Wildlife Guardian: Stories of a Pennsylvania Game Warden (Penn's Woods Stories)

Praise for William Wasserman:“Perennial favorite William Wasserman is back with his sixth book. The stories from this retired 32-year veteran conservation officer just keep coming and are as entertaining and enlightening as ever. Wildlife Guardian is written in Wasserman’s usual high-quality style that keeps you turning the pages until, before you know it, the book is done. Anyone who has not read any of Wasserman’s books before could easily start with this one and work backwards, as they do not need to be read in any particular order, and they are all top-notch game warden non-fiction.”—Gerry W. Lister, Editor, International Game Warden Magazine“His accounts read like scripts for a true-life reality television show. Murderers, drug addicts, dope dealers, and outlaw bikers have all crossed his path, to ends not of their liking.” —Al Holliday, Editor, Pennsylvania Magazine“Wasserman is at his best when his stranger-than-fiction stories reveal their own truths.”—Cheryl Moskaluk, Editor, The Alberta Game Warden“In more than 30 years he’s encountered it all, from the most hardened criminals to the most unbelievable encounters with wildlife.” —Robert C. Mitchell, Editor, Pennsylvania Game NewsDescription:This is Wasserman’s third book about his encounters with animal poachers in the wilds of Pennsylvania. Join him as he patrols four-hundred square miles of rural mountain terrain in search of some of the most unpredictable—and interesting—characters you’ll ever meet. Wasserman relates the dangers of his job with pulse-pounding clarity. He is a wonderful storyteller. His crisp use of dialog makes his characters come alive in every page. Wildlife Guardian contains six of his best tales to date. In Footsteps in the Dark, a goat is killed in a remote forest by an unknown creature. Wasserman knows that a huge mountain lion has been reported in the area. At first, he disbelieves the claim. But as he stands between the creature and its meal, it begins to stalk him. Alone, in the dark of night, he listens to the steady cadence of its breathing and wonders if he’ll make it home alive.In Unintended Consequences, Wasserman narrates an encounter with a poacher that keeps coming back to him like a bad dream. It’s a story about a man and his dog that you’ll remember long after you put the book down.In A Valentine’s Surprise, a poacher prepares to surprise his wife with a turkey dinner on Valentine’s Day. His plan backfires when Wasserman shows up as an uninvited guest. But there are other surprises in the story as well. It’s one you don’t want to miss.In Shadows in the Moonlight, Wasserman encounters a potentially dangerous situation with two men who’ve been drinking heavily. It’s a fast-paced story about a night of chasing poachers that includes some hilarious antics between Wasserman and a faithful deputy who always manages to stay one step ahead of him. In A Reckoning in the Snow, we take the ride of our lives as Wasserman attempts to take his patrol car over a treacherous frozen mountain without plunging to his death in order to assist a deputy with bear poachers.In Head Games, emotions run wild as Wasserman encounters a family of downtrodden poachers that he does not want to prosecute. It’s the good, the bad, and the ugly of Muskrat Hollow. One of his best tales ever.Fallout is a story about hardened poachers who will stop at nothing to shoot a deer. They’ve been at it for years because everyone is afraid to report them. Wasserman and his deputy must seek the aid of a woman and her teenaged daughter in order to bring the men to justice. Excerpts from Wildlife Guardian:“I wondered if it was sizing me up at this very moment, its powerful body adjusting, muscles taut and ready. The notion made my heart hammer so loud I could actually hear it. And I was certain whatever was out there could too.”