by Steven M. Dewald (Author)
Under a Poacher's Moon 2 is a sequel to the author's popular first book of warden stories published in 2012. As in the first book, the author shares a collection of short stories that truthfully document the challenges faced by Wisconsin Game Wardens. This collection of stories hits a variety of enforcement topics including commercial clamming, deer poaching, fish poachers, ginseng theft, timber theft, commercial fishing, and state park enforcement. There is also a chapter on the political protests at the state capitol in response to the elimination of collective bargaining in Wisconsin. (The author was on the capitol security team during this event.) As in the original Poacher's Moon book, there are also humorous anecdotes that lighten the mood at the appropriate moments.
Author Biography
Steven Dewald was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and has been a resident of Wisconsin all of his life. Steven graduated with a B. S. degree in Scientific Land Management from UW-River Falls in 1980. He began working in law enforcement for the Department of Natural Resources as a DNR Officer while still in college in 1978 at Kohler Andrae State Park south of Sheboygan. Steven was hired full time by the DNR in November of 1980 as a Natural Resources Patrol Officer with warden credentials in the Milwaukee area. He was promoted to conservation warden in 1982 and was assigned to Jefferson County. Steven was promoted to warden supervisor in 1990 in LaCrosse where he supervised wardens in 5 counties along the Mississippi River. In 1993 he accepted a temporary assignment to Washington D.C. where he worked at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters on the implementation of national oil pollution legislation. Upon his return to Wisconsin he was instrumental in the passage of Wisconsin's double hull barge bill. Steven served as the chairman of the law enforcement technical section of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC) for 9 years which is an organization comprised of the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. Steven was also responsible for the development of historic joint law enforcement agreements for the State of Wisconsin with the adjacent States of Iowa and Minnesota that apply to the boundary waters between the states. Steven received an award in 1994 for his courage in apprehending a group of armed robbers in LaCrosse County. In 2004 he was recognized by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress for his leadership in protecting the resources of the Mississippi River. In 2007 he received the Shikar Safari outstanding officer of the year award. Steven retired from service in April of 2011.