Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2022 - 18

NOTES
Out for a stroll
It was a typical day patrolling
the waters of the Commonwealth
when I received a call that there
was a 100-pound turtle walking
down the street in the middle of
town. The original caller said it
was a huge Snapping Turtle. He
did not know what to do with it,
so he called 911. When I arrived,
I found the massive turtle and
captured it. The turtle was actually
someone's pet African Tortoise.
This big, old tortoise just wanted
to go for a walk.-WCO Jonathan
R. Stark, Washington County.
Fish thief
While stocking fish at Twin
Lakes Park, Westmoreland
County, I observed an unusual
suspect poaching fish. A volunteer
and I were tubing thousands of fish
into the lake and many bystanders
watched as we completed the
stocking. I observed the suspect
swoop down and snatch a trout
from the water and head for the
hills. I yelled for the suspect to
stop, as trout season was closed at
the time, but it continued flying
away. Not only did the osprey fail
to follow the order to stop as it
flew off with the trout, but I am
not even sure that it had a fishing
license or trout stamp. Better luck
next time, I guess.-WCO Daniel J.
Wilson, Southern Westmoreland and
Northern Fayette counties.
Impressions
last a lifetime
Patrolling the
waters of Pennsylvania
as a Waterways
Conservation Officer
(WCO) results in daily
interactions with the
public. WCOs cover
a lot of ground while
engaging in our daily
duties. As the need
arises, we routinely stop
at gas stations and mini
marts in our district.
Most of the time,
photo-WCO John G. Hopkins
18
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater
these stops are a " fill it
up and go " situation.
Other times, we receive
a " hello " or a wave from
a little kid intrigued
by the marked patrol
vehicle. Sometimes,
someone may see these
stops as the opportunity
to ask a question about
fishing or boating.
Occasionally, something
happens that makes these stops
memorable.
One day while filling up the patrol
truck at a local gas station, two
vehicles pulled in along the pumps
next to me. As the drivers exited
their cars, I heard one woman say to
the other that she had been out with
her mom for the day since it was her
mom's birthday, and they decided to
grab some birthday dinner.
Not thinking much of the
situation, I continued to pump gas
until I noticed the daughter of the
" Birthday Mom " walking over to
me. She asked me if I could spare
some of my time. Her mom wanted
to say " hello. " I gladly offered to
grant the birthday wish. When I
approached the woman's mother,
she rolled down her car window as
I wished her a happy birthday. The
birthday girl proceeded to thank me
for taking time out of my day while
joyfully telling me how today was
her 92nd birthday.
The woman told me that she had
asked her daughter to see if I would
be willing to chat, because she wanted
to tell me that the last time she had
spoken with a WCO was in 1953 while
out fishing with her late husband. She
proceeded to tell me how delightful
that warden was back in 1953 during
their interaction and how she always
remembered it, even up to her 92nd
birthday. She told me how it made her
so happy, and it brought her back to
that day with her husband many years
ago. She thanked me again for the job
that WCOs do and left me with the
parting words, " always treat people
you meet with kindness. It goes a long
way in such a crazy world. "
Sometimes, the impression you
make on a person lasts a lifetime.
And, it can even keep the memories
of a time long gone by to be cherished
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2022

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