Maine wardens featured in Animal Planet reality show

While many TV reality shows leave me flat, I have a confession to make.

I’m a sucker for “Cops,” and often find myself walking around the house humming the show’s infectious theme song. In fact, as my horrified (but good-natured) girlfriend has discovered, I am also a sucker for all reality shows that feature Yetis or Bigfoots, and I’ll stop clicking the remote  for virtually any of the “Cops” spinoffs.

I’m not sure exactly what all of them are called, officially. I refer to them as “Alaska Cops,” and “College Cops” and “Animal Cops” and “Parking Cops.”

Show me a meth lab getting broken up, and I’m happy. Show me a drunken redneck getting tased, and I turn downright giddy. I’ve got problems. I know that.

And even if you don’t share my odd interest in all things “Cops,” I’ve got some good news for you.

Set your DVR. Maine’s game wardens are going national.

That’s right. Last week I received a press release that announced the March debut of “North Woods Law,” which will air on Animal Planet.

According to the brief, here’s what you can expect: “North Woods Law follows Maine’s elite game warden service as they navigate the Pine Tree State’s rugged terrain during hunting season — one of the busiest and most perilous times of the year. Each punch of the time clock is a ticket to extreme danger and drama as undercover stings and intense rescues are all in a day’s work. Whether they’re tracking bears on dangerous mountains or busting drunk drivers on ATVs, these wardens risk life and limb to protect animals and serve the people of Maine.”

Let’s forget, for a minute, the fact that Maine’s far-flung wardens don’t actually “punch the time clock” before they head into the woods. And let’s forget the fact that most of the wardens I’ve met don’t spend much time tracking bears.

Instead, let’s focus on this: We’ve finally got our own “Cops” show! We’ll get to see which of our neighbors are actually poachers! And drunken ATVers! And which ones get tased!

(A couple of years back I checked on the whole taser thing … Maine game wardens weren’t carrying them. Still, a guy can hope, can’t he?)

I’ll try to find out a bit more about the show in the weeks ahead, and look forward to telling you all about it.

You can catch the debut at 10 p.m. on March 16.

And until then, in keeping with our “Cops” theme, be careful out there.

It’s one thing when one of Maine’s men and women in green hop out of a bush and ask for your license. It’s quite another when they hop out of a bush and are followed by a film crew from Animal Planet.

Cue music: Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do …

Now all we need is a show about Maine yetis and Bigfoots, and I’ll never leave the house.

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.