68 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 
REMINISCENCES OF A GAME WARDEN 
By WarveEn I. B. Hazettine, Baker, Oregon. 
I remember having attended a meeting of the sportsmen of 
Hastern Oregon held in a neighboring town some two years ago. The 
State Game Warden, one or two of the Commissioners and Master 
Fish ‘Warden were also in attendance. The usual banquet followed 
the convention, and when the calls for responses included some of the 
deputy wardens I began to have all the symptoms of “stage fright,” 
as I had often heard it described, contraction of the organs of the chest 
and throat, violent trembling and an anticipated weakness of the knees 
every time the toastmaster arose with list in hand to announce a new 
victim, thinking that I would surely be called on next. But as time 
advanced to a late hour and I had not been discovered apparently, I 
somewhat regained My composure, tipped my chair back against the 
wall and began to enjoy one of the really excellent cigars supplied 
for the occasion by the committee in charge. About this time, how- 
ever, my suspicions were again aroused by the preliminary words 
of the toastmaster, who was saying “that they had with them a man 
from a faraway section of Eastern Oregon, a country they knew little 
about, etc., etc.,” and, horrors upon horrors! I had been called upon at 
last to tell some one hundred and fifty strangers all about Grant 
County, my territory at that time. I hope that some of you have had 
similar experience that you may the more fully appreciate and sym- 
pathize with me in my predicament at that moment... There was my 
natural fear of speaking in public, and this was magnified many fold 
by the fact that I was not very well acquainted with my superior 
officers in a personal way at that time, and wanted to make a good 
impression on them. I finally managed to rise, by the aid of table and 
chair, and after having quite an argument with my heart to induce it 
to stay below my organ of speech, I managed to utter some kind of 
vocal sound, but if it took the form of words I am unable to recall the 
fact. They were a decent bunch of fellows, though as all true sports- 
men always are, and gave me just as much applause as though I had 
really made an eloquent address. 
I remember, though, that it impressed me at the time as prepos- 
terous that all sportsmen should not have heard all about Grant 
County and just what a great game country it really is. It speaks 
well, though for the balance of the state, as far as the game interests 
are concerned, in that the sportsmen do not have to leave their own 
dooryards to find game plentiful, and therefore have had no occasion 
to explore other sections of the country. 
Grant County has a total of some several hundred miles of trout 
waters, in which good catches can be made at all times. She has also 
several beautiful mountain lakes, nestling among the rough crags 
of her beautiful scenic hills, which are inhabited by all members of 
the trout family common in the West. Her great mountainous area 
abounds with big game, deer, bear and elk being found plentiful. Of 
the upland birds, Blue and Ruffed Grouse are the most plentiful of the 
specie on which there is open season, but the Mountain Quail intro- 
duced there a comparatively few years ago now, in my opinion, out- 
number all other game birds. This is an example of co-operative 
protection, as a farmer in that section would almost murder you if he 
caught you killing one of these little game birds. The climatic con- 
ditions, compared to any other mountainous region, are ideal, and 
one going there in the summer season, either for game, recreation 
or both, will certainly not regret it. The farming area of this county 
is not as large as that of neighboring counties, and this fact therefore 
makes it one of the most important game sections in Eastern Oregon. 
