hanging up the badge and gun after 36 years

[PhotoHunter]

Best of luck with whatever is next!

 

[JohnnyB]

Thank you and congrats. I knew you were a warden but I had no idea you were also playing a real life super fit Raylan Givens.

Hopefully you will occasionally write up some of your greatest hits as a lawman.

 

[ccc9092]

Congrats man! New to Rokslide but have really enjoyed your posts.

 

[manitou1]

Congratulations and thank you for your service!
I myself retired after 35 years military this past March. Loving it, but fear I am going to get bored during this Jan-March time frame.

 

[Antares]

That last picture is fantastic! Congratulations on your retirement.

 

[BigNate]

Congratulations on your retirement!

 

[insanelupus]

God bless and good luck!

 

[rayporter]

congrats!!
36yrs doing what you love is not work.

sooooo............
when do the stories begin?

 

[mtwarden]

Thanks so much for all the kind words and well wishes!

@ODB wow- brought tears to my eyes

Give my badge and gun
Give me the road that I may run
Give me that peaceful, wandering free I used to know
I've waited all I can
But I'm just not a patient man
And I've been hiding here for seven months or so
Hand me down my golden hat
And grab the winter one at that
You never know how long I'll be away
Give me my badge and gun
Give me the songs that I once sung
Give me those jet-black, kick-back, lay down nights alone
This house is safe and warm
But I was made to chase the storm
Taking the whole world on with big ole' empty arms
Tell my friends I tried my best
That one day I just up and left
They probably saw it coming anyway
What can I say
Hey, hey
The lock is on the cellar door
I can't remember what it's for
I ain't been down those stairs in oh so long
So, so long
Give my badge and gun
Give me the road that I may run
Give me that peaceful, wandering free I used to know
A copy of your key is hanging where it used to be
Good as you've always been to me
The life I need to lead
Is somewhere out there, callin' over those hills

 

[Newtosavage]

Congratulations on a great career.

 

[Trr15]

Congrats, sir! Well deserved. Enjoy it!

 

[TheBootBowhunting]

I watched my Pops retire after working himself non stop from 15-64. The man had no idea how to not work. No more than 3 months after his retirement, he had put in concrete walkways to every building in his yard. If we didn't intervene, he might've just concreted the entire place. Its not normal to call and your mom and her say, he is outside framing a walkway - multiple times a month. Its just not something you expect someone to do, often, and independent of the last time they did it. What can I do today? Build a walkway. He ended up doing more fishing, good news is we live in Louisiana and I dont think he can catch all of them. Future civilizations will find that property and those walkways and have some real questions as to what exactly happened here.

So here's to knocking out all those things youve had 36 years to list, and not mixing concrete till youre blue in the face.

Congrats on your retirement, well deserved and thanks for your service.

 

[nettereo16]

Thank you! We need more folks like you

 

[Steve O]

How awesome. Congratulations and thank you for all your service. Good luck on all those bucket list items!

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

Congratulations, enjoy your retirement!

 

[KAGR]

Hanging up the badge and gun (well not the gun ) after 36 years in law enforcement. I knew I wanted to be a game warden before I was even junior high I think. When I got out of high school I started (and what was going to be a long haul) college to get my Wildlife Biology degree. I'd work a half year (logging) and then go to school for a half year. After a couple of years of that I went to Plan B.

I joined the Air Force to help pay for school and went into their Security Police Law Enforcement. I entered the Air Force in Butte, Montana and was promptly stationed in Great Falls- oh well I didn't really want to see the rest of the world anyways! . After four years, with enough money to finish college I went back to school (University of Montana) with enough money to finish straight through. I was now married and with two children, my grade point average soared (amazing how studying vs partying impacts your GPA!) and graduated in 1988.

I was waiting for a hiring notice from Fish, Wildlife and Parks, but those came very infrequently. I took a job with the USFS as a Wilderness Ranger in the Great Bear and Bob Marshall- great job for me, not so great for my wife with two young children. There was finally a game warden hiring notice and and I applied. I think with my four years of law enforcement with the military and a season and a half as a Wilderness Ranger, helped me land the job.

Twenty four years as a game warden seemed to go by pretty quickly. I spent several years as a sergeant and then several more years as a captain before retiring. Worked with a bunch of great guys and put a hit on a lot of poachers over the years. Spent a lot of time on 4 wheelers, motorcycles, a variety of watercraft, horseback and on foot. Outside as much as possible.

After retiring as a game warden, I was a little too young to fully retire, so took a contract job with the US Marshal's Service. Still wore a badge and gun, but traded my Wranglers for dress pants and a suit coat- who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

After 8 years (the last two working just part time) it was time to draw my law enforcement career to an end. At the end of December, I pulled the pin for good and joined the ranks of the retired.

I have a very long bucket list and God willing, going to do my best to cross off as much as possible

It was a great ride!

Great pictures - thanks for sharing and thanks for your service

 

[oake]

Goodbye tension….Hello Pension

Congratulations on a well deserved retirement, best of luck to you as you turn the page to a new chapter of life.

 

[Lelder]

Congratulations mtwarden!! I always enjoy your posts and WOD for inspiration, and seeing tiny elvis. I wish you the best in all your future endeavors and especially your upcoming sheep hunt.

 

[Maidenfan539]

Congrats on retirement!

 

[zion zig zag]

Congrats!