Enforcement Officer

Meet Enforcement Officer Mike Edmisten

written by Brad Deen
photographed by Melissa McGaw

Bootprints begin where the knobby tread of a four-wheeler ends. They show where one hunter dropped his buddy off, remarks Mike Edmisten, an enforcement officer for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The bootprints lead into the woods, but not out. It rained two nights ago. These tracks should be fresh.

An outdoorsman all his life, Edmisten would rather be hunting turkeys himself. But his job requires him to work when others are at play.

The boot tracks lead uphill, and the muddy path gives way to grass. Edmisten considers for a moment and then plots a direction. He doesn't know whom he's tracking. Maybe it's a poacher.

"The vast majority of hunters follow the law. They do what they're supposed to," he explains later. "I'd say 10 percent of the people are doing 90 percent of the violations. I've caught the same person as many as three times."

Those violators endanger the hunting opportunities for everyone by trespassing, hunting or fishing without a license or exceeding their bag limits.

He stops. Small white blackberry blossoms litter an envelope-sized patch of ground. Edmisten fingers the thorny vine from which the blooms were jostled. Something passed this way—something big, but not in a headlong hurry. And that was recently. The fallen petals are still white.

His steps fall softer as he presses deeper. The sun has burned off the dew, and it's getting hot. To the southwest, a sound like hysterical laughter rings through the pines and maples. It's a tom turkey announcing itself.

Edmisten matches the tom's call. But the lack of a reply other than his confirms that there's no one else around. Either the tracks he's followed are old, or the hunter left by another direction.

Sometimes it pans out, and sometimes it doesn't. But he knows this spot now. If poachers come here, he'll get them eventually.

Mike Edmisten, an enforcement officer for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, patrols Jordan Lake for fishing and boating safety violators.

Not Just Wardens

Some people call Edmisten and his 200 fellow wildlife enforcement officers "game wardens," but that's not quite accurate. Their job is much broader than making sure hunters and fishermen follow the rules.

Wildlife enforcement officers teach hunter safety classes, which are required for a hunting license in North Carolina. The classes cover hunting rules and safety principles, such as wearing bright hunter orange so that another hunter won't mistake you for a game animal.

Wildlife officers spend most of their time outside. They search for hunters, campers or hikers who are missing. They are often the first to find someone who's been injured or become sick while outdoors.

Officers also serve as a police force patrolling North Carolina's wild and semi-wild places. They protect people and property at state-maintained boat ramps, for instance. The trucks and cars of boaters who are out on the water can tempt thieves and vandals. Wildlife officers are armed, like police officers, and can arrest people they suspect of breaking the law—any law.

"It takes people off guard a lot of times," Edmisten said. "They think we're just out here to check licenses."

Officers are also on constant lookout for drivers who have been drinking alcohol, either on land or on the water.

In fact, boating safety is one of the most important duties wildlife officers have. Patrolling Jordan Lake in Chatham County on a recent weekend, Edmisten checked every boat—bass, pleasure and flat-bottomed skiff—to make sure everyone on board had a PFD, or personal floatation device. Longer boats must also carry a fire extinguisher and an extra flotation cushion.

On the job six years now, Edmisten knew what to expect even before he joined the force. His Grandfather was a wildlife enforcement officer, a high-ranking captain. "I always loved hearing his stories," he said.

Officer Edmisten checks the license of a turkey hunter in Durham County.

Tools of the Trade

The Wildlife Commission makes sure its officers have the equipment they need to do their jobs.

Officers drive four-wheel-drive trucks, allowing them to go over rougher terrain than a regular car or truck could handle.

The trucks are equipped, like police cars, with sirens, blue lights and two-way radios. Their boats are also outfitted with lights and radios.

The communications equipment is some of the most important a wildlife officer has. Often, an officer in the field works alone.

"If you need some backup, there's nobody there with you," Edmisten said.

The job also requires a lot of night work, especially in the summer and fall. In warm weather, many boaters and fishermen prefer to be on the water in the cooler, less crowded evenings and nights. And during deer season, some hunters illegally and dangerously hunt at night, so wildlife officers are in the woods trying to catch them.

To make the night work easier, officers have special night-vision scopes and goggles, which allow them to see in the dark. Wildlife enforcement officers also rely on airplanes for night work, particularly during deer season. Airborne officers search for lights in the woods, indicating someone is "shining" deer.

Another tool of the wildlife enforcement trade is the deer decoy, which looks like a real deer, including antlers and real fur. Officers use the decoy especially to find people who hunt from their cars or trucks, which is extremely dangerous to anyone who may be nearby. An officer positions the decoy deer near the road, usually just on the edge of the woods, then waits for a drive-by hunter.

To combat another illegal practice, baiting game, officers have a new, high-tech weapon. Using satellites and GPS technology, an officer who encounters a bait pile in the woods can mark it. The hand-held unit is accurate to within 6 feet, making it easy for the officer to return later, in search of the person who left the bait.

A hunter and fisherman all his life, Edmisten sees the job he and his fellow wildlife officers do as protection. They protect the safety and the property of people who enjoy the outdoors, and they protect our fish and wildlife—some of our most valuable natural resources.

Among the specialized tools wildlife officers employ are decoy deer, which fool hunters who dangerously shoot from a car or truck.

What Does it Mean?

poacher: a person who hunts or fishes illegally, usually by trespassing, exceeding game limits, hunting or fishing out of season or failing to obtain a license

bag limit: the highest number of a game animal that a hunter may legally kill or possess in a given time, such as one turkey per day or two per season; in fishing, known as a creel limit

PFD: a buoyant life preserver carried and worn in boats for safety

fire extinguisher: a device that sprays chemicals to put out fires

two-way radios: allow people to talk to each other over long distances

baiting: leaving food for animals in the hope of attracting them to a spot for easier hunting

GPS: or Global Positioning System, a system that uses computers and satellites to determine an exact location
on the earth

Read and Find Out

Wildlife Wars: The Life and Times of a Fish and Game Warden by Terry Grosz, Johnson Books, 1999.
Everglades Lawmen: True Stories of Game Wardens in the Glades by Jim Huffstodt and James T Huffstodt, Pineapple Press Inc., 2000.
Tough Customers by Terry Hodges, T & C Books, 1994.
Nature's Keeper by Michael Tobias, Wiley, John & Sons Inc., 1998.

In Wildlife in North Carolina:

"Furry Enforcement Officers" by Chris Powell, November 2000.
"A Flood of Memories" by Chris Powell, March 2000.
"School of Hard Knocks" by Rodney Foushee, April 1999.
"Heads Up for Poachers" by Chris Powell, September 1998.

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