In order to catch a couple of poachers illegally baiting turkeys and shooting them from a tree stand, Sean Pirtle woke two hours before dawn, hiked a mile in the dark across an orchard and through the woods and then hid in the bushes.
He waited and waited until the so-called hunters arrived.
The work isn't all glamour and glory for one of the most respected game wardens in North America.
"One guy had a bow and another guy had a shotgun and they started making turkey noises," Pirtle recalled. "I came out and they had a real look of surprise. I've seen that look quite a bit – and I enjoy it."
At 35, the 12-year veteran of the Department of Fish and Game is fast becoming a legend among his peers.
He's known for being so dogged he simply will not relent until he nabs a suspect, whether it's someone gunning down deer for kicks, bagging too many ducks in one day, snagging salmon or, in this case, luring wild turkeys with 100 pounds of corn.
With the opening of dove season Monday and more hunting and fishing to follow throughout the fall, Pirtle and the 179 other game wardens in California are in the busiest part of their year.
It's a time Pirtle seems to relish.
Pirtle is part bloodhound, bulldog, scientist, problem-solver and sleuth. A lover of the outdoors, an avid hunter and a student of nature, Pirtle can't stand to see people breaking the law, taking shortcuts and, worst of all, not respecting the animals they pursue.
Pirtle's reputation grew even larger recently when he was awarded the prestigious Pogue-Elms Award, the game warden's equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize. The award is given annually to an outstanding warden working in the western half of Canada and the United States.
"This is a guy who truly lives for the job for the benefit of wildlife," said Kent Harrison, Pirtle's supervisor.
A recent visit to Marysville found the mild-mannered Pirtle behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Silverado pickup, heading toward the rural outposts of Yuba County. The truck is 9 months old and already has 23,000 miles.
"This is my office," said Pirtle, looking out toward the vast landscape. "My district is the crest of the Sierra to the crest of the coastal range."
In his holster is a .40-caliber Glock. In a rack in the truck, there's a semi-automatic rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. He wears a bulletproof vest and waterproof boots. And he's never without his $2,400 Swarovski spotting scope, which allows him to see detail from a half-mile away.
There's often a sense of urgency and always somewhere to go – down dirt roads, into the woods, the wetlands or out to the orchards. Pirtle is so busy and forever on the move that it's difficult to catch up with him in the hundreds of square miles he patrols.
But if you're out there poaching, he's bound to catch up with you.
"I love to work with Sean because everyday I learn something new," said Nate Stebbins, a game warden based in Sutter County. "I catch myself using the same lines he uses getting people to admit to stuff because they work.
"I don't know anybody who's more knowledgeable about wildlife, from birds to fish to mammals, to the seven or eight species of oak trees or what type of grass it is."
Pirtle is two classes short of a degree in biological conservation from California State University, Sacramento. But he had a head start on most everyone.
His father, Robert Pirtle, was a game warden. Growing up in Placerville, Sean began riding with him on patrol and soaked up everything he saw.
But many of the techniques he uses these days are his own, improvising as he goes along.
He says he is often frustrated by the light sentences some poachers receive. Many get off with a small fine and rarely do time in jail.
But that doesn't dim his enthusiasm.
He once arrested a hunter shooting ducks and leaving them to rot. The idea of such conduct makes him indignant.
"A pintail duck flies all the way from Alaska or northern Canada and you're going to shoot it and leave it to rot in the field because you want to shoot more ducks," Pirtle said, shaking his head. "That's disrespectful to wildlife. I like to hunt as much as the next guy, but you have to have respect for your quarry."
His persistence while working a case is often baffling to others.
On the trail of someone using bait to hunt bear, Pirtle and another warden woke at 3 a.m. for six days straight before making an arrest.
"The other warden and I made a pact that we were going to stick with it until we caught the guy," Pirtle said.
"It's like a cat-and-mouse-game," Pirtle said. "A lot of these guys think it's fun to get away from us and we think it's fun to catch them. That's why I look forward to coming to work every day after 12 years.
"In fact, it bums me out when I have a day off."
Call The Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson, (916) 321-1099.
