Retirement with career pics...

June 1st was my 1st official day of retirement.

29.5 years of credible service as a Ga GW.

Im gonna miss working with my guys and helping citizens, but I dont think Im gonna miss many aspects of the job much...

...working late nights trying to catch night deer hunters, then back up early to catch duck poachers...

...getting home from all day patrol and getting called back out at 11 pm to a shots fired call across the county...

...looking into the faces of the family of missing or deceased victims of boating and hunting fatalities.....

.....being gone from home for week-long training...

....being deployed to lengthy events such as storm damage/security details, civil unrest details in cities all over the state, Atlanta crime supression details....

...seeing the look on my wife and kid's faces when I had to leave for work on nearly every holiday...

....always being "on-call" 24 hrs on work days...

But, it has been a great career, yet time has come to close that door.....

....Now, there is no schedule to keep when I trap, fish, deer or turkey hunt.

Gonna take some adjusting, but its off to the races....lol

The wonderful lady that came along for this ride almost 3 decades ago....

Congratulations on your retirement it sounds like you earned it.

Congratulations!!! Retirement will feel great after such a long career.

Good deal, thanks for your service. And welcome to the dark side lol

Congratulations Swamp! I wish you the best and a long enjoyable retirement.

Be sure you keep yourself busy, maybe you could pick up a hobby like trapping or turkey hunting, lol.

I retired from the gubmint in 2018 and like you mentioned I miss the people but not the job, it sounds like your job was way more stressful than mine and since retiring my checkups show that I’ve gotten healthier. I hope you’re as blessed as I’ve been. Again, congratulations on your retirement.

Congrats G man

Congrats SW and enjoy!!!

Congratulations! Now you will draw ire from some if you're drawing on the social security you paid in to all your life.

Havent started the SS...Im only 58 this year..

Savell will rest easier now.....

Congrats Swamp, enjoy your pursuits, Sleep in late if you can, i know that only lasted awhile and then i was up early as usual again.... couldnt fool the ol body....

Good planning!

Congrats!! I still remember getting up the usual time the 1st morning after retirement, making coffee, looking at the clock.......then sitting back down for an hour!

Congrats on your retirement!! And thank you for your service!! Because of people like you! We can enjoy our outdoor hobbies!! And I’m looking forward to show my grandkids, the outdoor life!! Because of you!! Thanks!!

Good luck I’m sure you’ll keep busy!

Congrats SW. I would guess you have seen the best and worst of people over the years. All of my retired GW friends how weird it feels go be able to hunt opening day, or on weekends at all. Another tells me how odd it is to be home all Thanksgiving and Christmas day. None of them, however miss the govt red tape.

Best regards,
Ring

Congrats on your retirement Swampy.

Congrats!
Just called it quits after 33 years.

Wife handed me a Honey Do list that was a 3 decade backlog.
Gonna go look for another job next week, lol
At least until fall!

Congratulations! I'm right behind you, June 30th is my day. Enjoy your time.

All the outlaws in GA just breathed a sigh of relief, lol.

Congrats on your retirement.

congratulation

Congratulations... I didn't make it nearly that long, but it was interesting while it lasted.

Garry-

Congrats!!! I retired April 8th with 34.5 years. Glad I did. Now I drive expensive green monsters that I don’t have to pay for. Love it.

Nice action there yoteguts!!

Swamp Wolf- After some decompression for while, do you have another, lower-paced gig you're going to do for a while? More adc work than you've done in the past ...?

Thanks all for the well wishes! Even though Ive never met 99% of yall, the Tman contacts here are like family. Most of yall have even accepted us few game wardens on here. For that I thank you.

I was a trapper b4 I was a GW. Im still a trapper...lol

Well done. You should write a book on your experiences.

Plan on just loafing for a while...the wife and I. Do a few home and hunting lease projects that need doing. Come fall a couple of older buck deer should move only at night, because during those cool mornings I will be in a tree along their rub-lines somewhere. In early November, I hope to tag another large midwestern whitetail with my bow...this time with no schedule to keep back at home.

January and February will be predator trapping jobs. Have 4 lined up already across the state....that's 8 weeks worth. Then, any beaver work in March.

Then, in April and May I'd like to add an Osceola, a Merriam, and/or a Rio gobbler to my hunting album.

My sons and I are working on the building they own here in town for a small B&T/outdoor supply store. With high lumber prices and me NOT wanting to be tied down to that just yet....that is moving slowly, but steady. We're already doing structural work that the building needs.

My law enforcement days are OVER. Ive already had a couple good offers....one from my local Sheriff and one from county commission to be code enforcement officer. Good $$...but Ive had enough badge wearing and gun toting, and getting in the middle of people's problems.

Congrats, much deserved!! Thank you for your service to our State.

Good for you SW, now get a job lol.

I only have 13 years to go, I planned well enough to quit earlier but I got a lot of stuff I want to get lol.

Unless my title changes drastically, I might still be working while pushing a walker, lol.

Well done and Congrats!

I'll post a few career pics that some may like to see.....here's one...more to follow when I get em on this phone...

Actually, I have thought about doing just that.

I have every work day report from day 1 with a narrative about what I done that day.

Have pics to go along with most of the interesting stuff.

Congratulations! The book would be great.

Congrats to you and your family . It is very evident of the pride that you carry with you everyday! The game warden profession can use more like you. Here’s to years of good health and enjoyment!

Congratulations!!! Thanks for your service!

Takes a while to stop thinking about tomorrow. Coffee helps!

Your wife will start saying “let it go” a lot!

Congradulations Swamp, and although we have never had any interaction, that don't mean I haven't kept track of you on here! lol. I 've got three good friends that are GW's in Ks, so it isn't like I've tried to avoid you! Wish you well in you future endeavors and maybe our paths will cross one of these days. Best of luck in your new "job"!

Good for you and your family! There is life after you take off the badge. It took me a couple years before I could go past a parked rig at a bridge or in a field entrance without slowing down and wondering Who, What, When, Where and Why. That'll pass with time. A great deal of stress will also be lifted. At least it did for me. Good luck!

Swamp, Our local Warden retired a couple years ago. He sat down and wrote a book about some of his most interesting cases over the years. I still need to get a copy. But scuttlebutt on the streets is there's quite a few lawbreakers that aren't happy. Although they aren't named, I guess it's pretty easy to figure out who they are. Especially the one about the town cop riding around shooting deer from his patrol vehicle while on duty.

Congrats on a career in public service .I am sure some of those days lasted a lot more than 24 hours . Now it is time tp start the more than 24 days that are fun .Enjoy your time doing the things you like to do .You earned it

A tip-o-the-hat to you, Swamp Wolf! I count among my buddies several Michigan GW retirees. Enjoy your, and your Bride's health and free time as much as you are able to. "Wish I was still working 6 or 7 days a week", said no sane retiree ever! Maybe I will cross paths with you if I get to do the Osceola/Rio/Merriam's thingy like I planned to do. I will be the weezy, slow walking Yankee that seems clueless. If need be, just turn me toward my truck and give me a good shove.

Welcome to the check of the month club.. I retired 2 years ago with 28 years of coppen.

Congrats on a well done career, but what I'm hearing is free fishing and no limits tomorrow LOL.

If you go into the woods and streams hunting, fishing and trapping without wearing the uniform, you may come across a number of violations. I don’t think your job will be completely over.

Some career pics....from the early years.....late 90s....







My young bride enjoying part of being a game warden's wife....


A few more to follow.....

Maybe we'll meet in Lima, Ohio in July. Looking forward to it if we both make it there.

Gonna take me a while to get past this^^^^^^

I cant help it...lol

Told wife that now we are always gonna be waitin on the check.....lol

But now I can ask for the "turn in poachers" reward money.

Thanks to my buddy Clay Creech for that fantastic idea....lol

Will you get SS? Some states the employee doesn't contribute to SS. Assuming you will also have a pension and some med. coverage for you and the wife?

Sounds like my retirement plan. Fishing, hunting, trapping, more trapping, more hunting, lastly, more fishing! Easy to understand getting away from OTHER people's problems!

Yes on SS...paid in my entire working life, including during state employment.

Yes on receiving my state pension and my peace officer's benefit.

Medical coverage is continued for wife and I at same price I was paying...thank goodness..

Sheriff and I have ruffled some feathers over the years. This was back in 2004. One of many. He is still the sheriff today. Was the youngest in Ga when he was elected years ago. He and I are actually lucky we didnt get killed. During one summer he and I located more than 1000 marijuana plants. Ive lost count of the liquor stills...about 15 or 18. We made some enemies, but most are either dead now or served time and are already out.

They knew the game like we knew the game.....but you learned quickly to watch your back. The sheriff had to deal with just this....I had to deal with this and the poachers. It was challenging and sometimes stressful, but Im glad its behind me .

Congrats

Congratulations on the retirement!

Way to go Swamp Wolf! Getting away from being in the middle of people problems will be a blessing. Enjoy every tomorrow as you earned it.

Chris

Well You're a Hero in my Book!

My fav. Game Warden drowned in the MN. Snake River a couple three years ago. He was a Warden/ friend. Hero RIP Eugene...

Swamp Wolf let yourself relax... You've More than Earned it!!!

Congrats sir. I got out in Jersey after 25 years.. then dragged back in in Md after only two months lol. Beware the cold steely hand that will drag you back in swamp! Beware!

Oh man. I think Im too old and worn out to be pulled back in, esp with the current atmosphere surrounding law enforcement today. Be safe!

330-trapper,
Im no hero. Thanks for the nice comments.

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.

Here is is, day 1 of you being a grumpy old man. Do you see yourself as a Jack Lemon or more of a Walter Matthau type character?

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

You are correct. Not enough time to tell all the "war stories." Lol

Congratulations! Always good to see people get out in once piece.
Thank you for your service.

Mac

Congratulations!!

Biggest takeaway of being a GW for almost 3 decades: It was my dream job since 1st grade. Took me a while to get there but I did. Parts of the job were not what I expected, but I did my best to make it what I expected. The direction of Ga DNR LE has went back and forth from priority of conservation law enforcement to priority of whatever is happening in LE statewide, ie riot response, weather traffic control, crime supression assistance in Atlanta, etc. This direction changes with the command staff. Field staff dont like it, but have to do what's told. Sadly, it seems like Georgia GWs focus on conservation LE about 50% of the time, as long as nothing else comes up. For example, some of the guys were sent to Atlanta to assist their PD with street/traffic crimes, such as street racing, during opening weekend of deer season.

Game law changes: Ga legalized hunting deer near bait several years ago. We were glad this happened as we had became the bait poilce and had lost all judicial support for that violation. I repeatedly said Ga needed to return to a deer tagging system after over two decades without one. But, now we have 24 hr game check for deer, turkey, alligators, and north Ga bears, which is pretty good. But, I think the game check should be done by midnight on same day as harvest/retrieval.

My biggest accomplishment: I was nominated by my 4-man work unit for 2021 DNR LE supervisor of the year. I was selected for this prestigious statewide award. This is a very, very humbling award for me. I was field supervisor for almost 15 years and always tried to lead by example.

Biggest regrets: I somewhat regret retiring as 2 of my officers have less than 4 years of service and I will feel obligated to them for a long while. Talked with one of em today by phone. He made a boating under the influence case this past weekend and called me. They are like my sons.

Biggest liars: deer hunters by far are the biggest liars. Its always a big buck. They never have killed anything when asked. That's always wild hog blood in their truck bed, not deer blood. I could go on and on....lol

Congratulations on retirement. I have to believe that being a game warden is satisfying work, but very difficult at times.

Mac

Great pics Swampy-Hope you kept a little shine and a couple fattys for the retirement party,lol.

No 2 days were the same. Never a dull moment. Scenery changed daily. If not headed to training, meeting, or special detail then I chose the direction I turned at end of driveway.

Long searches/recovery details, dealing with political individuals, keeping a daily/nightly heightened awareness of officer safety were all difficult to deal with and/or maintain.

But, all this is part of the job and what GWs sign on for....the good and the bad.

When I was hired there were 2200 applicants for 17 positions. Nowadays, we are getting only 300 to 400 applicants for 10 to 15 positions annually. Not many folks want to work in LE, not even as GWs. Getting a 4x4 truck, ATV, boat, M4 fully auto rifle, night vision and thermal gear doesent even sway them to apply.....go figure.

I have neither but the white liquor is close by if needed.

I Congratulate you on your Retirement. Enjoy the Freedom.

Today was My first day of Retirement also. 10+ a bit Coast Guard. 25+ a bit Post Office.

Its a good Feeling.

Congrats to you and thanks for your service!

Congrats Horn!!!

Hey Swamp Wolf, congrats on your retirement! Hope you get to spend a lot of time in the bush chasing big bucks!

Great pics too!

Congratulations on your well earned retirement.
Make sure to protect your health now on your time.
Do what you enjoy and don’t delay anything.

Retirement for each of us has different meanings, goals, and possibilities.
For me it meant far less stress. I retired early to get out of the stress.
Started a fun business and now thinking of retirement for good.

While working in my high pressure career, all of my time was scheduled, worked, and billed.
Sometimes 9 -12 months in advance. 60 hours a week plus thinking constantly.
Now, there are many times that I have no idea what day of the week it is, except for Sunday.

A race well run Swampy. I hope you fare well going forward.

Osky

Congratulations!

Congratulations

Looks like you had a very good career

Congratulations Swamp Wolf and Mike Horn. I hope to join yall in 10 years