Pennsylvania Game News - May 2009 - 31

was cold by the time I got home, but the microwave worked fine. On a snowy day in Erie County, near the town of Albion, I patrolled a snowpacked dirt road during the late flintlock muzzleloader season. The snow quickly covered all tracks in short order. I noticed a small pull-off up ahead and noticed a set of reasonably fresh car tracks back in the pull out. I also noticed a fresh set of boot tracks. The funny thing was, the tracks never got back in the vehicle; they just disappeared into the woods. I parked my truck and called the region office in Franklin on my radio and informed the dispatcher I would be out of my vehicle. I grabbed my binoculars and struck out. The fresh tracks were easy to follow, as I slowly picked my way through the woods. After following for about 15 minutes I noticed the edges were more crisp and the tread very distinct. I knew I was getting closer. With the tracks as fresh as they could be, I knew the hunter should be just ahead. I stopped behind a large tree and scanned my surroundings. I caught a slight movement ahead and pulled up my binoculars. The hunter was about 100 yards away and stealthily hunting through the woods. He was dressed in a white camouflage outfit and carried a bolt action rifle. Maybe he was coyote hunting, I thought. I made my approach and got within 25 yards of him before I whistled. He turned my way, and as soon as he realized I was a uniformed officer, he slowly and gently grabbed the gun sling from his shoulder and lowered the rifle into the deep snow. I introduced myself and asked him what he was hunting. He denied hunting until I retrieved his rifle. He then sheepishly admitted he was hunting deer. This hunter also pled guilty and paid his fines. Once again, timing played a key role in this incident. Fifteen minutes on either end and I would have undoubtedly missed this opportunity. MAY 2009 My third memorable lucky encounter occurred during the last day of the 2006 deer season. Legal hunting hours had come and gone, but there was still some ambient light remaining. I drove along a back road in southern Clarion County and saw several deer standing in the middle of a farm field. I continued on the road, looking for a place to hide my vehicle when I encountered a parked truck. I exited my vehicle and went to talk to the two occupants. Deputies Gary Guntrum and Will King sat in the truck, also watching for late hunters. We spoke a few minutes and discussed our day’s happenings. At 5:20 p.m. (29 minutes after legal hunting hours) we heard a lone shot just over the hill. I hopped in my truck and told Gary and Will I’d go down the first dirt road and they could take the second. I was at the scene within minutes. As I approached I spotted two people dressed in fluorescent orange walking across a field. I hopped out of my vehicle and approached what turned out to be a grandfather and grandson. I introduced myself and asked if they just shot. The young man admitted to the shot. We found a blood trail of the deer and followed it to the field’s edge. The doe was still alive, so I had to put it down. The 15-year-old and his 65-year-old grandfather admitted the young man hunted alone and not only shot after hunting hours, but also shot across the road while his grandfather sat in his Jeep, waiting for his return. These are just a few cases of me being lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time. I guess it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes. Unfortunately, there are many more instances that WCOs are not at the right place at the right time nor lucky. 31

Pennsylvania Game News - May 2009

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