More Poachers Caught!

Tom Chapin is a native of Hibbing, Minnesota. He earned his bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1972 from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, after a two-year tour in the US Army. Most of his 29-year career as a natural resource conservation officer was spent in the Grand Rapids, Minnesota, district, where he also served as area supervisor for seven years. Chief among the honors he received include the 1978 Itasca County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and the 1985 Minnesota Conservation Officer of the Year.Tom has also served as adjunct faculty, teaching law enforcement courses at Itasca and Hibbing Community Colleges. The author’s campaigning and testimony prompted the Minnesota State Legislature to enact a gross over-limit law. Known as the “Chapin Bill,” this law became effective March 1, 2003. It increased penalties, including the loss of hunting and fishing privileges, for violators who take large quantities of game and fish.Throughout his career as a game warden, Tom took hundreds of photographs documenting illegal activities. These photos were an integral part of his group presentations, which have both educated and entertained audiences interested in natural resources issues. Tom and his wife, Sandy, raised daughters Colleen, Anita, and Beth in Grand Rapids, where Tom retired from public service.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. The Snow Mole2. The Shining Fields3. The Fourth of July4. The Open-Door Policy5. The Eager Beavers6. The Gross Over-Limiters7. The Hidden Threat8. The Serendipitous Live Well9. The Swan Song10. The Search for Trout11. The Fearless Lady12. The Kitchen Capers13. The Creepy Ambush14. The Chevy Chase15. The Faulty Success16. The Lesson Not Learned17. The Bear Facts18. The Shady Deal19. The Beep-Beep Blunder20. The Perch Pursuit21. The Porch-Light Poachers22. The Fishy Takes23. The Webbed Tales24. The Case for Melvin25. The Deer Camp26. The Dam-Site Sneakers27. The Hijacking28. The Dam Walleyes29. The Curtailed Pike30. The Moosecapades31. The Roundabout ApproachesAbout the Author

“Tom Chapin has done it again in this new collection of stories. They paint vivid pictures of a conservation officer’s challenging job and offer an insight into the minds of those who would steal resources belonging to all of us.”—Sam Cook, Duluth News Tribune“Dangerous, spontaneous and sometimes comedic, Tom Chapin’s true adventures as a conservation officer change our perspective by bringing us face to face with the scope of poaching.”—Mark Wm. Johnson, Executive Director, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association“After reading Tom Chapin’s book, it’s comforting to know that there were, and still are, men and women who care enough to devote their careers to catching these bad guys. These stories, even the funny ones, serve to remind us of the greed that exists in the woods and on the waters.”—Chris Niskanen, St. Paul Pioneer Press