Open Season

Woods Cop: True Stories of the Maine Warden Service is a collection of 21 stories from two
former colonels, two lieutenants, two sergeants, four district wardens, a warden pilot, and one
currently active duty corporal. Altogether, their cumulative experiences account for more than
300 years of warden experience.
Before reality TV cameras, GPS devices, and dashboard computers, these wardens
presided over a coming of age era for the Maine Warden Service. It was a time when a compass,
map, and their wits were what mattered most in the field. Every day offered the potential for an
exciting new adventure, many of which endangered the wardens themselves.
This book recreates the full warden experience. In addition to hair-raising, life-and-death
scenarios, the collection covers moments such as a child innocently outing his parents as
“looking for deer” at night, the doldrums of a stakeout, and the grief of tragedy. The stories have
been written in a third person, narrative format to ensure consistency in style and to help readers
feel the excitement of a twig snapped in the dark, the frustration of second guessing yourself
when lives are at stake, and the duty to do what’s right, even if it means breaking the law.