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Texas Game Warden Michael Hummert grew up in the small town of Grandview, roughly 30 miles south of Fort Worth. Much of his youth was spent fishing, and he and his dad even enjoyed competing in bass fishing tournaments together—his dad in the adult competitions, and Michael, in the youth.

His family also grew up reading Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, and one story had a profound impact on him during his senior year of high school. According to Hummert, “Growing up, we had a subscription to Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, and there was an article called ‘A Game Warden’s Life.’ It seemed like a really interesting job, getting to be outdoors and give back to the hunting and fishing community that I had been a part of most of my life.”

Hummert went on to pursue his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. In 2004, he applied and was selected for the Texas Game Warden Summer Internship. “I got to spend all summer riding with the game wardens in Region II, all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and up north to Lake Texoma. After spending the summer on the lake, boating and learning the job, I decided this was definitely the job I wanted to do.”

After graduating from the Game Warden Training Academy in 2008, he received his first assignment. “My first duty station was in Laredo for two years. Then I was transferred to Grayson County, so I went from South Texas to far North Texas, and I stayed there for eight years.”

“My wife and I met at college in Stephenville, so we had always said that if a spot in Erath County came up, we would put in for it. In 2018, the county came open, so I put in for it and got it! We moved and have been here ever since.”

Hummert and his wife are now raising their own family just west of Hummert’s hometown, and now he gets to pass down his and his dad’s favorite pasttime by taking his 10-year-old son fishing. “My son loves fishing, and that’s primarily what we do now.” His 7-year-old daughter, however, may need more convincing. “My daughter also likes to fish some, but she’s really into gymnastics, so that’s her favorite thing at the moment.”

Has his experience lived up to his expectations after reading that game warden article back in high school? “I would say definitely so. Still the best job in law enforcement as far as I’m concerned! The good part about our job is that it constantly changes. Right now, it’s summertime and it’s hot, and it’s tiring to be on the lake day in and day out, but dove season is right around the corner, and then deer season. It helps to keep you from getting burned out because what we are doing constantly changes.”

And change hasn’t only come with the seasons. Since becoming a game warden 15 years ago, technology has also proven to be a game-changer out in the field and in Hummert’s everyday duties. “When I first started, drones weren’t even a thing, and now we’ve had the drone department since 2018, which I’ve been a part of for a little over a year.”

As part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program, Hummert is an FAA-licensed remote pilot, and he has a drone on hand and ready to go for any mission, including lifesaving search and rescue efforts. “I had a missing person case in Callahan County in June, and the family and sheriff’s office had been searching for a family member with special needs for 4 ½ hours, and we were able to find him in less than 30 minutes.”

“They are such a powerful tool. Who would’ve thought ten years ago that we’d have these little mini helicopters. We are able to get these drones out there in the field, throw them up, and get straight to work.” And, over time, drones have been used for more efforts than just search and rescue. “I’ve responded to several brush fires in the county. I’ve been able to fly an overwatch for the fires, which allowed our emergency management coordinators to watch the live stream so they can decide where they need to allocate their resources. I’ve also done aerial crash mapping for the local highway patrol troopers, and I even helped with an unfortunate string of bomb threats at the local school by checking the rooftop and keeping an eye in the sky for anything unusual.”

Through the generosity of donors, Gear Up for Game Wardens has helped Texas Game Wardens keep the UAS program going strong by providing the vast majority of the drones in their arsenal. Donors have also helped secure other vital specialty equipment your Texas Game Wardens need to maintain safety and ensure the highest level of service for the people of Texas, including all-terrain vehicles, airboats, funding to replace retiring K-9s, and more.

“The support from the Gear Up for Game Wardens program shows that we have the public’s support behind what we do. It makes me proud to be a game warden. Having so many people supporting us and ensuring we have the equipment that we need is a great thing. There are really no words to adequately describe it, but it’s appreciated beyond measure.”

Texas Game Warden Scott Kirkpatrick loves his job, and especially that he gets to go to work every day with his K-9 partner Lola.

“She’s with me 24/7,” said Kirkpatrick, who works out of Johnson County in North Texas. “I just never know when I will get a dog call, so she’s with me anytime I am working.”

When Kirkpatrick first met Lola, she was a 6 1/2 -week-old puppy. At the time, Kirkpatrick didn’t know that she would end up being his partner. Kirkpatrick was fostering her as part of a puppy program started by several K-9 officers in Texas, Maine and Colorado. As Kirkpatrick got more involved in the network of K-9 officers across the country, they realized there was a need to train puppies in preparation for K-9 careers. Several officers across the country, including Kirkpatrick, volunteered for foster duty.

“When I was fostering her, Lola went everywhere with me to get her used to every kind of environment, from a rural pasture to a crowded Home Depot,” he said. “She quickly demonstrated that she had the drive and other characteristics that would make her a good K-9.”

As Kirkpatrick pondered the pending retirement of his K-9 partner, Ray, he realized his next partner was right underfoot.

“I have to admit I’d grown kind of attached to Lola, and I really liked the way her training was progressing,” he said. “I had started with her on some tracking exercises, and she just took that up like crazy. She just loves to work and her drive and energy are very high. So, I threw a pitch at my captain to see if I could keep her.”

Thanks to a Gear Up for Game Wardens K-9 fund, dollars were readily available to make the purchase, and Lola became an official member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s K-9 team.

Gear Up for Game Wardens is a Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) program which provides specialty gear for Texas Game Wardens through private donations. While the state provides the basic necessities for game wardens to do their jobs, there is still a critical need for additional equipment. Thanks to the support of generous Texans, TPWF helped launch the Texas Game Warden K-9 team in 2013 and is providing ongoing support for the purchase of new dogs and related gear.

In April 2022 at 14-months old, Lola was certified in Police Search and Rescue with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In September of 2022, she certified in Trailing with the North American Police Working Dog Association. On November 3, 2022, Lola was officially commissioned as a K-9 officer at a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting in Austin, along with five of her K-9 colleagues.

Lola’s search and rescue training paid off for a frightened and lost little boy and his frantic family in mid-November 2022. Kirkpatrick got a call from Cedar Hill State Park, where a boy had been missing overnight. Kirkpatrick and Lola headed to the wooded area where he had last been seen, and Lola got to work.

“I saw her nose go down to the ground in a tracking behavior and she just took off,” said Kirkpatrick. “I just tried to keep up with her as best as I could, running through the brush and ducking down to avoid branches along the way. And then l looked up and there she was, just sitting right over there beside him.”

The little boy was safe and sound, and Lola had her first search and rescue mission under her collar.

“Of course, she got a treat after that successful rescue,” said Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick looks forward to working with Lola for the next eight or nine years, the average work life of a K-9. She will continue to hone her skills, while working alongside her human partner, who she adores.

“She’s very affectionate and just loves to get in your business. She gets very vocal when I’m trying get the harness on her to track something. She gets very excited about that. And when we are at home, I don’t get to do anything without her. If I’m going somewhere to run errands or whatever, she’s coming with me.”

Kirkpatrick appreciates the ongoing support the K-9 program receives from Gear Up for Game Wardens.

“Our program simply would not be where it is today if it was not for Gear Up for Game Wardens and the generous donations from the public. We are immensely grateful for their support.”

Lance Lindley grew up in the Panhandle town of Shamrock and lived across the street from a Texas Game Warden. He idolized him. Lindley loves to hunt and fish and spent lots of time growing up on Lake Meredith, where he was envious of the game wardens doing water safety patrols.

“I thought it would be so awesome to get paid to do that, but everyone told me it was impossible to get into the Game Warden Academy, so I didn’t even try when I graduated from college,” said Lindley.

Armed with a biology degree from West Texas A&M, Lindley landed a job with an environmental services company in Austin. He did that for a couple of years, and decided it was not the career path he wanted to pursue.

It took him two tries, but with the encouragement of the very game warden and family neighbor who first inspired his interest in the field, he made it into the Texas Game Warden Academy in 2005. His first duty station was Pecos County near Fort Stockton, where he served for three years. Wanting to get closer to home, he transferred to cover Hutchinson and Carson counties near Amarillo, where he’s been ever since.

“I love being a Texas Game Warden. The freedom of the job is probably the best thing about it. We work our own schedule, when we think it’s most important to be out there. And of course, being outdoors is a great perk, too.”

Texas Game Wardens are deeply connected to their communities, and many, like Lindley, choose to go back to their home ground. They get to know civic and business leaders, along with the landowners whose ranches they patrol.

Lindley got to know the plant manager of the Phillips 66 refinery in Borger at volleyball games where both their daughters played. The manager invited local law enforcement agencies for a plant tour, and he asked them to let him know if they ever needed any equipment, because Phillips 66 would like to support them.

As it turns out, Lindley had just been issued a new boat, but there weren’t enough funds to fully equip it. Phillips 66 stepped up with a donation through Gear Up for Game Wardens, and the boat was outfitted with the needed gear, including a side-scan sonar.

Gear Up for Game Wardens is a Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation program that provides specialty gear for Texas Game Wardens through private donations. The following year, Phillips 66 stepped up again to purchase a thermal drone for Amarillo-area game wardens, which has been used numerous times since for search and rescue missions.

This year, Phillips 66 donated $30,000 through Gear Up for a brand-new climate-controlled UTV.

“We spend a lot of time patrolling in rough and dusty areas, like the Canadian River off-road areas, in the dead of winter and the blazing heat of the summer,” said Lindley. “We are so grateful to Phillips 66 and Gear Up for Game Wardens for providing this equipment that will allow us to do our jobs more safely and effectively.”

Stephanie and Jerel Wottrich love crawfish. In fact, at a recent special event held at their ranch in Driftwood, together with the Safari Club International (SCI) Austin cook team, they boiled up 1,000 pounds of the tasty crustaceans, accompanied by gallons of gumbo, 600 venison sausages, 18 smoked turkeys, and a whole roasted pig.

The event drew hundreds of hungry people, all for a good cause. Proceeds from the annual event benefit Gear Up for Game Wardens, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation program that raises private funds for specialty gear for Texas Game Wardens.

Stephanie and Jerel love to hunt and fish, and they are active members in Safari Club International. Jerel serves as president for SCI’s Austin chapter, and Stephanie is vice-president. Stephanie also serves as the regional rep for four chapters in Texas.

They’ve been doing a crawfish boil for several years now, and, in 2018, decided to make the event an SCI-Austin chapter fundraiser for the Gear Up program.

“We’ve always wanted to give back to the game wardens who do so much to conserve the natural resources of Texas,” said Stephanie. “When we learned about Gear Up, we decided it was a perfect fit. We want to help Texas Game Wardens get the specialty equipment they need, and we also want to expose more people to all that game wardens do to protect the wildlife and the people of our state.”

Besides delicious food, the all-day event featured family-friendly activities, including live music, a falconry demonstration, and much more. Texas Game Wardens were also on hand to educate folks about what they do and how they use specialty equipment in their day-to-day jobs.

“A lot of people just don’t know all that Texas Game Wardens do,” said Stephanie. “Besides enforcing hunting and fishing laws, game wardens play a huge role in swift water rescue during natural disasters and rescuing people who get lost or injured.”

Last year’s event raised $20,000, which went toward purchasing a swift water rescue boat. This year, the event raised $24,000, which funded two search and rescue thermal drones.

Thermal drones can make the difference between life and death in a rescue situation. Just one example is the 2019 rescue of an elderly man suffering from dementia and mobility issues who wandered off on a cold winter day in Montague County. Texas Game Wardens were called in, and they utilized a thermal drone to help find him in heavy brush. The heat signature generated by his body heat enabled rescuers to quickly hone in on his exact location and get him home safely.

“These specialty tools like thermal drones will generally be utilized when somebody is having their absolute worst day,” said Texas Game Warden Major Jim Ranft. “We are so grateful to have the support within the community to provide these tools that help save lives. It’s a reflection of the fine people that are members of the Austin SCI chapter and their support of protecting not only the resources, but the public and law enforcement.”

Plans are already in the works for next year’s event, which will be held Saturday, April 1, 2023.

“This started out as a little crawfish boil for some of our friends,” said Jerel. “It’s grown every year since we made it a fundraiser for Gear Up for Game Wardens. It just keeps getting bigger and better, and we are proud to support our Texas Game Wardens.”

Calvin Harbaugh has been a Texas Game Warden for decades. Like most game wardens, he is an avid hunter and angler who loves spending time outdoors.

He was introduced to hunting and fishing by family members when he was very young. A close relative took him fishing when he was but a toddler, and he got his first BB gun at age eight. Soon after, he was introduced to hunting by the same treasured mentor.

“My Aunt Helen just loved all things outdoors, and I spent a lot of time fishing and hunting with her growing up,” said Harbaugh. “We spent a lot of time together in a deer blind on a hunting lease south of San Antonio. I shot my first deer with her, when I was 11 years old.”

In fact, the first time Harbaugh encountered a Texas Game Warden, he was in a hunting blind with his aunt, Helen Palmer. The game warden had seen the ranch gate open and was checking to make sure everything was all right.

Photo by Jonathan Vail

While Harbaugh remembers meeting that game warden, he didn’t exactly have a career epiphany at the time. When he graduated high school, he headed to Texas A&M with an initial interest in becoming a wildlife biologist.

“I started out in wildlife and fishery science, but I did not do so well in the chemistry classes,” he recalled with a laugh. “I changed majors and graduated with a rangeland ecology and management degree instead.”

After college, as he explored career options, he had another encounter with a Texas Game Warden, whom he met in a San Antonio field office for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“I wanted to see if I could learn more about becoming a game warden and met a man named John Caudle,” he said. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was the regional director over all the game wardens in that part of the state. I just thought he was an older game warden who got stuck in the office. It was after meeting him that I realized that I definitely wanted to be a game warden.”

After that, Harbaugh did a couple of ride-alongs with Texas Game Wardens. He applied to the Texas Game Warden Academy, got in on his first try, and after close to 30 years as a field game warden, he’s now one of the old guys. But he’s definitely not stuck in the office.

“I think what I like most about being a Texas Game Warden is the freedom of the job and that I am outdoors pretty much every day,” said Harbaugh. “There’s something different every day, and I really enjoy serving the public. I have been really fortunate to get into something that gives me purpose and that I have so thoroughly enjoyed these many years.”

Hurricane Harvey / Photo by Earl Nottingham

Harbaugh started his career on the coast and moved inland soon after. Now he’s stationed in Fayette County near La Grange and has been there for more than 16 years. He’s a seasoned airboat operator and has been in just about every situation known to a game warden, including search and rescue operations for Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

“We were all over Houston in the days following the storm, and I couldn’t tell you how many people we moved out of harm’s way,” he said. “We were just doing our job, helping and protecting people, which is what game wardens do.”

Harbaugh was also among the Texas Game Wardens who came to the aid of Louisiana residents during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The equipment used by Texas Game Wardens in situations like Harvey or Katrina can mean the difference between life or death for both game wardens and the people they are charged with serving.

Hurricane Katrina / Photo by Earl Nottingham

Providing up-to-date equipment for the 550 Texas Game Wardens scattered across the state is a constant challenge for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. While the state provides the basic tools game wardens need, there’s an additional need for specialized equipment. That’s why Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the state agency’s official nonprofit partner, launched Gear Up for Game Wardens in 2017. Through private donations, Gear Up for Game Wardens provides specialty equipment Texas Game Wardens need to maintain safety and ensure the highest level of service for the people of Texas.

Texas Game Warden Calvin Harbaugh with Randy Fowler / Photo by Jonathan Vail

In late 2021, Calvin Harbaugh took possession of a brand-new Patriot airboat outfitted for the rigors of game warden work. Funding to purchase the airboat was donated through Gear Up for Game Wardens by Ann and Randy Fowler in memory of Dan Duncan.

“It’s hard for me to put into words how grateful we are to receive this gift,” said Harbaugh. “We use an airboat all the time for our regular patrol duties like checking duck hunters or fishermen on the river. But we also use it during search and rescue operations, and it will no doubt be used for the next hurricane that hits Texas. Having the latest equipment helps ensure we can do our jobs safely and effectively for the people of Texas.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2021
Media contact: Lydia Saldaña
817.851.5729
lsaldana@tpwf.org

Gear Up for Game Wardens Hits $2 Million Milestone
Recent Beaumont Benefit Raises More than $100,000

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Gear Up for Game Wardens program has reached a $2 million fundraising milestone, thanks to a recent fundraiser in Beaumont that brought in more than $100,000.

Through private donations, Gear Up for Game Wardens provides specialty equipment Texas Game Wardens need to maintain safety and ensure the highest level of service for the people of Texas. While the state provides the basic necessities for game wardens to do their jobs, there is still a critical need for additional specialized equipment.

“I’ve been amazed at the generosity and the compassion of our donors,” said Randy Risher, who is chair of the Gear Up for Game Wardens Leadership Council, and also serves as a trustee on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s board of directors. “The recent Beaumont fundraiser coordinated by the Saltwater Anglers League of Texas and Courville’s Catering & Events exemplifies the spirit of giving to Texas Game Wardens who stand ready to serve the people of Texas every single day.”

Since the program launched in October 2017, more than 1,300 donations have been made, for a total of just over $2 million raised. Specialty gear has been purchased and deployed across all eight game warden regions in Texas and the statewide Special Operations Unit. This new equipment provided by the program, and now being used by Texas Game Wardens, includes search and rescue (SAR) drones, SAR inflatable boats, side-scan sonar units, water rescue dry suits, night vision and thermal imaging units, ATVs, UTVs and specialized K-9 units.

The program launched in October 2017 after a group of dedicated individuals, including Risher, approached Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) with an idea of how they might support the efforts of Texas Game Wardens. TPWF is the official nonprofit partner of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Discussions continued, a leadership committee was formed and a website, gearupforgamewardens.org, was launched to facilitate donations. Regional citizen committees fuel the effort, and fundraisers have been held across the state to support the effort.

In late May, Saltwater Anglers League of Texas and Courville’s Catering and Events staged the third annual fundraiser to benefit Gear Up for Game Wardens. The event raised more than $100,000 through donations and unique auction items, and the funds will be used to purchase specialty equipment for game wardens in the Beaumont area, including a thermal drone and flight accessories. The funds were presented to Texas Game Wardens at the most recent S.A.L.T. board meeting on July 6.

“I first heard about Gear Up for Game Wardens when one of our local game wardens couldn’t access a plane crash to make a rescue because they didn’t have the right piece of equipment to get to it,” said Rich Courville. “Luckily someone came by with a Polaris, and the game wardens were able to make the rescue. I wondered why the game wardens didn’t have that piece of equipment, and when I found out about Gear Up for Game Wardens, I wanted to help.”

The Saltwater Anglers League of Texas (S.A.L.T) is the oldest saltwater fishing club in Texas, and since 1968 has been supporting a variety of causes, including getting more children involved in the outdoors. Supporting Gear Up for Game Wardens was an easy ask.

“We’re a conservation club, and Texas Game Wardens protect the resources we love,” said S.A.L.T. Board Treasurer Roger Bertrand. “If we can help them do their jobs better, then it helps our organization and everyone who loves to fish in the coastal waters of Texas.”

Donations have come from all corners of the state and in all amounts, from $5 to more than $70,000. Since 2019, S.A.L.T. has donated more than $230,000 to Gear Up for Game Wardens and anticipates doing another fundraiser next year. The Sabine River Authority has also stepped up in appreciation of what Texas Game Wardens do for the people of Texas and has donated $120,000 to the program. In addition, co-chairs of the leadership council have staged fundraisers all over the state to fund equipment for game wardens in their local regions.

“The local committees are what make the program successful, and 100 percent of every donation received for equipment goes directly to purchase the specialty gear that our Texas Game Wardens need,” said Gear Up for Game Wardens Program Manager Austin Taylor. “It is amazing to be able to take the donations that we receive and quickly purchase equipment that is distributed across the state.  Knowing that our Texas Game Wardens have the tools they need to make their jobs more efficient and safer is all that matters.”

Texas Game Wardens have watched over the lands, waters, wildlife and people of Texas for more than 100 years.  Every year, Texas Game Wardens patrol over 10 million miles by vehicle and 130,000 hours by boat, facing challenges as unique as the 254 counties they serve. To find out more about the program, or to make a donation, go to GearUpForGameWardens.org

“The support we have received through Gear Up for Game Wardens is incredible,” said Col. Chad Jones, who heads the Law Enforcement Division at TPWD. “We are so grateful knowing that the people of Texas appreciate what our game wardens do every single day.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation raises private funds to advance Texas’ proud outdoor traditions and conserve our state’s wildlife, habitat, recreational areas, and natural resources. Since 1991, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has invested more than $215 million in efforts to ensure that all Texans, today and in the future, can enjoy the wild things and wild places of Texas.

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Texas Game Wardens were on the frontlines of the herculean effort to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles up and down the coast during the February deep freeze that engulfed the state.

According to the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), more than 12,000 turtles were affected. That number is triple the number rescued during the winter of 2017-2018, which had been the largest cold stunning event since STSSN was established in 1980.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) personnel joined hundreds of others who pitched in to help.

“We knew it was coming and we were ready,” said Texas Game Warden Major Ellis Powell, who heads Region 8, which includes the lower Texas Coast. “It was all hands on deck. We worked shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues in the Coastal Fisheries Division. There were a lot of cold hands and cold fingers, but we all knew it was coming and we were as ready as we could be.”

Texas Game Wardens had access to some equipment this time that they haven’t had in the past. Two specially rigged airboat trailers and a Utility Terrain Vehicle provided through Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s (TPWF) Gear Up for Game Wardens program were critical elements of the Texas Game Warden response.

“We were able to move airboats around easily and for that reason, we got to a lot more turtles than we would have otherwise,” said Texas Game Warden Captain Ben Baker. “Thanks to the coordinated effort from many other organizations, we were able to pull to shore when the airboat was full with about 40 sea turtles, where we would hand them off to others for transport to warming centers. Then we would turn right back around to pick up more.”

It was tough work in extreme conditions. Once a stunned turtle was spotted in the water, Texas Game Wardens waded through freezing water to pull the heavy turtles into the boat. They repeated the process hundreds of times. Texas Game Wardens also patrolled hard-to-reach areas onshore with a UTV, also provided through Gear Up for Game Wardens.

“We found a lot of turtles on the shoreline that we could just pick up in the UTV,” said Baker. “The UTV also allowed us to transport rescued turtles from areas that conventional vehicles couldn’t reach, and that allowed much quicker transport to the warming centers.”

For Captain Baker and the men and women he serves with, the work is deeply satisfying.

“Texas Game Wardens do what we do because we love the resource,” said Baker. “It’s an opportunity for us to give back in a hands-on kind of way.  It gets us out of the law enforcement realm to focus on direct conservation. We know that if we weren’t out there along with all the others who helped, a lot of these turtles wouldn’t have made it.”

Baker and Powell are grateful to the generous donors who contributed to TPWF’s Gear Up for Game Wardens program to make the specialty equipment possible. TPWD game wardens and coastal fisheries staff rescued more than one thousand turtles, and Major Powell estimates the number would have been half that without the equipment provided through Gear Up for Game Wardens.

“You can solve a lot of problems with money and people, but that’s a finite number,” said Powell. “To have the citizens of the state of Texas step up and get behind our game wardens to provide these specialty tools we wouldn’t otherwise have is wonderful. Whether it’s search and rescue of people or search and rescue of turtles, this equipment is making a big difference in how we can meet our mission.”