By Kristie Smith
Correspondent
Steve Hower of Ickesburg retired from the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the fall of 2016. Over the last year, he's been chronicling his 28-year career in a book titled "To Conserve and Protect: Memories of a Wildlife Conservation Officer."
The passion he has for his profession is evident in every chapter.
"I kept detailed notes over the years," said Hower. "It was just a matter of putting them all together in one place. Last fall, I put the manuscript together then finally finished it in April.
"Then I found a local publisher, but it was a long process. I went through the route of self-publishing because it was my work and I wanted to maintain control of it. My ultimate goal was to educate the public. It wasn't for the profit. I'm very happy that I've sold as many as I have, and I'm kind of surprised by how popular it is, so I'm very grateful."
Hower grew up in Perry County and graduated from West Perry High School in 1975. "It was always my dream to work as an officer for the Game Commission," explained Hower. "But joining the Air Force right after school was the best move I ever made. It gave me a sense of worth."
Hower always had a love for wildlife, as he and his family shared the joys of the outdoors. "Growing up in Perry County with wildlife all around, hunting and trapping were my favorite activities, so why not do that for a living I thought.
"My first day on duty was like a dream, and it seemed too good to be real at the time. The job was very independent and gave me a sense of huge responsibility.
"The districts that officers are assigned to are very large, so it was like stepping into a 'wow, this is all mine' situation."
Throughout his career, Hower was called to a wide variety of situations. The passages paint a picture of the exciting, and sometimes frustrating, parts of the job. He relates most of the stories with a keen sense of humor that bespeaks his overall goal of educating the public about what it means to be a wildlife conservation officer.
"Often the only witnesses to a deer poaching incident are other deer, and they always, without exception, fail to report the crime and provide useful information to the investigator," he wrote.
Each chapter goes into detail about real cases where the names have been changed to protect the guilty. "It's water over the dam," said Hower. "But sometimes people do dumb stuff and it makes for a good story. It's all true. There is no fiction in there."
Hower's favorite part of the job, however, was interactions he had with wildlife through research projects. He took the experiences to the classroom where he really enjoyed giving his PA Wildlife Treasures presentation to elementary school students "because they were always so interested."
He liked every part of the job, but "I really wanted to leave an impressionable impact on those kids, then maybe they would learn to appreciate the value of wildlife."
He considered his job a "unique form of law enforcement. The men and women who fill these roles face many challenges that are little known by much of our public.
"That's why I wanted to write this book. It was a chance for me to clear up misconceptions that people have about this job. One thing I always try to drive home with people is that the vast majority of citizens in the state of Pennsylvania support the concept of protecting our wildlife. However, only 10 percent of the people pay for that protection, which are the hunters and trappers.
"We are an independent agency not funded by taxpayers. Another interesting fact is that all of the State Game Lands throughout Pennsylvania were paid for through hunting and trapping license purchases. All of those plots when lumped together are larger than the state of Delaware.
"Most states don't have a system like that, where people can come freely into hunt. That is a jewel."
Since his retirement, Hower works part-time as a Rabbit Transit driver in and around Perry County. "Yeah for the first time in nearly 30 years, people are happy to see me pull into their driveway!" he joked.
Hower provides an outstanding glimpse into the world behind the badge with this page-turner, making it a perfect gift for any wildlife enthusiast.
To order a copy, readers may visit the website wardenbook.com, or send an email to warden.book@yahoo.com.
Readers can pick up a hard copy at select locations around Perry County including Blain Supply, Blain Hotel, Book's Market, Mountain Supply in Ickesburg, FBF, Bloomfield Pharmacy, Triple Creek Rod & Gun, Landisburg, Perry County Council of the Arts in Newport, and Lost Creek Shoe Shop, McAlisterville.
Kristie Smith is the watershed specialist at the Perry County Conservation District.