Congratulations

Garryowen

Congratulations on your retirement.

Congrats SW.
I went to college to become a GM.
Made it one year but pretty girls took over.

Congratulations, now you will see how fast time goes by.

Congratulations! Hope your days are filled with everything that brings you enjoyment.

^^^^^ yep. June 2nd is poach a deer or a fish or anything you want in memory of SW day!

Congrats SW. I think your wife would tell me if I asked her, that she's glad you made it this far, and that oh yah....
"hey sweetie (you), could you do a FEW THINGS for me (x1000) now that you have the time."

I got a C note says you'll be busier than ever very, very soon.

Blessings brother,
Mark

Congratulations Swamp Wolf. Today is your big day. Life seems to get more busy as you enter into this phase of your life. It also brings peace and enjoyment at the same time. I trust you will make the most of your time in the coming days and years ahead.

Now if you choose that you just don't feel like doing anything one day you don't have too How nice is that....



Bob J.

Congratulations now it's time to enjoy life.

Congratulations

Well today is the Day! Congrats again and thank you for your service to our State!!

Heres to good times to come!

Wow! Looking thru my old GW pics sure brings back some great memories. Here are a few nuisance bear pics. For a few years in the late 90s I handled all nuisance bear calls at beeyards in my patrol area. I did the trapping, tagging, data collection, release/dispatch, etc. I caught 9 bears over a 2 or 3 year span. Eight of em in Aldrich foot snares and one in a culvert trap. They are as easy to catch as a coon. They put their feet in nearly the same place when walking trails near beeyards. Within 5 years, 8 of the 9 bears that I caught, tagged, and released were documented dead. A couple were killed by vehicles and the rest were legally harvested during subsequent hunting seasons. One was harvested nearly 50 miles away from where I caught her.

As a DNR LE officer, we generally don't do this kind of work (our DNR game management personnel do this). I asked to "help out the beekeepers" in my patrol area and I had a great supervisor that allowed me to spend some time on this and I sure enjoyed it! Game Management brought me all the gear and equipment I needed and I went to trapping bears. It was less that they had to do....lol.

Here is the biggest one I caught (350# male...#289)...caught him twice....same front foot each time......4 months apart....2 miles between beeyards....he wasnt happy that 2nd time and I wasnt either because I had to dispatch him. He was super destructive by tearing down the entire electric fence around the beeyard and destroying nearly every hive when he visited.

Another pic of #289. He didnt like me much...

Destructive female....I released her several miles away, but she returned....


Also assisted with trapping and collaring bears for research on population dynamics in the Okefenokee NWR. This one is drugged and awaiting his new collar.

And I volunteered to weigh and tag harvested bears in the field to save hunters an hour drive. Bears are required to be weighed and tagged. LE allowed me to do it and Game Management again provided the equipment. I processed about 15 bears each fall season in the field. It was extra work for me but I enjoyed providing the service to the bear hunters.


Ive had a great career!!!

Thanks again to everyone for the well wishes and great comments!

Good for you, congratulations and enjoy

Enjoy your days of "voluntary work" lol. The photos are good to view but I am guessing there are some very good stories and tales attached to some of them!

Bryce

Congratulations, Happy Trapping,fishing,hunting for yourself.

Congratulations, enjoy.

Congrats on the retirement! That is quite a career and one to be proud of! I enjoy the pics. I would be interested to hear what your biggest takeaways are after 30 years of being a game warden.

What game laws do you think should be changed, rescinded, or improved?
Biggest accomplishment?
Biggest regrets?
Who are the best liars, deer hunters or duck hunters? LOL

Enjoy your retirement!

ol' dad

Congrats