevitable question, "Did you shoot the truck?" He had been attempting to unload the guns and the .22 had discharged.

Later we learned that there was a nice round hole in the floorboard and the bullet had spent itself on a flange of the transmission. You also need to know that the main suspect was a local attorney, so we bit our lip to see what would happen. Considering the quality of the Jeep we determined an adequate fix would have been a sheet metal screw if it could find anything to get a bite on. Fortunately, the attorney had bigger fish to fry than a couple of field wardens and nothing became of it but he paid $750 each for himself and nephew. Only Terry could get by with shooting the suspects truck although some of us may have thought of it briefly.

On another occasion, Terry and I had a date to hunt turkeys in his county Turkeys happen to be his passion, although his Brittany bird dog and quail come close. Terry hasn't ever been much of a deer hunter since his archery days, but because we arrested the attorney and he wasn't thinning the population, Terry has done his part The turkeys weren't cooperative, so he thought he knew a good knoll that might have an arrowhead or two. To his chagrin, I found one of the few flint points in my possession, an almost complete knife blade. Not only did he have to live with that, but also the buffalo skull he "invited" me to find in a creek we were working on later that summer. He has always been a good sport about it all.

Terry has earned the respect of the people of Woods County. Not only does he have a winning personality, but always treats his lawbreakers the same. He is one of few old school individuals that greets you and Sir or Ma'am as a common greeting. Many of his landowners will call upon him in their time of need because he has been the one to sit in their kitchen and drink coffee with them and get to know them personally. After 24 years in Woods County, there are few law enforcement officers that are as well known or respected.

Shortly after Terry and his family moved to Alva, he and his wife Gail began working with the local EMS. Both of them were recently awarded their 20-year pins. He has provided that service many times for the Department at the Youth Camp and EXPO.

Congratulations, Terry on this award, you have earned it over your 27 years of service.

GAME WARDEN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Every year, eight Game Wardens are nominated for the honor of Game Warden of the year. This is a oneman honor but the others still need the recognition they deserve. These guys are more than Game Wardens. They have outside interests and are involved with their families and communities as well.

District 1: Monte Reid began his Game Warden career in Leflore County and is presently assigned to Mayes, and Rogers Counties. He is an avid bowhunter for big game including deer, elk and bear. He is a bowfisherman as well. He has participated in several tournaments around the country. Mote also enjoys Ultimate Fighting contests.

District 2: David Robertson is a seventeen-year veteran and assigned to Okmulgee and McIntosh Counties. He has twenty-seven years of marriage under his belt and blessed with three children who are grown. David spends his pastime on his small ranch. The cow-calf operation has been helpful with college expenses.

District 3: Shane Fields began his career in Alfalfa County. He moved on to Pushmataha and Carter counties before taking a hiatus to the cold north. Shane and his wife spent two years in Wisconsin with the DNR and then came back to Oklahoma and he is stationed in Pittsburg County. He enjoys coordinating the aerial night patrol, which has been very successful as well as CSI investigative work. Shane and his wife have two daughters and he tries to divide his spare time between them and being president of the NWTF chapter.

District 4: Bud Cramer is a four-year veteran of the Department assigned to Johnston County. He especially enjoys working with the STEP program and Archery in the School. His spark time is spent with his family. With two young boys he says that he stays busy taking them hunting and fishing and being involved in their other sports activities. Bud is our newest OSGWA Director for the 4th District.

District 5: Jeremy Brothers is an 8-year employee of the Department. He began his employment with Fisheries Division and has been a Game Warden for the last five years. Currently he is in Carter County. He enjoys working with Archery in the Schools, STEP, and is a CSI investigator. Jeremy enjoys hunting and especially fly-fishing whether at a local sunfish pond or on a trip to New Mexico or Colorado.

District 6: Bill Hale is a 17-year veteran and currently has been in Stephens County for the last fifteen. He is a pollution investigator. He has been married for 22 years arid has one son. Bill's pastimes include spending time with his sons' sports activities and hunting and fishing. He also runs cattle and helps his father with farming.

District 7: Greg Sexton began his twenty-year career with the Department in Wildlife Division's Northwest region. After a little more than a year, he came to Law and has been in Jackson County since then. He has been involved as a firearms instructor until this past year. Greg is married and has one daughter and a stepson. His spare time is spent around the house as a grandpa and away from the house with his farm.