TRACKS 'N TRAILS: Dispatches From a NH Game Warden
Tracks N Trails: Dispatches From a NH Game Warden
For more than 30 years, Carl B. Akerley shared his weekly newspaper column with readers throughout New Hampshire. Through these columns, he reported on the issues, events, and concerns that came across his desk and his path as a New Hampshire game warden.
After my grandfather passed away in 2005, I began preserving and revisiting the thousands of words he left behind. As I reviewed his columns, I realized they were more than weekly newspaper pieces - together, they created a valuable record of a changing era in New Hampshire conservation.
Carl's columns covered the everyday responsibilities of a game warden: wildlife concerns, hunting and fishing regulations, changing conditions on New Hampshire's waters, public safety information, conservation efforts, and the many challenges involved in protecting the state's natural resources.
I selected columns that represented important moments and researched the events and circumstances behind them to provide additional context. This allows today's readers to better understand not only what Carl wrote, but why those issues mattered and how they reflected the concerns of the time.
Tracks N Trails: Dispatches From a NH Game Warden preserves Carl's original voice and offers readers a firsthand look at conservation work in New Hampshire. His career took him throughout the state, including the rugged North Country around Pittsburg - Hell Gate, Garfield Falls, Dead Diamond, Back Lake, and the surrounding wilderness - as well as areas around Lake Winnipesaukee and beyond.
Included in this collection are a few letters and comments from readers who appreciated Carl's work and took the time to share their thoughts. Their words provide another perspective on the respect he earned from the communities he served.
Growing up, I heard countless stories about Pittsburg, the outdoors, and the many people my grandfather met through his work. Meeting some of the individuals mentioned in his columns and hearing their memories of Carl made preserving these writings even more meaningful.
This book is a tribute to New Hampshire's conservation history, the dedication of its game wardens, and the importance of preserving the voices of those who helped protect the places we cherish.
This is the first volume in an ongoing project to share Carl B. Akerley's writings. More columns and more pieces of New Hampshire's outdoor history remain to be explored.
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