I am responding to the person who called in to Tri-County Speaks reporting that he is personally looking out for the taxpayers by spending his own time watching the game warden’s truck.
Oklahoma State Game Wardens do not have any portion of their salaries paid by taxes. Oklahoma State Game Warden salaries are fully funded by the sales of hunting and fishing license’s sold in our great state.
Oklahoma State Game Wardens do not have to drive their trucks all day long to be considered working. Due to the rising cost of fuel, game wardens are heavily urged to “drive and work smart”. In an effort to keep hunting and fishing license’s low a game warden does not have an office where he drives to each work day, so the warden works out of his own home where he does paperwork, reports, and answers phone calls concerning wildlife information, violations, etc.
The Oklahoma State Game Warden does not work a typical eight hour day. Game Wardens are on call 24 hours a day. They adjust their schedules to be available when hunting and fishing is most desirable and when sportsmen are most likely to need assistance. The job requires working nighttime hours, when many citizens prefer to be in bed sleeping.
I am happily married and have two wonderful children with the game warden in Pottawatomie County. I know first hand about the extremely long hours worked by game wardens on weekends and the holidays our family has had to celebrate without my husband due to his dedication to serving landowners, hunters, and fishermen in Oklahoma.
My husband often works a 7-day week. In June he worked 14 consecutive days. He voluntarily collaborated with a non-profit organization to teach teenagers how to fish. He also coordinated an archery clinic. When the archery clinic was canceled due to rainy weather my husband offered to give his vacation to reschedule the clinic.
It is a pity that this caller did not feel compelled to talk to my husband about his concerns so that he could get the facts about the situation. Accusing someone of not doing their job is an extremely serious allegation and choosing to voice those false accusations in the Sunday newspaper only reflects poorly on the caller.
Christy Abbott-France,
Shawnee
