Riding Along with North Woods Law

I was lucky enough to be invited to ride along with Game Warden Sergeant Tim Spahr and the field producers for North Woods Law. Here is my first hand account of that day. State of Maine Game Wardens do much more than check to see if people have a valid fishing or hunting license. Wildlife law enforcement officers in the state of Maine are, first and foremost, always looking out for the safety of all who enjoy the outdoors. They are key participants in search and rescue operations and provide aid when accidents happen in the woods. While doing their best to protect all of the state’s natural resources, they also educate and provide resources to the public by appearing at events, seminars and workshops. Game wardens have other responsibilities as well, including the apprehension of exotic animals not permitted in the state by law, and the seizing of illegal cross breeds, such as wolf-dogs being kept as pets. They rescue orphaned and injured wild animals and take them to rehabilitation centers or certified wildlife rehabilitators. They humanely put down animals who are mortally wounded and are suffering. They investigate illegal trash and chemical dumping. They address trespassing issues, and occasionally bust people for possession of drugs or for drinking alcohol while driving off-road recreational vehicles. They work with state biologists to keep vital statistics on the health of  bear, moose, deer, fox, coyotes and other wild animal populations. Animal Planet’s television show North Woods Law has cast wildlife police in a new and positive light, igniting a renewed interest in what game wardens do and leading to a better understanding of the dynamics of people and wildlife sharing the great outdoors.

After four successful years, the show is filming its final season in 2016. Last November, at the peak of hunting season,  I was lucky enough to be invited to ride along with Game Warden Sergeant Tim Spahr and the Engel Entertainment field producers for North Woods Law. Here is my first hand account of that day. On an unseasonably warm and sunny November morning, Sergeant Tim Spahr and his Team 1 Film Crew, consisting of field producer Jameson Posey, associate producer Jared Given and director of photography Ronnie Hernandez, arrived to pick me up for my ride along. After donning a bullet proof vest similar to the ones worn by the other crew members, I joined Given and Posey in a non-descript SUV chock-full of electronic equipment, recording devices and survival gear, along with a cooler of water and some granola and beef jerky. We set off trailing Spahr and Hernandez, who were ahead of us in the game warden’s truck. Communication between the vehicles is immediate and constant via walkie talkies. After four seasons of filming together, Spahr and the crew had developed a solid and comfortable rapport. The film crew affectionately refers to Spahr as “Sarge.” The ongoing series of banter, jokes and comebacks, I was told, is crucial to staving off monotony and keeping each other on their toes. Days can swing from boring to action-packed in an instant, and it is important to be alert. As we travel through York County, Given explains the break-down of the camera teams for the show. “There are three total teams that shoot throughout Maine. Our team (Team 1) covers South Portland and below, which is York County. Team 2 is the Farmington to Bethel region and Team 3 covers the  Presque Isle-Machias area,” he said, adding, “this (the filming for the show) is 100% real. We are here solely to observe and document. Nothing more,  nothing less. What you see is what you get. We are here to record whatever happens as it happens and be as unobtrusive as we can. Unlike other reality TV shows, we don’t stage a thing.” We make a pit stop at an area of Kennebunk known as “The Blueberry Plains,” where Spahr disposes of a dead duck that had been called in to the warden service. “Discarding or leaving any dead wildlife on private property can be considered a littering violation. Proper disposal is recommended,” Spahr said. As often happens on the show, one thing leads to another and while disposing of the duck carcass, we stumble upon an illegal dumping site, a mound of asphalt shingles, rotten wood siding, pieces of vinyl, empty paint cans, empty cigarette packages, chunks of broken cement and other construction debris, in the middle of the plains. Spahr exits the truck, with Hernandez, camera in hand, following close behind. As  Spahr sifts through the pile of waste, he explains, “I’m looking for any evidence that may link this pile of trash with whoever dumped it. This really upsets me. It’s lazy and ignorant to dump trash here instead of taking it to the recycling center and paying a small fee.” Spahr retrieved two empty paint cans with labels from a local home improvement store. Later, he would take these to the store to see if the purchase could be traced. We check a hidden camera not far from the dumping site for any clues as to who the perpetrators may be before moving on. Continuing West, we drive the back roads of York County in search of vehicles parked on the edge of the woods, where hunting parties might be. Before we spot any, we are sidetracked by a dirt biker, who speeds through traffic across the main road. The driver looked young to Spahr, and a registration sticker was not visible on the bike, so the flashing blue lights were turned on. Rather than stopping, the motor biker makes a fast exit through the woods, on trails that are too narrow for the trucks to navigate. We take off in hot pursuit, driving to the area where the trail ends, hoping to catch the biker when he emerges. While we wait,  Spahr coordinates a surveillance plane out of Sanford airport to look for deer baiting (leaving food to lure deer in for a kill) and deer driving (a group effort of forcing deer into an area where shooters  wait), both of which are illegal in Maine. “Having an aircraft for surveillance is imperative. It allows us to see so much and act quickly,” Spahr said. Later, our team meets at the airport, where Warden Carleton Richardson and Warden Pilot Jeff Beach, who also star on North Woods Law, are waiting. As Hernandez rigs the plane for air filming, Spahr reflects on his seasons on North Woods Law. He reveals that the wardens do not receive monetary compensation for participating in the show. “As government employees, we don’t accept any money as individuals. It (North Woods Law) has been a great benefit for the department, though. There has been an increase in applicants for game warden positions since the series aired, and it is a positive portrayal of Maine, in general, and what we do. It has been a good  four years and now it’s the right time to take a breather. Who knows, we may re-visit it in a few years.”

To find out if the illegal dumpers were apprehended, what happened with the dirt bike driver and how the aircraft surveillance turned out, tune in to watch the final season of North Woods Law, which will air on Animal Planet in 2016. For more information on Maine Game Wardens, please visit the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/warden_service/