A Maine Literary Awards Finalist, A Good Man with a Dog follows a game warden’s adventures from the woods of Maine to the swamps of New Orleans. Follow along as he and his canine companions investigate murder, search for missing persons, and rescue survivors from natural disasters. This is a memoir that reads like a true crime novel. Roger Guay takes readers into the patient, watchful world of a … patient, watchful world of a warden catching poachers and protecting pristine wilderness, and the sometimes CSI-like reconstruction of deer- and moose-poaching scenes. When Guay’s father died in a tragic fishing accident, a kind game warden helped him through the loss. Inspired by this experience, as well as his love of the outdoors, he became a game warden.
Guay searches for lost hunters and hikers. He estimates that over the years, he has pulled more than two hundred bodies out of Maine’s north woods! His frequent companion is a little brown Labrador retriever named Reba, who can find discarded weapons, ejected shells, hidden fish, and missing people.
A Good Man with a Dog explores Guay’s life as he and his canine partners are exposed to terrible events, from tracking down hostile poachers to searching for victims of violent crimes, including a year-long search for the hidden graves of two babies buried by a Massachusetts cult. He witnessed firsthand FEMA’s mismanagement of the post-Katrina cleanup efforts in New Orleans, an experience that left him scarred and disheartened. But he found hope with the support of family and friends, and eventually returned to the woods he knew and loved from the days of his youth.
more
Feel like I’m plowing through this book. I’m halfway through and just got into the dog part. The book is quite repetitive and, at times, graphic for someone who thought they were getting a heartwarming story of a man and his dog.
I think this book would be great for someone interested in becoming a Forest Ranger or Game Warden.
From the title, I expected there to be more about the dogs that work with the wardens. I had also hoped there might be more about how cool (and threatened) wildlife is and a concern for protecting wildlife as opposed to just catching the bad guys who hunt out of season. The emphasis is on law enforcement and one man’s memories of his career as a game warden. For what it is, a collection of “true-crime with wildlife” anecdotes, it’s fine. Honestly, what I liked the best was the frank writing about Guay’s experience with PTSD.
Thank you for sharing your heart-felt experiences!
I have learned and shared with my family and friends some of the stories you shared with all of us. The best way to change the world is with love and education, and you just did that.
I hope to hear more of his stories. Could we hope to have a second book?
I really enjoyed this book, it was amazing. Very informative, a lot I knew but it was great learning more. Seeing from Roger’s perspective was awesome. It made me see thing through his eyes, well done. I am a volunteer dog trainer with a non-profit organization & I love reading about other trainers methods. I would highly recommend this book.
I enjoyed this book very much. It’s like sitting and listening to the Warden tell his stories. I learned so much about all their responsibilities and his stories are eye popping, interesting, funny tragic. He’s honest about his job and the struggles. A great read
Anyone who thinks they may want to become a forest ranger should read this book. Excellent commentary on FEMA.
boring
The rough terrain and tough people of Maine draw me every year to spend at least a week of solitude there in the winter. I live in Texas and need my yearly fix. This book fortified my admiration of the state itself, but the author, a Game Warden, expanded my horizons both of the state and what exactly is required of such a professional. These guys have to do it all: make sure lakes are not overfished and woods overhunted, corrall those who are out in the woods neither to hunt or fish, just as a start. He and his trusty dog find lost people and all too often dead people. He has to deal with families numb and terrified with grief when someone goes missing…the list goes on and on.He even manages to include some amusing anecdotes.
I found this book refreshing and admiration-inducing.. The author even includes how he suffers PSTD after year and years of working as a Maine Game Warden. Then he goes on to train others. You’ll enjoy this, especially if you love and want to protect some of the most beautiful yet potentially dangerous deep woods of Maine.
Very interesting!
Things I never knew about forest wardens.
True , believable and changed my perspective on rangers and rescues.
I bought this book while in Maine on vacation, and after seeing those woods, I have a whole new respect for the resourcefulness and skills of a warden there. Also, as a resident of Louisiana at the time of both Katrina and Rita, I am grateful for him for trying to do his best in an impossible situation. Everyone should read this to understand what anyone who deals with the public (or in some cases, the government) on this level has to sacrifice. I, for one, appreciate what they put up with. Thank you, Warden Guay for everything you’ve given and for sharing your stories with us.
predictable, repeated stories, didn’t hold my interest,
This is a glorious book! I learned a lot, and enjoyed every word of every incident. Wish I could meet this guy!
I learned so much about Maine, and the job of a game warden. I especially liked his time spent in New Orleans after Katrina, amazed by what he went through there and the after effect on him. A good book for learning.
The game warden led and interesting life and has great stories to tell. Unfortunately he picked a poor writer to do so. Sentences are choppy, there is no creativity of composition or organization. Too bad. I did not finish the book.
Fun light read
Enjoyed it-It really increased my appreciation for the hard work of rangers.
My mother read this one and really enjoyed it.
A bit repetitive, but overall a good read.
Not for the faint of heart when it comes to gore.
A good honest hands on expose of how politics and technology
compromise game wardens effectiveness in their primary mission
protecting wildlife and their habitat.