A WIINDOW INTO THE LIFE OF AN OKLAHOMA GAME WARDEN

Lincoln County Game Warden Jacob Harriet, a familiar face on the roads, holding up his Masters Degree. All photos provided by JACOB HARRIET

by ALANA OWEN

The Oklahoma fall weather offers an opportunity to enjoy some beautiful outdoor activities. The sounds, smells and views are unforgettable. Every September I wake up to the sounds of guns blaring, a quick reminder that dove season has opened. I always think back to the fall of 2006 when my young daughter and husband sat outside our carport on the tailgate of the truck with a limit of doves. There was cleaning, baking, and cooking, along with some placed in the freezer for another day. With fall comes the mating season, a time when we all need to be careful on the roads as the critters are out and about searching for food and reproductive opportunities. Over the years I have had some close calls early in the morning while commuting. I had a horrendous headache one day and was traveling 60 miles per hour down Highway 18B when I looked to my left to see a deer looking at me from right outside the window. After that surreal moment where I momentarily questioned reality, I realized I was lucky my car was not totalled or worse. When I was a child, my father would go off on mysterious trips with his brothers to fish and hunt large game. I was always invited to the local outings, primarily fishing the banks of northern California. Those are such fond memories, and I feel so fortunate that I have my own lake to fish along with numerous other locations throughout Oklahoma to enjoy.

Upon learning November was the Thanksgiving and hunting edition, my first thought was to learn about our local game warden. I reached out to discover a remarkable young man by the name of Jacob Harriet. The last thing I expected was a lesson in Oklahoma history, and this month’s journey has been one of my favorites.

Jacob grew up in the Wellston area and completed his bachelor’s degree in wildlife law enforcement and master’s degree in education while working for the wildlife department. Jacob has worked for the wildlife department for over five years, and as game warden for over two. For the first two-and-a-half years he worked at the Conservation Education Area at Arcadia as an Aquatic Education Intern. He always wanted to be a game warden but had to start as an intern while working on his degree.

Jacob covers Lincoln County but also assists in surrounding counties as needed. Game wardens have state and federal jurisdiction with full law enforcement capabilities. Jacob’s most common job activity is educating the public and patrolling the countryside in search of wildlife violations. Unless he is officially on vacation, he is on call every day of the week. The most difficult people he deals with fall into two groups: poachers and those who want to save everything. As for the second group, Jacob explained that instead of letting mother nature take its course, some will attempt to save animals who are not normally in harm’s way until people interfere.

Because I am an avid horseback rider at local lakes, I asked Jacob what to do to remain safe during hunting season. He was quick to reply that he would not be too concerned as those issues are very uncommon, due to hunters mostly being careful and respectful of others. I also asked about recent mountain lion sightings. Jacob explained that the occasional animal may migrate through but usually not remain in the area. That likely explains why we have not had issues with our livestock except for a few truckloads of teenagers shooting our bull last year during a drive-by.

We spoke about wildlife patterns, numbers of turkey

and quail, and the 2021-2022 hunting season outlook. I mentioned that I have not heard many turkeys on the backside of our property lately, to which he advised the turkey numbers are down because “life is hard when you are delicious.” However, the wildlife department is implementing new regulation and research projects to ensure the turkey population will thrive.

Being a game warden comes with interesting stories. He once received a call from a lady who was certain she had a cobra coiling up and trying to strike at her, pleading that it be removed immediately. After receiving a picture of the snake, he was able to confirm it was a hog nose snake, which will commonly coil up like a cobra.

Jacob has noodled but prefers his feet on dry land. His favorite part of the job is interacting with people and working outside, never resulting in a dull moment. Jacob said that most of the public he deals with are great people with a mutual passion for wildlife. While Jacob’s chosen profession is a game warden, his passion is habitat management. He has been dutifully working hard to try to improve land conditions. On his own property he has been clearing tree areas and encouraging native grasses and forb blends to improve the quail, turkey and other wildlife numbers as those diverse native species are better for their habitat than Bermuda grasses.

As for my history lesson, I had no idea that populations of wildlife were market hunted to the point of extinction in the past. The passenger pigeon which once darkened the sky in what looked like rivers in the air was exterminated by market hunters who sent the harvested birds back east for food in restaurants. Hides were treated the same with market trapping and hunting. Eventually, this type of hunting was regulated and controlled. Modern day biologists do studies to monitor populations, which is why bag limits and regulations are often modified as findings change. Jacob advised that doe harvesting is highly desired for the balance of preservation and forage, as the only predators adult deer have in our state in most circumstances are hunters and vehicles.

Jacob encourages locals to get to know their local game warden. Wardens cover a large area and rely heavily on landowner assistance to stop wildlife crimes. A Hunting and Fishing Regulations Book is printed every year by the Wildlife Department and is available online on the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s website under game warden directory. It is Jacob’s mission to ensure that the wildlife we have today will be here for the future generations of Oklahomans to enjoy and having landowners and citizens willing to help with that goal is priceless.

Neighbor and local hunter John Hales owns property in Lincoln County. I visited with him and asked for some of his pictures to share for this article. John advised he has been planting quail yearly and is pleased with the improved bird numbers on his land. I was especially fascinated with his German Shorthair Pointers, sisters he trained to bird hunt. John primarily hunts deer on his land as he enjoys seeing the turkey but does not harvest them. He had noticed a decline in turkey on his land over the years, but the numbers appear to be improving lately. John also often sees bobcats, racoons, and coyotes on his land.

If you are interested in a career as a game warden, Jacob suggested the following steps: 1) reach out to other game wardens, 2) check on the department’s website for information, 3) keep a clean background, and 4) do a ride along with a game warden. He also recommended seeking opportunities to intern with the department to get your foot in the door.

Whatever you do this fall whether fishing, hunting, or foraging, enjoy the season.

For those hunters seeking something adventurous in the spring, check out the numerous rattlesnake hunts and festivals in Oklahoma which are primarily held each April. n