A Hostage Situation

During the 2000 hunting season, Land Manager Steve Gehringer, Deputy Fox and I were checking an area for illegal activity, which required a long walk in the woods. At one point, we sent Deputy Fox back to get the vehicle so he could drive around and pick us up on another road. In a few minutes, Charlie called on the radio to tell us a landowner was holding him hostage. In return for his freedom the man wanted a crate of pheasants released on his land. Our land Manager must have been trained in hostage negotiations because Steve quickly radioed back, "Sorry Charlie you're really not worth a crate of pheasants

Releasing pheasants was part of the job, and of course I would always have help from my family.