Under a Poacher’s Moon: Stories of a Wisconsin Game Warden

This book consists of 36 short stories that reflect some of the real life experiences of a Wisconsin Game Warden over a 31 year career. The stories allow the reader to experience the wide range of emotions the conservation warden feels as he encounters situations in the outdoors ranging from laughter to tragedy. The reader will have the opportunity to learn what it is like to pursue a vehicle driven by deer poachers, to face armed robbers, or to ride the waves in a patrol boat responding to an emergency call. These true stories cover a wide range of subjects. Chapters of the book include the investigation of trout fishing violations, forest fires, waterfowl hunting, commercial fishing, deer poachers, serious pollution events, and the intoxicated operation of boats. The author also describes the difficult task of investigating the deaths of outdoor users who lose their lives in hunting and recreational vehicle accidents. Historical chapters are also included such as the role wardens played as peacekeepers during the volatile protests over the exercise of treaty rights in northern Wisconsin in the late 1980's. A warden's role in search and recovery operations is also discussed.

Steven Dewald was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and has been a resident of Wisconsin all of his life. Steven graduated with a B. S. degree in Scientific Land Management from UW-River Falls in 1980. He began working in law enforcement for the Department of Natural Resources as a DNR Officer while still in college in 1978 at Kohler Andrae State Park south of Sheboygan. Steven was hired full time by the DNR in November of 1980 as a Natural Resources Patrol Officer with warden credentials in the Milwaukee area. He was promoted to conservation warden in 1982 and was assigned to Jefferson County. Steven was promoted to warden supervisor in 1990 in LaCrosse where he supervised wardens in 5 counties along the Mississippi River. In 1993 he accepted a temporary assignment to Washington D.C. where he worked at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters on the implementation of national oil pollution legislation. Upon his return to Wisconsin he was instrumental in the passage of Wisconsin’s double hull barge bill. Steven served as the chairman of the law enforcement technical section of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC) for 9 years which is an organization comprised of the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. Steven was also responsible for the development of historic joint law enforcement agreements for the State of Wisconsin with the adjacent States of Iowa and Minnesota that apply to the boundary waters between the states. Steven received an award in 1994 for his courage in apprehending a group of armed robbers in LaCrosse County. In 2004 he was recognized by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress for his leadership in protecting the resources of the Mississippi River. In 2007 he received the Shikar Safari outstanding officer of the year award. Steven retired from service in April of 2011.