On a trip to Yellowstone National Park, recently retired Wildlife Conservation Officer Steve Hower met an older retired doctor from North Carolina who gave him a nugget of wisdom. “In your 60s, it’s go, go, go … In your 70s, it’s slow, slow, slow … And, in your 80s it’s no, no, no.”
It’s safe to say that Steve has taken that recommendation to heart!
After retiring from the Pennsylvania Game Commission in 2016, Steve wrote and published two books about his state service. The first titled, To Conserve and Protect: Memories of a Wildlife Conservation Officer was published in late 2018. The success and interest in the first book prompted his follow-up book titled, Shots in the Dark: Memories and Musings of a Retired Game Warden published in late 2020. Both books are available on Amazon.
“During my career, I’ve found that people are genuinely interested in wildlife,” Steve explained. “My goal was to educate the public, to help them appreciate and value our wildlife, and I saw it as a chance to clear up misconceptions that people have about the job.
"Wildlife conservation is a unique form of law enforcement. The men and women who fill these roles face many challenges that are little known by much of our public,” Steve explained.
“Often the only witnesses to a deer poaching incident are other deer, and they always, without exception, fail to report the crime and provide useful information to the investigator,” Steve wrote in his first book.
While the names have been changed to protect those involved, Steve’s books describe the exciting, frustrating and, in some cases, unbelievable, cases Steve worked during his 28 years on the job. “Sometimes people do dumb stuff and it makes for a good story. The stories are all true.”
Working as a Wildlife Conservation Officer / Game Warden was a life-long dream for Steve, who also served in the Air Force and Air National Guard, including active duty in Desert Storm.
“Growing up in Saville Township, Perry County, I spent most of my time outside, in a field or by a stream. In high school, I read an article in the PA Game News about a local game protector and thought that is what I wanted to do. I wrote a letter asking for more information on becoming a game protector.
Retiring from the state has been wonderful. I never planned to be in the position I’m in now. I had a job that I always wanted but I didn’t think ahead about what I’d be doing when I was 65 … I’m extremely fortunate to have the benefits we have!”
That doesn’t mean that the transition from active employee to retiree was smooth. “The first two months were tough,” Steve explained. “The first couple weeks I did things around the house that needed done. Then, I’d wake up wondering ‘What am I going to do today?’ A neighbor mentioned that the local Rabbit Transit was looking for drivers to drive seniors and disabled residents to medical and other appointments. I’ve been driving two to three days a week for them, minus a period during the pandemic. I really enjoy that work. The folks I drive are so happy to see me each day.”
In addition, Steve and his wife have traveled in retirement, taking one big trip a year. “Our first year we went to Alaska and the second we went to Costa Rica. We’ve been to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Africa, and we have plans to go to the Four Corners and Arizona this year.”
In addition to writing about his wildlife conservation work, driving for Rabbit Transit, and traveling, Steve raises homing pigeons and competes in pigeon races, is active with his local Lions club and serves as its Treasurer, and helps care for the property and cemetery maintained by his church.