75th Celebration -1909 - Laboring for Wildlife

This week, in honor of Labor Day, we are paying tribute to all the women and men who have worked over the years to preserve, protect, perpetuate and manage Idaho's wildlife resources. The State of Idaho recognized Labor Day as a holiday in 1909. At that time, Idaho Fish and Game had 39 employees. These included the State Game Warden, W. N. Stephens, a chief deputy, two assistant chief deputies, two hatchery superintendents, several assistants and a clerk. Thirty were deputy game wardens who were not just enforcing the game laws but who were also helping out at the hatcheries, monitoring game and fish, helping to establish a pheasant farm, and working on a regular basis with other state and federal officials. A lot has changed since that first Labor Day in 1909. Communications, transportation, hunting and fishing equipment, even the animals have changed with the introduction of some fish and wildlife species and the scarcity of others. In all that time, one thing that has not changed for the 529 full time and 365 seasonal staff working for Idaho Fish and Game in 2014 is their dedication to Idaho's wildlife. It always comes back to the mission: to preserve, protect, perpetuate and manage Idaho's wildlife. "Personally, I do this because I've always been a public servant. It's in my blood, protect and serve, it's probably why I'm in the military, as well. But I think there's a special aura around Idaho's resource," said Greg Wooten, Enforcement Chief for Idaho Fish and Game, who has served for 23 years. Brett High, a fisheries biologist for 14 years, reflected, "When I was in high school, one of my mentors told me that any job that works towards benefitting society as a whole is an honorable job and I see that in Idaho Fish and Game. I think that what we do really benefits everybody in Idaho and that's one of the things I really enjoy about this job." For more on this story and other 75th Celebration pieces, go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/75th.