Even though 25-year-old Chase Fleming hasn’t been a Georgia Game Warden for very long, there have been some stressful times throughout his time there. One day last year, he went up to a couple on Lake Lanier and quickly learned that they had been drinking the fruit of the vine (or some other spirit, maybe). The woman spoke quite firmly when he said that he would have to end their celebration due to BUI worries that they were Boating Under the Influence.
Fleming claims, “She came up with swear words I’d never heard before.”
By the rules
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ law enforcement division is made up of Georgia Game Wardens. Protecting visitors to the state’s natural beauties and ensuring that the state’s stunning wildlife and plants are protected (after the legal limit is captured or shot) are their main responsibilities. A hunter or fisherman may not see a game warden very often in District 2, which is made up of 26 counties in the entire northeastern section of the state. This is because 34 game wardens and supervisors are tasked with patrolling the entire huge territory.
Fleming, who accompanied this writer on a ride-along earlier in June, was on the lookout for fisherman (yep, they were all men) who might be taking more than their fair share, as the maximum catch is eight fish per day. In order to protect all of their charges, whether they have two or four legs, wings, or fins, state wardens patrol the forests, state parks, lakes, and even peaceful rural roads.
Fleming’s initial two contacts with fisherman who were taking use of the refreshing waters and attracting the plentiful trout in the Soque River were cordial and incident-free. One student at North Georgia Technical College just showed his license and left after leaving class.Chase Fleming interviews an NGTC student who went fishing in the adjacent river a short distance north of North Georgia Technical College on Route 197. (NowHabersham.com/Joshua M. Peck)
Even for non-Georgians, the licenses, which only cost a few dollars, prove that the possessor is authorized to fish and at least vaguely aware with environmental and safety regulations.
Keeping it stocked
About nine miles north of Clarkesville, on the banks of the Soque where it flows beneath Route 197, two anglers, including Russell Aiken of Martin, Georgia, were having a good time at the Kelvin Jackson Bridge.
With the appearance of any elderly good-old lad and a thick accent to go with it, Aiken declared, “This is my favorite creek.” He pointed to the four rainbow and brown fish he had previously caught that day, one of which was still wriggling in the shallow, clear water. He claimed that after a horse-related accident forced his retirement, he has been fishing more frequently.
Speaking with Warden Fleming, Aiken informed him that he had recently witnessed another party of fisherman catch their maximum, conceal the haul in their vehicle, and then go back to the stream to steal more. He claimed that he was angry about it because disobeying the regulations reduces the prospects for all other fishermen by reducing the stock.
Fleming asked, “I hope you’ll give us a call next time you see that,” and Aiken concurred. Fleming added, “The number to call is (800) 241-4113.”
Keeping it safe
Later, Fleming patrolled Lake Burton on the DNR’s 250-horsepower Cobia boat, primarily keeping an eye out for safety infractions, which he claims are frequent. Young travelers need to wear more than simply life jackets. One passenger on a jet ski pulling a raft must be looking back to keep an eye on the raft’s occupants as the driver steers the craft forward. Boats must create no wake when they approach docks, bridges, and other no wake areas. Additionally, he is constantly alert for the type of careless marine wandering that typically results in a stench similar to that of alcohol or marijuana.In Northeast Georgia, DNR Game Warden Chase Fleming patrols Lake Burton’s shoreline and waters. Source: NowHabersham.com/Daniel Purcell
Boats and cars both have the same alcohol limit.08 percent blood alcohol, and many boat drivers who are intoxicated by a Budweiser or four may not realize the actual damage they could do. Fleming is willing to step in and start the legal process, which can result in heavy fines of up to $5,000 for a third offense and the loss of boating licenses, for the benefit of the boater and his possible victims.
A man who was significantly intoxicated—his reading was.175 percent—hit a sea wall in Lanier last week. Fleming claims that after we took him to jail, he bailed himself out. Fleming seemed to regret that being caught boating while inebriated does not take away your ability to drive on public roads.
Private land
Not all hunters are pleased to see us arrive.
The northeastern region of the state, from the borders of North Carolina and South Carolina to Fannin and Newton counties in the west and Elbert, Rabun, Hart, and Stephens counties in the east, is covered by the state’s DNR District 2, which is where Fleming patrols. The five counties most east and north comprise Fleming’s customary beat, which includes the typically peaceful Lake Burton and the frequently chaotic Talullah Gorge, where hikers frequently burn out, get stuck, or fall on the gorge’s rocky routes.Rabun County in Northeast Georgia is home to Lake Burton, a well-liked recreational destination. Source: NowHabersham.com/Daniel Purcell
Strict safety regulations and the presence of firearms can occasionally cause issues during the fall deer shooting season. He claims that not all hunters are pleased to see us arrive. He loudly and plainly identifies himself when he approaches a hunter or fisherman; the shining emblem and characteristic tan clothing undoubtedly assist.
A few of the regulations are a bit more complicated than others. Although most of the county’s land that isn’t plainly marked as parkland is private, people may believe they can hunt on ground next to a road that they believe is public. Only the landowner may grant permission for hunting and fishing on certain lands by completing an affidavit, a state form that lists all individuals who are permitted to utilize the area for recreational purposes; anybody else is considered a trespasser. The affidavit file is accessible to the wardens, who will stop any visitor who is not on it or who is unable to produce additional documentation proving their eligibility.
Private lives
From Toccoa, Fleming resides with his parents. For the time being, I want to save money, maybe in preparation for a serious relationship with his girlfriend, whom he met on patrol one fortunate day. He stated with a smile that she might or might not have been violating the trespassing regulations at Talullah Gorge. She discovered him on social media and asked about his hobbies following a purely professional run-in in the field (she was given a warning). Since then, they have been dating.
Fleming mentions that, for the record, one needs to obtain a special permit to hike the Gorge floor, since it is dangerous and slippery, and rescue resources are limited. Not every violator ends up with a boyfriend, though.
Not a walk in the park (forest or gorge)
Becoming a game warden is no picnic, Fleming says; the three months at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center include:
- Physical training three-mile runs, several times a week
- Circuit training for strength and endurance
- Weapons: Recruits must be certified on two different kinds of handguns and a rifle. Fleming says this is so strenuous that quite a few aspirants drop out during this phase
- Expertise on boat, gun, and road safety, including officer water survival skills
- ATV training, learning to maneuver the all-terrain vehicles commonly driven on patrols through wooded or uneven landscapes
- Grappling, which is combat training for a warden caught without a weapon in a confrontation with an angry civilian
- ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training), when there is an active shooter at large. This is rare, but wardens are prepared, their supervisors say, and sometimes called on by the Georgia State Police for additional man- and womanpower.
But more typical is Fleming s recent trip out onto the Chattooga River area, along the border with South Carolina.
Three girls got lost on the river, Fleming said. One of them got separated from the others and went for hours without water; we had to go in with ATVs to find her; she was having a difficult time.
That s what the wardens are there for.
Outside work
Captain Derek Dillard, overseer of all the DNR game wardens in District 2, has served in the post since 2020, following years as a sergeant and a front-line warden.
Dillard says he likes to get around to talk about conservation and safety to civilian groups, particularly back in his native Rabun County, where his people go back to the Revolutionary War. He acknowledges that he is a descendant of the Dillard family that gave the little city on the North Carolina border its name.
Dillard says his administrative role can be tough; he got into the DNR to work outside, and encourages others to do the same. Though mostly male, his workforce has three women, one of whom just retired, and he wouldn t mind a bit if that number grew.
Until they need you
One of the two big challenges on his beat, Dillard, says, is back at Talullah Gorge, where rescues are commonplace. When hikers get into serious trouble, the official rescuers in uniform are joined by volunteers from the area, as often as 60 times a year, he says. It s our helicopter that flies in to bring people out, but often the volunteers that hook them up to the long line that lifts hikers up to the chopper and out to safety sometimes to a hospital.Georgia DNR Aviation Unit crew members respond to rescue a hiker from the floor of Tallulah Gorge on Saturday, August 31, 2024. (DNR Law Enforcement Division/Facebook)A DNR helicopter prepares to airlift an injured rescuer from Tallulah Gorge on Saturday, August 11, 2018. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)Tallulah Gorge rescue (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
Outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy Georgia s open waterways and trails rarely think about law enforcement officers until they need them, says District 2 DNR Capt. Derek Dillard. Source: NowHabersham.com/Daniel PurcellSource: NowHabersham.com/Daniel Purcell
He notes that his wardens are not necessarily the most visible people in the community. He shrugs: People only need law enforcement when they need you; they don t even think about you until they need you.
But sometimes, nature-lovers surprise him, Dillard says. People have come up to us just to say they appreciate what we do. That s really nice to hear.
