Nebraskaland

F or 125 years, Nebraska game wardens, better known as conservation officers, have seen through every game law revision and stood at the frontlines of encountering every whim of public sentiment in the field. Their duties have been ever changing, reflecting the shifting landscape of wildlife conservation and public expectations. What started as an open- season mentality on wildlife has evolved into a Powerful sense of shared responsibility and stewardship among Nebraskans. DE FACTO OPEN SEASON Despite the game laws that existed prior to 1900, hunting and fishing at this time was more of "a de facto open season," wrote Jon Farrar in "Centennial of Wardens," published in Nebraskaland Magazine, November 2001. Although overstretched county sheriffs and town constables were responsible for enforcing all state laws, catching poachers was low priority, and wildlife suffered. In 1901, after mounting pressure from concerned sportsmen, the Nebraska Legislature finally took meaningful action. Alongside the creation of the Game and Fish Commission — a precursor of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission — the legislature backed up this new agency with the state's first game wardens. Lincoln Gun Club President George Simpkins would serve as chief deputy; Joseph Matousek of Brainard was his second; and P.C. Counselman of Omaha, Harry L. McConnel of Albion and George Carter of North Platte were named assistant deputies, reported the Stanton Register on April 9. This thinly staffed, underbudgeted department depended on 88 special deputies to be their "eyes and ears" throughout the state. These special wardens had the authority to issue citations and make arrests, but they initially served without pay. Wardens were not issued uniforms and, before 1921, depended on inefficient railways, horses and rented vehicles to cover their areas. Consequently, enforcement during these first several decades was spotty, and game wardens faced an uphill effort to get Nebraskans to abandon their old ways of seeing wildlife as mere commodity. Although fines for violations were steep, up to $500 for dynamiting fish or $300 for killing protected species, the odds of getting caught were miniscule. Furthermore, not all special wardens were armed and were occasionally shot at by violators. Still, despite its rough start, this new arm of law enforcement was vital to the survival of the fledgling Game and Fish Commission. EARLY CONUNDRUMS The challenges in enforcing game l aws i n t h e e a r l y 2 0 t h c e n t u r y were manyfold. The most obvious hurdle being funding, which was controlled by a Nebraska Legislature that continually fielded criticism on whether wildlife law enforcement was good value for money. The few paid game wardens had to cover an immense territory, and the reliability and competency of the volunteer special wardens was tenuous. Occasionally, special wardens were arrested for violations, which newspapers delighted in reporting. Market hunting also continued to be widespread. As Farrar wrote, "There were too many hungry settlers, too many families to whom $4 for a dozen prairie chickens was a windfall." During the Commission's first two years, only 5,718 resident and 97 non-resident licenses were issued. Created in 1901, the new license law required all male hunters and anglers over the age of 18 to buy a $1 license and imposed additional restrictions on the taking of fish and game. The low number of permits sold suggested that many hunters and anglers simply ignored the new law or did not know it existed. T h e g a m e d e p a r t m e n t a n d i t s w a r d e n s h a d a c o n u n d r u m o n t h e i r h a n d s . H o w d o t h e y educate Nebraskans about wildlife conservation? And how do they persuade the public to care? Only then will game laws be honored. POWER OF THE PRESS In January 1917, George C. Kosters of Niobrara was appointed head of the Commission and chief deputy warden. It was also Kosters who quickly recognized that building a relationship with the state's newspapers would be advantageous to the Commission's

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