Customer Reviews

Poachers Caught!: Adventures of a Northwoods Game Warden

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Good to know that there are folks like Tom Chapin out there protecting our natural resources. The guy was awfully dedicated to his mission. The stories are entertaining and well written. Chapin has a way of educating us as we read, about the game and fish laws and why certain regulations are necessary. He educates us without us realizing it because the stories are so entertaining. A great addition to the outdoorsman's bookshelf and because of the nature of the stories... police work and investigation... anyone will find it interesting.

"Poachers Caught" is a good, entertaining quickread of the wild episodes of a dedicated natural resource enforcement officer. The short stories offer compelling reading of real life experiences more interesting than fiction. It is no wonder the book is in its 2nd printing only one month after introduction. Astounding sucess for a first time, self published author.

As a former Minnesota Conservation Officer I had the pleasure of working with Tom Chapin a couple of times. Tom is a true gentleman, not quite what you would expect in the raw north woods of Minnesota chasing poachers. As I read both of his books I found myself asking what was so unusual about his stories; they all seemed like usual happenings for any Game Warden. Then I realized that they didn't seem unique to me because I too had been through most of the situations that Tom mentions in his books except Tom is far too mellow and humble. What Tom doesn't mention is that far too many of the game and fish arrests back in the 70s and 80s resulted in nothing more than a slap on the wrist for the poacher.
In the late 70s several of us worked an illegal fish netting case in Tom's town and caught a fish poacher who had taken hundreds of walleyes illegally and was selling them to the Country Kitchen restaurant for their Friday fish fry. The poacher laughed at us in court when he got a $500 fine and said he would make that much and more then next night netting walleyes. The fine was no deterrent then.
The small part of both books I disliked is the fact that Tom glossed over the danger of the job-danger from poacher's guns and fish spears, from drowning, from hypothermia, and high-speed chases when the offender is armed with a high powered rifle. Back then several of us were involved in poachers shooting at officers or knew of an officer who had been shot by a poacher, some as young as 15.
These books are well worth the money, but remember when you read them that Tom has approached his subject from a mostly humorous side and that the job of a Conservation Officer, Game Warden, or any wildlife enforcement agent is extremely dangerous with little reward except for the self-satisfaction of protecting our natural resources from disappearing. Good Job Tom. Enjoy your retirement.

My father was tipped off to this book. He loved it and read it quickly. He doesn't usually read at all. My brother then read it, a friend, an uncle, my husband, etc. Everyone in the family has read the book and loved it!

Poachers Caught!: Adventures of a Northwoods Game Warden

Easy reading if you like conservation of our resources you will like this book.

My life has revolved around the outdoors for as long as I can remember. Prior to being enslaved in the corporate world, I had dreams of being a game warden. When I came across this book, inklings of my dreams from young adulthood came out and I just had to get this book.

Poachers Caught is a very realistic portrayal of life as a game warden. The book is broken up into 35 short stories. The book is not like watching an action packed episode of COPS. Some of the stories seem to be quite "ordinary", such as several stories about catching people who break possession limits for fish. Other stories are quite humorous, such as a story of the author checking people in ice fishing shanties. As expected, some stories are pretty exciting like the story about the author getting run over on his motor bike or the pursuit of some duck poachers in a canoe. I felt the book was very well rounded and gave examples of the various types of cases and challenges a game warden face.

The author does a great job in this book discussing issues that affect natural resources management. For example, the author discusses his theory that there is a link between "buck pools" and nighttime poaching of deer. The author also discusses the fact that many poachers are actually good people. The people simply get caught up in the moment and break the law a little. Each time they break the law and don't get caught, they push it a little further until their actions are gross violations of the law. The author also discusses that due to the limited number of wardens and dedicated resources, game wardens rely a lot on the public to catch criminals.

The book is a quick read. If you are an aspiring game warden or interested in natural resources management, I think this would be a good book to read. However, this is one of those books where if you are not interested in the topic, I would suggest saving your money and reading something else.

What can I say but that this was probably the most interesting and intriging book I have ever read! It was so funny it kept me up all night laughing and wanting to read more! The fact that it is all real only added the hystericle excitement. It was witty and fun with a hint of sadness for the abused resources. It really made me respect conservation officers more, and oppreciate their work.

I was pleased to see that Tom Chapin had published a book of his experiences as a game warden in northern Minnesota. My copy came from a small general store in Minnesota, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it signed by the author.

This is an interesting collection of short stories taken from the author's many years of field work. These true tales range from humorous to a bit frightening; they are well suited to fireside or bedtime reading for all ages.

My only criticism is a minor one. The book is not edited very well. Some of the sentences are punctuated or structured poorly. This may not be a problem for most readers, but it bothered me. A professional editor could have made this book appear more...well, professional.

He knows his stuff. This book is a quick read. Great short stories that make you laugh and realise what it takes to be a good Game Warden.