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New Hampshire Fish & Game forced to become Search and Rescue

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 Let me start by clearly stating that the following is NOT a condemnation of New Hampshire Fish and Game. I love the NH game wardens I frequently used to encounter in forays from my home in the northern part of the state - and respect tham totally.. As a retired police lieutenant, former temporary game warden, and lifelong hunter, fisherman and hiker, here's my view of the situation.


I wrote about this dilemna years ago, but the issue has worsened. Hiking in the north country has blossomed, as have the number of inexperienced, poorly-equipped hikers. Here is a piece on such a rescue that took place three days ago where four hikers went on a 7-9-hour trek, starting at 3:30 PM. The "late-starters" were unprepared for the "adventure" and had to be rescued. They were found at 1:30 AM the following day.

All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) traffic has skyrocketed in Northern NH, as have the accidents and injuries resulting from rider inexperience, recklessness, speed and intoxication. Ditto for the snowmobilers and the rescues by Fish and Game, Search and Rescue and volunteers. These incidents happen almost daily.

Years ago, I was constantly stopped by Fish and Game officers and politely asked to produce my fishing or hunting license. That doesn't happen any more. Where are these enforcers of the fish and game laws? They seem always engaged in search and rescue operations (and body recoveries) of inexperienced and reckless hikers, ATVers and snowmobilers - involved in activities that have little to do with fish and game. Most of these rescues are avoidable.

This is not a condemnation of NH Fish and Game. On the contrary, the men and women conservation officers are well-trained, professional - but undermanned and overworked. I will, however, chastise the hikers that start too late in the day, unprepared for the changes in weather from the base of the mountain to the peak - or the difficulty of the climb.

I will also throw under the bus the ATVers and snowmobilers that lack experience, travel out of control and pop a few shots of booze before they go on their next rise. Their rescues and body recoveries are also avoidable, for the most part.





There are currently 40 Conservation Officers (Fish and Game) in the state of New Hampshire, and with days off and vacations, only 15 of them are available to cover the entire state in any given day. That is not enough. 






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