Answering the Call with NH Fish and Game

Every day, in all weather conditions, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department conservation officers patrol the state’s waterways, forests, valleys and trails. Along the way, they encounter wild animals on private property, help with dangerous mountain rescues and educate the public about conservation.    

Officer Eva Golden, of Raymond, slowed down long enough to pick up a New Hampshire Magazine writer and a local photojournalist during a sluggish mud season morning for a fisheye look into her daily routine.  

Monday, 9 a.m. 

It’s a bracing, windy morning at the Fish and Game Region 3 office in Durham, where officers patrolling District 6 — Seacoast communities like Somersworth, Rollinsford, Dover, Madbury, Lee and Durham — start their day. The first order of business for Golden, who’s identified as call number 62, is following up on weekend calls. 

After greeting colleagues, Golden was briefed about a homeowner’s call about a possibly sick raccoon in Durham. 

Since the neighborhood contained horses and other barnyard animals, the homeowner thought it may have been accidentally poisoned.

As an animal rescue was on the docket, Golden headed to the garage, where they store equipment, supplies and evidence from ongoing court cases, to pick out a carrier for an average-sized raccoon.

She was also told by Fish and Game waterfowl biologist Jessica Carloni about a deceased female peregrine falcon that was brought into the office that had gone missing several months before. Tracking down its owner would be the next mystery to solve.

Before heading out to Durham, Golden and Carloni carefully examined the peregrine, which had been fitted with a tele-
metry device, signaling the bird may have been trained. 

Carloni continued the detective work to locate its owner. Meanwhile, Golden loaded up her truck, stocked with equipment, a scanner, supplies, any necessary weapons, a “panic button,” which can be activated in an emergency, and snacks. 

Critter patrol

Golden says every day on the job is different, and duties change with the seasons. In spring, for example, she’s reviewing laws regarding turkey hunting and spring gobbler season; in October, she’s preparing for turkey, moose, deer and pheasant season. Winter is checking snowmobile licenses and patrolling icy roads as hunters seek out squirrel, foxes, skunks, snowshoe hare, muskrat, mink and other small game.

We first stopped at a Durham home to investigate the raccoon. Golden grabbed her gear and carefully walked over to it. The raccoon, quietly resting near a tall tree in the front yard, wasn’t bothered by the oncoming human, a sign that it might not be well, Golden says. Still, it put up a valiant fight before Golden could safely wrangle it into
the carrier.

Marine patrol officer Meredith Brinton, left, and Golden chat about their observations during a lull in action on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth.

Her experience with handling wild raccoons told her this one likely couldn’t be rehabilitated. 

The most humane course of action was to euthanize it, Golden said, so she loaded it onto her truck for later “dispatch” at a secret location in another Seacoast city that officers designated for the task. 

Next, Golden’s plan was to check com-
mercial and recreational fishing boats, but the coast was apparently a ghost town. Along the way, Golden messaged fellow conservation officer Justin Whipple to alert him that she was heading toward the Yankee Fishermen’s Co-Op “to see if there’s anything exciting happening.” 

Whipple’s Siri-coated reply: “lol, I just left; there are zero people out,” prompted Golden to use a word that’s mildly unsuitable for publication.

As an alternative, Whipple invited us to board Fish and Game’s patrol boat at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Portsmouth Harbor for an aquatic tour of their jurisdiction, and our next stage was set.

“We will have two additional souls on board,” Golden told Whipple. 

Wildlife warriors, 2.0 

In March, 2012, The Animal Planet Channel launched the reality-documentary series “North Woods Law,” to follow Maine game wardens. In 2017, it shifted its attention to New Hampshire, garnering a new community of local fans clocking every adventure and noting every back road they recognize.

Production ceased in 2021 after 16 seasons, but interest hasn’t waned — the “North Woods Law” Facebook page still boasts about 274,000 followers. 

In response, YouTube’s Game Warden Channel, created through Engel Entertainment and producers of “North Woods Law,” began airing new segments and longer “episodes” featuring New Hampshire officers called “On Patrol New Hampshire.”

“North Woods Law” fans may already recognize Golden, who has been featured on the “On Patrol New Hampshire” show several times. In one popular clip, she helped rescue a gosling in Portsmouth’s Prescott Park; the young goose had fishing line stuck on its feet and had swallowed some as well.

While driving to the Seacoast, Golden says half-jokingly in the video, “Hopefully I don’t get mauled by a goose today.”

As another officer held the gosling, and as the gosling’s family looked on close by, Golden cut the fishing line that was wrapped around its foot and from its mouth.

Golden says while the popularity of NH’s conservation officers remains high, it’s not rock-star level, which is what she had heard.

“The stories of those guys not being able to even go out for breakfast on a day off without being apprehended by a fan — it’s not quite at that level,” says Golden, but acknowledged fans making extra efforts to watch the latest episode proves the format has staying power.

“It was a good opportunity to get the hype of the show back, because we had been missing that since COVID,” Golden says. 

Golden says as long as the Game Warden Channel can sustain itself, new episodes of “On Patrol New Hampshire” will continue.

“As long as they’re finding that it’s a profitable avenue for them … this is an experiment that we’re doing right now. That’s why they’re releasing a show every month. It’s still developing,” Golden says. 

Bad Bunny and good books 

Driving toward the Coast Guard facility, Golden, one of two female conservation officers in New Hampshire, talked about her other interests, and why this is her ideal job. Naturally, Golden’s down time involves even more outdoor activities.

Golden, left, surveys the scene on the Piscataqua while on patrol with Fish and Game conservation officer Justin Whipple.

“My main love is mountain biking. I used to be a climber, but I just love to go for a run, or walk for hours in the woods.”

She’s also an audiophile, devouring audiobooks on long drives. 

“I will listen to anything. I consume audio; seriously, I’ll listen to any sort of nonfiction. I’m listening to this right now: ‘The House We Grew Up In,’ by Lisa Jewell; it’s pretty good. So, I just always have a book, really.”

Fittingly, Golden is also drawn to detective mysteries.

“Karen Slaughter … yeah, I know, great name. … Karen Slaughter is one of my new favorite authors. Think of like, ‘Law and Order: SVU’ kind of thing. It’s super interesting; usually a who-done-it kind of murder mystery. But oftentimes she writes from the perspective of an attorney.”

If an audiobook isn’t playing, then you’ll likely catch her listening to the latest Bad Bunny creation, which did blare from the radio occasionally. Sharing musical tastes is one way Golden keeps a close relationship with her mother. 

“You know, having ties to Puerto Rico, we are obsessed with Bad Bunny; love Bad Bunny. That’s how we bond,” Golden says. 

Falcon update

Heading toward the Piscataqua River, Carloni called Golden with an update on how the recovered peregrine falcon got lost. Carloni tracked down the owner, who said the falcon was not a fan of red-tailed hawks and was prone to chasing them.

“And then they lost sight of her, and they kept going back, trying to find her, throwing pigeons up, and searching all over for her. So, he was devastated,” Carloni said of the owners. She said arrangements were being made to bring the peregrine back to its owners.  

All quiet on the waterfront

At the Coast Guard station, we met Whipple to board the boat. After getting life jackets, a rundown of safety rules, and impromptu lessons on keeping both feet on the deck, our life jackets on board and food in our stomachs, we shoved off along the Piscataqua River.

Whipple slowed the boat to a crawl while passing landmarks like Portsmouth Naval Prison, Badger’s Island and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, but then took the vessel into high gear, which halted all conversation as the engine roared over ripples and waves. Only random chatter from the radio scanner was communicated over the din. 

Apart from a local company hauling gear, and brief interactions with a marine patrol officer and a commercial fisherman, commercial fishing activity on the Piscataqua was nearly nonexistent. 

But patrolling the water is a vital part of the job. 

“We still have the legal authority to enforce any of the laws,” Golden says.

Fish and Game sometimes coordinates with other marine authorities during search and rescue missions, but focusing on the fisheries and protecting marine life are big priorities.

“(Other authorities are) out here doing vessel inspections, (whether) you have the proper safety equipment, you have your registration, and everything is in place. Obviously, we do care about safety, but we’re focusing on like: ‘Is that person fishing?’ ” Golden explained.

Despite the small coastline, keeping an eye on fishermen’s activities is no less important.

“Once stripers (striped bass) come in, we’ll be looking at: Are they going to release it? Are they measuring it? Are they keeping it and are they catching more; making sure that everyone’s complying. The laws are there for reasons, (so that) everything’s fair,” Golden says. “We’re making sure that the fishery is protected. We’re kind of like the referees out there,” she adds.

Scanner chatter

Talk on the boat turned to conservation officers’ interactions with the public, one component of the show.

While navigating, Whipple says overall, interacting with the public is positive.

“We have the best job in law enforcement, by far,” Whipple says. “We’re the only agency, probably (for) a majority of the time, (where) people thank you for giving them the ticket in the end, because they understand,” they’re simply doing their job, he says.

Though many interactions are benign, they’re not all walks in the park. 

“You remember the ones that stick out,” Golden said, who recalled checking licenses for one outdoorsman. The conversation began friendly enough, she says, but quickly turned disrespectful.

“He was just overtly being very inappropriate — (saying) ‘oh, you can check me anytime,’ ” recalls Golden. Regardless of
how people respond, conservation officers say they do their job — no two days are the same.

“The difficult part about us is, we do wear so many different hats. And I think people don’t really always understand (all that we do),” Golden says.

Conservation officers also take part in community events like fishing derbies, and talk about their job with school-age children.

“We do so much community engagement. We’ll go out and do fairs; we’ll go to Kittery Trading Post and spend the day with our community outreach trailer. We’re doing that on top of our normal job, which pulls us in a thousand different directions all the time. (But) it’s nice to get that recognition (through outreach).”

Golden is only the second full-time female conservation officer in the department’s history. Newer hire, officer Rachael Stocker, is the third. Golden credits now-retired conservation officer Sgt. Heidi Murphy with helping pave the way.

“Sgt. Heidi Murphy made (it possible) for us, and she’s awesome to work with. I really wish she was here. I got hired as the second female ever. And then Rachael (Stocker) got hired just after me,” Golden says, which granted her some seniority.

“And you have three months (seniority) over me,” Whipple said to Golden, to which she joked, “and don’t you forget it.”

Smashing barriers

Golden says women have as many rights as men to join this profession and hopes others consider a similar career.

“Don’t let that stop you. Don’t let the thought that it is a male-dominated field (be discouraging). I’m here, Rachael’s here, Heidi was here. We got here. We deserve to be here,” Golden says.

Golden pointed to Murphy’s lengthy career as a positive indication that being a conservation officer is an achievable goal for anyone. 

“I think just the fact that Heidi was here and (was) so successful for so many years … we’re willing to step in and get this job.”

She adds that the physical test for Fish and Game officers is identical; gender “doesn’t matter,” she says. 

But one of the biggest parts of working in outdoor conservation is to be outdoorsy to begin with. 

“If women are excited about it or want a better chance of getting the job, it’s really (about) going out and doing things, going out hunting and fishing, and getting hands-on knowledge.

“A lot of it’s like being here and (being) ready to respond. Anything (can) happen,” Golden adds. 

Golden says she loves her job and hopes to be with the department long-term.

“This is my career — in it to win it,” she says.

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