MORE TALES OF NORTH WOODS LAW

Open Season began as a collection of stories with my father-in-law, retired Lieutenant Nathaniel Berry. After amassing enough tales of north woods law to fill half a book, we got other Maine game wardens involved, and in the end, I faced the tough challenge of cutting some of Nat's stories to better balance Open Season. My Maine upbringing taught me not to be wasteful, so here's the surplus. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I did writing them.

In the Dead of a Maine Winter's Night

Warden Nathaniel Berry was brushing his teeth for bed on a cold January night in 1981 when the phone rang. Late-night calls are an ominous sign in any household, but for a Maine game warden, it’s seldom good news. On this evening, the Pineland Hospital and Training Center, a state-run inpatient institute for the mentally challenged, was missing a patient. It wasn't uncommon for patients to wander off, but the center rarely asked for help. There was only one reason Pineland was calling now—they were desperate.

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The Running of the Moose

A diseased moose is wreaking havoc in Portland, and it's up to the Maine Warden Service to dispatch the animal before anyone is harmed. Easier said than done.

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The Turkey Lane Standoff

Wardens Nat Berry and Charlie Rice were working an abandoned farm on Turkey Lane in Cumberland. The rolling fields around the property were a known night-hunting hotspot for locals and, Nat had reason to believe, one of Cumberland’s finest.

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