For 132 years, members of the Maine Warden Service have enforced the fish and game laws — among myriad other tasks — in some of the most rugged territory the state has to offer. Much of their time is spent alone, in pickup trucks or boats, on snowmobiles or ATVs.
In most cases, their work goes unnoticed by the general public, who tend to live in places where basic amenities such as paved roads and electrical poles are considered essential, rather than luxuries.
Starting in March, TV viewers will get a closer look at the life of Maine game wardens, as Animal Planet unveils “North Woods Law,” a show that focuses on the state’s men and women in green as they perform their regular duties. The show was developed by Engel Entertainment of New York City, in cooperation with the Maine Warden Service, and will debut at 10 p.m. March 16.
Cpl. John MacDonald has been the warden service’s project manager since discussions with production companies began two years ago.
“We were first approached by another television production company. Evidently we were a little bit behind on the uptake on that one and another state got ahead of us,” MacDonald said.
That didn’t dim the interest from other production companies, however, and Engel Entertainment producers stepped forward with their own idea.
“Our development department was looking for shows, as they always do, and came across the warden service in Maine and wanted to see if they would like to work with us on this program,” said Jessica Winchell-Morsa, the co-executive producer of “North Woods Law.”
After ironing out details with the warden service and the Maine attorney general’s office, Engel Entertainment made a pilot of the proposed program and showed it to Animal Planet, the network that had already expressed interest in the show.
Engel Entertainment crews, headed by co-executive producer Devon Platte, headed into the woods with wardens during moose season last year, and have continued to film since.
Animal Planet liked what they saw and Engel is now in the process of producing six episodes that will air on the network. Each episode of “North Woods Law” is one hour long.
Both MacDonald and Winchell-Morsa said that warden service work is largely a mystery to the public, both in Maine and nationwide. North Woods Law shines a light on that work and illustrates the variety of jobs that wardens must perform on a daily basis.
“Most people know and can name the job description for the state trooper from state to state,” MacDonald said. “In some sense, we have a misidentity, perhaps. [We have] people not knowing exactly what we do, from out of state or even within the state.”
And even if many Mainers do have a rough idea of a game warden’s job description, the larger Animal Planet audience doesn’t.
“It is a unique job. You may be used to hearing about what wardens do for a living, but to a lot of people it’s brand-new information and a new type of job,” Winchell-Morsa said. “It’s a very exciting job.”
Winchell-Morsa is confident that Engel Entertainment has captured that excitement, as well as the rugged beauty of rural Maine, in its episodes.
“Maine is a unique place compared to the rest of the country, and I also think that it’s a state that people don’t talk a lot about, so it’s new territory,” Winchell-Morsa said. “Culturally, it is different from the rest of the United States. We like who we’re meeting and we like the wardens and what they do in a very special place. In that way, it makes [“North Woods Law”] different [from other shows on the market].”
MacDonald said neither the warden service nor the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will receive payment for their participation in the show, because law enforcement agencies are not allowed to accept money for projects such as this. He said the DIF&W might see some spin-off income if viewers decide they want to buy licensed department goods — including hats and shirts — that have been available for years.
The real benefit, he said, will come later, as people more fully realize what the warden service is up to.
“We’re hoping to use it, really, as a tool to distribute our message about what it is that we do and our mission,” MacDonald said.
Reflecting that mission in the proper light was a concern to the warden service and the DIF&W, and MacDonald said those details were ironed out in early discussions with producers.
“We needed to be able to protect ourselves with some ability to be sure that the footage that actually goes on television was appropriate and professional and accurate,” MacDonald said. “We made that happen.”
MacDonald said the wardens who are featured on the show weren’t picked randomly. Instead, a “casting call” among the state’s wardens was staged, and Animal Planet officials chose which wardens they wanted on the show.
Thus far, eight Maine wardens are listed as “cast members” of the show on IMDb, the Internet Movie Database: Warden Sargeants Chris Simmons, Scott Thrasher and Tim Spahr, and wardens Jonathan Parker, Alan Curtis, Rick LaFlamme, Kris MacCabe and Josh Bubier.
“They’re getting some good-hearted ribbing from some of the other wardens about becoming superstars,” MacDonald said with a chuckle.
MacDonald said film crews have spent quite a bit of time with wardens, and via email Winchell-Morsa said crews were out on a search and rescue mission with them Thursday.
“They’ve been in Down East Maine, western Maine, the Greenville-Jackman area, southern Maine, [and] central Maine,” MacDonald said. “Because of the logistics of having film crews and lodging and things like that, and keeping where the action is, the northwest part of Maine, which is the most remote pat of Maine, probably is the only area that we haven’t gone to do a lot of work.”
MacDonald said he hopes that changes in the future. In order for that to happen, however, the show will have to be popular enough to convince Animal Planet to keep it on the air after its initial six-show run.
“We hope that people love it and we’d love to keep working with the warden service and Animal Planet making more episodes,” Winchell-Morsa said.
John Holyoke may be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.com or 990-8214. Check out his blog at outthere.bangordailynews.com.
About time the Warden service is recognized for what they do. These men and women have a tough thankless job. I do hope that sales of DIF&W stuff increases since the department is paid for with their own money ( at least that’s what I’ve been told ). Can’t wait to see an episode !
It should be named “Trout Troopers”.
I will admit, that made me chuckle.
cant wait to see these guys act for the show.. acting like wardens
I always like the term “Rabbit Sherriff” :)
Very cool. Though the Warden’s are not going to be the focus of this show, any more than the Cops are on Cops. This is going to be all about the local rednecks they catch poaching.
let us hope they stay away from a certain eastern area where some of the dishonest game wardens are located, they are protrayed as angels by day and live a different life when out of sight. There have been many great and honorable wardens in the past and there are many promising and honest ones ones in the ranks today. Should be a good show, lets hope it helps the state out in general.
It’s important that when this airs we show our support; in writing to Animal Planet..these people are buying food, staying at sporting camps and supporting our local economy; in a big way…besides all that good stuff; it gives us a chance to show off our warden service.. the finest in the world !
Great….give them a reason to strut in front of a camera and show off harassing someone fishing with the grandkids at some far away pond. pfffttt
Heaven forbid that they enforce the fish and game laws.
Agree. 2 years ago, I encountered a bow hunter on my posted land, his vehicle blocking right-of-way & right next to my posted sign, accompanied by unleashed dog, who admitted to scoping my land to place tree stands. Warden accompanied by Deputy Sheriff told me he’s a good guy, but refused to enter the woods because he feared he might be armed, YET they both left me (middle aged female armed only with a cordless phone) to greet him. Not even a ticket or warning. Last year, 2 unlicensed (can’t legally have hunting license in ME) bow hunters pulled over 50 feet into my dooryard; driver also had no valid driving license. It was mid-afternoon, so not legal to hunt with permission or license at that time of day. As I watched from my window while on phone with same warden, one jumped out of the “running” truck with bow in hand while the driver was behind the wheel, aiming at turkeys in my yard. I hung up the phone and ran into the yard, telling them that the wardens have their tag numbers/vehicle description. They lived over an hour’s drive away and are known as “poachers” by local wardens. Later, the warden told me the vehicle owner admitted to trespassing & the rest, BUT did not even get a ticket. He also said that he was about to tell me to detain these 2 armed men AND I should have allowed them to shoot the turkey(s) in my dooryard, within 25 feet or so of my house! I know and appreciate that they work hard and have large territories with fewer wardens, but when violaters are handed to them by civilians, well what else can we as citizens do. Also, how well did their many hours of work on the “Turner 4” really pan out? Legal hunters I can live with. Send poachers a strong message. Don’t let them off the hook!
You should of let them shoot one of the turkeys, nothing would be more in the face evidence than that. Along with pictures or video, that would force action.
Your a joke. That is saying that if someone breaks in your house that you have to let them murder your kids before you stop them….come on…you really dont believe that. It is posted for a reason. The law requires it to be posted. That way they can do something…
Apples and oranges, from the comment it appears that there was a lack of action taken. When there is nothing but a he said, she said it can be hard to prove anything, when there is physical evidence staring you in the face, and you have photo or video proof of it you can guarantee that action will be taken then. A jump from poaching and trespass to breaking and entering is a big step.
What a joke…. Go back to mass! I’m sure your neighbors would be glad to help you pack!
they are already riding on a high horse now they think their going to be above people in a welfare state
I was told once by a warden sargeant from Ashland division that “we have no writtten code of ethics” , I think that one may be gone now a days but some of his followers are very much still involved in the ws.
Maybe the wardens can take the film crew up to the Baker Lake camp just to show how tough they have it hehe.
Blaming an officer of any sort for enforcing a law is easier to do than to accept the responsibility for ones own actions, huh. And how horrible for warden to interact with the public young or old. I know they harassed my poor 10 year old niece during a fishing derby last year. Yeah…while out on a snowmobile with her uncle, a warden spoke with them causally and gave her a coupon for a free ice cream (or some sort of treat) for wearing a snowmobile helmet as required. Awful, terrible people. They do a mostly thankless job and do it well. Its the people who have something to hide or are violating the law that seem to have such a problem with them…
Who said a license was required? I thought so. On good deed doesn’t erase a year of harassing decent people. Go find real violators and stop playing cop
wonder if they will show some of the stuff like…..dressing up as hippies in the 80’s and using their state boat to try to trap the public. or offering to give you some weed to smoke with them…..didnt fall for that one! always wondered why that hadn’t been turned into the evidence room instead of being kept in a warden vehicle for several days as i was told by someone else!
very mature, are you teaching your grandkids how to jack deer too?
ahhh anywhere in my post did I say that license was required? I thought so
They’re going to do a show about the warden service w/o Aroostook County and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway? Uh, yeah.
Wonder what Warden’s will choose to show. I bet they will definately be enforcing the law on air. Here in Maine not all of the hunt is pretty, some is sad. If they tape the wrong thing, it could bring the animal activist out in full force. Due to rabies and to save the deer herd, some hunting that most of us would rather not see, needs to be done.
I have many stories about wardens in the old days. Here is one that shows what they often dealt with.
Lewiston Daily Sun – September 18, 1946 Wednesday – Page 2 – Westbrook – Deer Jackers Run Over Warden; Leg Broken – On September 17, Maynard F. Marsh, 29, of Westbrook, a State game warden, suffered a broken leg when he was knocked down by a car containing two men whom he had surprised jacking deer near Hollis. Westbrook police said the men escaped after driving their car into Marsh and knocking him into a ditch when he and Warden George Townsend of Limerick tried to stop the machine. Townsend was not injured.
I am so surprised RONALD DUNHAM, isn’t the star of this show! He loves publicity!!
or a public law enforcement offficer of washington county
Once again, everything is being done in the area of maine with a line from Jackman across to lower Washington County. The other Maine, Millinocket north to the Canadian Border of Allagash, Escourt, St. Phamphille, East to Ashaland, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, again north to Van Buren, Madawaska, Fort Kent and the St. John River Valley are forgotten. This where the rreal Northern Law and the Wilderness exists, with Real Game Wardens, not Show Troops! Nothing ever changes, it always remains the same.
Oh well at least we can vent our flustrations!
I won’t be watching
Hope they depict the true warden service, where you call them to tell them a car hit a deer in front of your house and they tell you they will send somebody right over . Then 10 hours later the poor deer is still suffering on your front lawn. Then a week later you call them and tell them you think you heard some one close to your property shoot a gun at night and it might be a poacher , and 4 wardens show up 20 minutes later ready to hand out citations and make some money for Maine !
they should at least come up to the north woods insead of advertising falsly.
April 21, 1983 – Warden Assaulted – Wilton – A warden of the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife was injured in a confrontation Tueday night in Wilton. Game Warden Michael Pratt of Weld was making a routine check along the banks of Wilson Stream, north of Wilton on the Pond Road. He approached a Thomas Randall, 41, East Livermore, and asked for his fishing license. According to Pratt, Randall refused to produce a fishing license. A confrontation took place and Warden Pratt was struck in the face, “once or twice” when he placed Randall under arrest and was in the process of trying to transport him to Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Farmington. Wilton police officers, several state troopers and members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department converged on the scene, Pratt said Wednesday. Randall, according to the report, was subdued, handcuffed and transported in a Wilton cruiser, operated by Officer Terry Warren to Farmington where he was booked at the County Jail for assault on a police officer and for failing to produce a fishing licence. Pratt said another Wilton officer rode in the cruiser with the prisoner, Oficer Warren and himself. Later, Warden Pratt was checked at the Franklin Memorial Hospital and released. Randall provided bail for his appearance in District Court on May 10.
What’s the point of posting this?
Just a factual news snippet to show the kind of things that wardens often times have to deal with. Wardens are more often criticized than praised for doing their job.
I can tell several true and factual stories , some of which are very humorous. I remeber getting a call from my brother one time to come help a friend of ours move into a place in his new district, he was a newby to warden service and had been assigned the Danforth area. This happened during hunting season and had only been in the area a few days and was so amazed at the hospitality of some of the local women with all their great cooking and other offerings he was really happy to be accepted by them. Upon finding out who had provided such gracious gifts my brother started to chuckle and reminded me it was hunting season in Danforth and Eaton areas as well as some more surrounding areas. What our friend did not realize was that we knew all these people and where their husbands and boyfriends were and what they were doing. As we drove off that night we had a good laugh realizing that our friend, tho he had great schooling and a vast knowledge of the outdoors and had graduated in the top of his class, still had to get thru the rest of his education that they do not teach you in warden school11 and may i say he turned out to be a great , fair and honest warden.
Relative of yours? ;-)
It would be great to see Maine Legislature curb tail the current laws so law-enforcement agencies could in fact benefit from publications such as this. We need to re-invent ourselves with this tough economy. Opportunity is knocking. Take a look at National Geographic televising Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Coast Guard.
“we” you must be in law enforcement. next thing they will be stealing and taking kick backs. no thanks…let them harass the speeders and look for undersize fish
North woods law? Errr…..your land is my land to hunt, fish, ATV, and snowmobile on but stay off my land because I’m a property rights, socialist hating nut case. And when someone wants to do something with their land like start a park, I try and stop them.
I hope the wardens will explain Maine’s Great Ponds Act of 1975 which is the right of trespass on unimproved property to access or egress a great pond. Our right to trespass on people’s “unimproved land”, posted or not, is unique in the Nation. And there are no restrictions as to whether the trespass is for the purpose of hunting, fishing or trapping or whatever. It is my legal right to walk to and from any great pond in the State of Maine from any point in the State of Maine. Very few people understand this and that includes landowners or wardens who can be prosecuted both civilly and criminally if they prevent the trespass.
Warden Telly and a Fish Story
It was a beautiful June day in 1961- a perfect day to fish – and Gary Hall invited me to go fishing with him. He had already decided to try his luck at Little Fish Pond and that sounded great to me. I had never been fishing there before but I had walked there from Jones Pond on a deer hunting expedition a couple of years earlier. And so we arrived after an hour of driving, the final mile of road being nearly impassable and really better called a hiking trail than a road. As often is the case in the Maine woods, fisherman Gary knew there was a canoe stashed at Little Fish. I felt honored that Gary would be my guide and so he launched the canoe and paddled me along the shoreline. I must have forgotten – not really, I’m fibbing – that Little Fish Pond was a fly fishing only pond. Having only a spinning rod in my possession, I decided to troll a lure since Gary was trolling with a worm. We both felt that illegal fishing methods were justified since the wind had come up, it was bitterly cold, started to rain and was blowing a gale force. And besides, we knew that game wardens had a large area to cover and were hardly ever seen in this neck of the woods. But we also found out that the fish in Little Fish on this particular day were as scarce as game wardens. Try as we did by trolling illegally around the shore of the entire pond, nary a bite. I removed my illegal lure from my spinning rod and stopped fishing. But just as we decided to give it up for a lost cause with the bow of the canoe hitting the launching area, Gary snagged one. As he stood on the shore and started to reel him in, Gary laughed and said, “Look at this Telly. He’s a big one and I caught him on worms.” Of course we both laughed out loud, and I said, “Geeze Gary, what if Telly (our nickname for Telford) was standing here in the bushes and heard you?” Gary guffawed and I joined him in the hilarious endeavor. It was at this moment, that Warden Telford McAllister stepped out of the bushes and said, “Howdy boys, I think I will have that fly rod.” Shocked and ashamed, Gary relinquished his fly rod to “smiling” Telford and accepted the written summons. But it just didn’t seem right to not offer Telford a ride back to his truck that was parked a mile away. And so with Telford sitting between us, we talked and chatted as we bounced along about what and why we had knowingly committed this illegal act. Gary knew he was not going to the Gulag but he was concerned about losing his privilege to fish and guide. We were now within sight of Telly’s warden truck when Telford said, “You know boys, sometimes a warden can overlook things. I’m going to tear that summons up.” And so he did. That is the kind of game warden that Telford McAllister was. He was the best of the best.
If in fact true and acurate…that is the way life should be. I enjoyed it! Thanks
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LOL what a joke. If they show what the wardens in Washington county do all they need do is park across the street form the Blue bird in Machias and watch them sit in there for 4 or 5 hour lunches. With there new trucks boats in tow and new 4 wheelers on the back of the trucks.
Call a warden around here and tell them you have tresspassers they will likely never show if they do it will hours later. Call them for a four wheeler they show up asap to write a ticket. If they can write a ticket they show up much faster.
I hope they show them in there true light maybe then we can get Lepage to clean house and get rid of the old gaurd there who care nothing about the Maine woods.
Before anyone asks I have NEVER had a ticket from a warden and I have never been arrested for anything.
this should have a great results for the state if done right, despite what a lot of people think there are still some excellent and honorable wardens out there.
Hopefully, the department is getting a little money for this. It has been underfunded for years and maybe this could pay for an extra warden or 2.
“MacDonald said neither the warden service nor the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will receive payment for their participation in the show, because law enforcement agencies are not allowed to accept money for projects such as this. He said the DIF&W might see some spin-off income if viewers decide they want to buy licensed department goods — including hats and shirts — that have been available for years.”
excavatorperson: There are about 110 wardens and 107 of them are excellent and honorable wardens. Yes, you might say they have a couple of “dickheads” but that is true in all groups of professional people. Unfortunately, many people focus on the negative few rather than the majority many. Enough said.
It’s true just based on the nature of the profession being “The Man” automatically puts a perception on people, and some people will always think that way even after having met them without getting in any trouble.
I can’t wait to see it.