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The Florida History and Culture Series
Backcountry Lawman: True Stories from a Florida Game Warden
First Place, Florida Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Award
“If you enjoy outdoor adventure flavored with colorful characters and wry humor, this book is for you. Follow dedicated wildlife officers as they use their wits and skills in the pursuit of poachers and wildlife law violators.”—Tom Mastin, forester and managing broker, Mossy Oak Properties Legacy Realty Services
“Lee recounts his amazing and challenging career as a Florida game warden with wit, wisdom, and careful attention to detail. You will travel with him as he boats the St. Johns River, walk beside him as he wades past resting alligators, and listen for that gunshot on a cold Putnam County night.”—Jeff Hahr, former patrol supervisor, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
In the underbelly of Florida, hardened poachers operate in the dark, out of sight and away from residents who sleep soundly through the night. But poachers are not the only midnight hunters. In the state’s public wilderness tracts, cattle ranches, and water courses, wildlife thieves are stealthily and silently tracked.
Most people have never imagined the often dicey, comical, and sometimes bizarre job of a Florida game warden. Backcountry Lawman tells what it’s like to catch an armed poacher in the act—alone, at night, without backup or a decent radio to call for help. These stories describe the cat-and-mouse games often played between game wardens and poachers of ducks, turkeys, hogs, deer, gators, and other species. Few people realize that “monkey fishing”—electrocution of catfish—had the same outlaw mystique in the rivers of Florida as moonshining once did in the hills of Georgia and Tennessee.
With thirty years of backcountry patrol experience in Florida, Bob Lee has lived through incidents of legend, including one of the biggest environmental busts in Florida history. His fascinating memoir reveals the danger and the humor in the unsung exploits of game wardens.
Bob H. Lee spent over three decades as a water patrol officer on the St. Johns River and a land patrol lieutenant in Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties. Before retiring in 2007, he taught man-tracking classes through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“If you enjoy outdoor adventure flavored with colorful characters and wry humor, this book is for you. Follow dedicated wildlife officers as they use their wits and skills in the pursuit of poachers and wildlife law violators.”—Tom Mastin, forester and managing broker, Mossy Oak Properties Legacy Realty Services
“Lee recounts his amazing and challenging career as a Florida game warden with wit, wisdom, and careful attention to detail. You will travel with him as he boats the St. Johns River, walk beside him as he wades past resting alligators, and listen for that gunshot on a cold Putnam County night.”—Jeff Hahr, former patrol supervisor, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
In the underbelly of Florida, hardened poachers operate in the dark, out of sight and away from residents who sleep soundly through the night. But poachers are not the only midnight hunters. In the state’s public wilderness tracts, cattle ranches, and water courses, wildlife thieves are stealthily and silently tracked.
Most people have never imagined the often dicey, comical, and sometimes bizarre job of a Florida game warden. Backcountry Lawman tells what it’s like to catch an armed poacher in the act—alone, at night, without backup or a decent radio to call for help. These stories describe the cat-and-mouse games often played between game wardens and poachers of ducks, turkeys, hogs, deer, gators, and other species. Few people realize that “monkey fishing”—electrocution of catfish—had the same outlaw mystique in the rivers of Florida as moonshining once did in the hills of Georgia and Tennessee.
With thirty years of backcountry patrol experience in Florida, Bob Lee has lived through incidents of legend, including one of the biggest environmental busts in Florida history. His fascinating memoir reveals the danger and the humor in the unsung exploits of game wardens.
Bob H. Lee spent over three decades as a water patrol officer on the St. Johns River and a land patrol lieutenant in Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties. Before retiring in 2007, he taught man-tracking classes through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 13, 2013
24 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Bob H. Lee
6 books5 followersBob H. Lee spent over three decades as a water patrol officer on the St. Johns River and a land patrol lieutenant in Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler Counties. Before retiring in 2007, he taught man-tracking classes through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 8, 2013
A great book with stories spanning the 30-year career of a game warden in northeast Florida. This was written by my dad's lieutenant and I really enjoyed reading the stories about his experiences. A lot of those stories included my dad and some of his other colorful coworkers I saw frequently growing up. I especially liked the descriptive imagery used for the redneck populace of Putnam County. It had me giggling and I'll definitely borrow some of those descriptions. All in all, a good, quick read that provides a lot of insight about the area I grew up.
March 29, 2025
A retired state wildlife officer* explains how he came to that line of work, and shares stories from his career. The author's entire career was spent in a three-county area of northeast Florida, resulting in him knowing the area and people pretty well. Most of the stories involve poachers. The chapters are mostly short and sharp, making for a brisk and enjoyable read.
*Florida Game & Freshwater Fish Commission, as it was known for most of the author's career.
Lee is a good storyteller and the stories are mostly from his perspective. He notes in the Acknowledgements his writing was polished with feedback from a local writers group. In an interesting twist, several stories involve the same poacher, whom the author interviewed for the book to get his side of the story (statute of limitations having expired). The stories aren't all triumphs: sometimes the suspect gets away and Lee recounts a story of his boat sinking in the middle of the night early in his career. In the course of the book, the author only shoots his gun once (not at a suspect, but to mercy kill a deer crippled by poachers) and is only shot at once (by accident no less).
I drew several conclusions from this book. Game warden work is described much like being a fighter pilot: hours of boredom interrupted by minutes of excitement and/or terror (my analogy, not the author's). Lee also comes off as something of an adrenaline junkie - someone who became and remained a law enforcement officer primarily because of those thrilling moments. Many of the poachers Lee describes come off as idiots, but some seem to revel in the cat & mouse game between wardens and poachers.
Recommended.
*Florida Game & Freshwater Fish Commission, as it was known for most of the author's career.
Lee is a good storyteller and the stories are mostly from his perspective. He notes in the Acknowledgements his writing was polished with feedback from a local writers group. In an interesting twist, several stories involve the same poacher, whom the author interviewed for the book to get his side of the story (statute of limitations having expired). The stories aren't all triumphs: sometimes the suspect gets away and Lee recounts a story of his boat sinking in the middle of the night early in his career. In the course of the book, the author only shoots his gun once (not at a suspect, but to mercy kill a deer crippled by poachers) and is only shot at once (by accident no less).
I drew several conclusions from this book. Game warden work is described much like being a fighter pilot: hours of boredom interrupted by minutes of excitement and/or terror (my analogy, not the author's). Lee also comes off as something of an adrenaline junkie - someone who became and remained a law enforcement officer primarily because of those thrilling moments. Many of the poachers Lee describes come off as idiots, but some seem to revel in the cat & mouse game between wardens and poachers.
Recommended.
March 18, 2018
Bob Lee has seen it all when it comes to fighting the bad guys, whether it is poaching game fish or hunting game out of season, this man survived the backwoods of Florida using his wits! Now retired, he shares some intriguing gems of his career as a wildlife officer. Some of his stories will have you shaking your head with amazement, others will leave you agog with their folly and a few will have you laughing out loud. Come, join him in Northeast Florida, where he relies on fast thinking to outwit and out match the bad guys.
Lee began his career in the mid 1970's. Back then, the laws against poaching in Florida were nearly nonexistent and not well enforced by the judiciary. Thus, he had to be creative in his approach to catching the bad guys and he had to make sure the evidence wasn't sabotaged. Many nights were spent on stakeout, where he would endure the cold weather, alone, in the muck of the swamps and its creatures, while waiting for someone to commit a crime. His job wasn't for the faint of heart to be sure. I grew up in the next county and I know the types of critters that roamed that region particularly after dark and thus, we were very careful about our animals being attended after dusk...memory of my own encounters with the alligators in the day time are still very vivid forty years later.
What I liked most about this book was the diversity of stories. Bob doesn't overload the reader with extraneous detail. Yet, he is willing to let us see him, when his own lapse in judgment caused him to sink a boat and leave him stranded in the middle of the night. Of the twenty-four stories, my favorites include his encounter with the pizza delivery driver, who used his truck instead of a bow and arrow to attempt in taking out a family of deer; his search for missing hunter, who never bothered to signal when Bob's team were close by causing the search to last hours longer; a landmark case against Amtrak for dumping human waste anywhere and everywhere, aptly named "The Choo-Choo-Poo-Poo Case". However, the most memorable story for me, is descriptive retelling of a hunter exceeding the daily limit of Marsh Hens . Bob's co-hort, "Gator" Banks must get a confession from the outlaw (who claims that some of his hens were obtained the previous day, which would exempt him from punishment). Gator takes to lying to get a confession to new heights! He goes the extra mile, by inserting his finger in the anus of one of the dead carcasses and pronounces it "still warm" and hence catching the hunter over the daily limit. Gator performance is so convincing describing the forensics of "the finger" test as a law enforcement tool that the hunter makes a clean breast of it, confessing his crime. However, lest anyone believe that the job is mostly fun and games, there were those who aggressively sought to deter Bob in his dogged pursuit of justice. Though not the focus of the book, he had his brake line severed more than once and other criminal acts to overcome. He even mentions that when he took the job, that it was well known that it was a dangerous occupation, wildlife officers did die in the line of duty and one had perished in Florida only a few years earlier to his employment.
To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As an added bonus, my book club was able to Skype with the author! Our group had a great time picking his brain and he is every bit as authentic in conversation as he is on the written page. I told him that I planned to leave a review and asked if he wanted to make himself available to others in this manner (it was his first time using this medium) and he said sure! So, if you don't get to see him on next book tour (he is working on his third book), maybe he will be available to chat with your group.
Lee began his career in the mid 1970's. Back then, the laws against poaching in Florida were nearly nonexistent and not well enforced by the judiciary. Thus, he had to be creative in his approach to catching the bad guys and he had to make sure the evidence wasn't sabotaged. Many nights were spent on stakeout, where he would endure the cold weather, alone, in the muck of the swamps and its creatures, while waiting for someone to commit a crime. His job wasn't for the faint of heart to be sure. I grew up in the next county and I know the types of critters that roamed that region particularly after dark and thus, we were very careful about our animals being attended after dusk...memory of my own encounters with the alligators in the day time are still very vivid forty years later.
What I liked most about this book was the diversity of stories. Bob doesn't overload the reader with extraneous detail. Yet, he is willing to let us see him, when his own lapse in judgment caused him to sink a boat and leave him stranded in the middle of the night. Of the twenty-four stories, my favorites include his encounter with the pizza delivery driver, who used his truck instead of a bow and arrow to attempt in taking out a family of deer; his search for missing hunter, who never bothered to signal when Bob's team were close by causing the search to last hours longer; a landmark case against Amtrak for dumping human waste anywhere and everywhere, aptly named "The Choo-Choo-Poo-Poo Case". However, the most memorable story for me, is descriptive retelling of a hunter exceeding the daily limit of Marsh Hens . Bob's co-hort, "Gator" Banks must get a confession from the outlaw (who claims that some of his hens were obtained the previous day, which would exempt him from punishment). Gator takes to lying to get a confession to new heights! He goes the extra mile, by inserting his finger in the anus of one of the dead carcasses and pronounces it "still warm" and hence catching the hunter over the daily limit. Gator performance is so convincing describing the forensics of "the finger" test as a law enforcement tool that the hunter makes a clean breast of it, confessing his crime. However, lest anyone believe that the job is mostly fun and games, there were those who aggressively sought to deter Bob in his dogged pursuit of justice. Though not the focus of the book, he had his brake line severed more than once and other criminal acts to overcome. He even mentions that when he took the job, that it was well known that it was a dangerous occupation, wildlife officers did die in the line of duty and one had perished in Florida only a few years earlier to his employment.
To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As an added bonus, my book club was able to Skype with the author! Our group had a great time picking his brain and he is every bit as authentic in conversation as he is on the written page. I told him that I planned to leave a review and asked if he wanted to make himself available to others in this manner (it was his first time using this medium) and he said sure! So, if you don't get to see him on next book tour (he is working on his third book), maybe he will be available to chat with your group.
September 22, 2025
Backcountry Lawman is the memoirs of 20+ years of real-life game warden business in northern Florida. I listened to it as an audiobook, which I think added to the experience: Jeremy Arthur had a good voice for conveying the tales of a Florida lawman, and a more than adequate range for depicting different characters. Game Warden Bob H. Lee began his service in 1977, running patrols on the St Johns river, and continued through the eighties and 1990s. Because he spent so long working in a tri-county area, his book isn’t merely episodic: there are recurring characters, the most notorious being Roger Gunter. Gunter was a poacher who eluded Lee and other wardens his entire career, specializing in the fine art of “monkey fishing” — or using an old telephone magneto to irritate catfish so they’d rise to the surface to be netted by cunning fishermen. An interview with him opens the book, and helps inform many stories that follow: one of the most memorable is an epic boat chase that young Lee would figure until either he or Gunter ran out of gas, but which ended more abruptly when Gunter proved more able at navigating around a pound net in the dark. (Lee didn’t run into the traps’ piles, unlike his partner, but he lost so much time trying to get around one obstacle in the river that Gunter had skedaddled and run into problems of his own further upriver.) Most of the book’s content is direct confrontations between Lee and poachers of various sorts, whether on land or on water: in one instance, he hides in a brush pile for hours on end and even gets peed on when some male fisherman decides to use it for target practice, but finally surfaces in a very smelly raincoat to nick a poacher and a bag of fish killed via illegal means. There are other cases like his participation in a long-duration investigation of AMTRAK, though, which was outsourcing sewage-containment to a more primitive method called “dump the stuff over swamps, fishermen and fish be damned”. I enjoyed this enormously, both for the content and its delivery. Lee has evidently written a game warden novel, which I’ll be sure to try out. This was a lot of fun!
March 17, 2025
As a Florida girl who is strongly rooted in watersports that are relatively safe, like tanning on the beach, or viewing large aquatic creatures at a safe distance from my paddleboard, or floating down a rapid current river fast enough to outpace the ravenous reptiles, this was a thrilling couch read. In real life, this was waaaayyyy outside my comfort zone. Backcountry Lawman took me deep into the mosquito-infested, gator-ridden, swamps and forests of Florida. Honestly, even though I grew up here, some of the tales were mildly terrifying (seriously, people are out here electrocuting catfish?.....).
The book opened with Lee interviewing a notorious poacher who managed to avoid the law and any extremely serious consequences. It was basically Florida Man shenanigans with story after story of alligator-infested waters and illegal deer hunting. This book is probably perfect for anyone who actually loves wildlife adventures, or like me, prefer to experience the backwoods from the safety of a beach chair.
These are some quotes that made me realize why I enjoy being in CLEAR water, within safe distance of a resort or pool bar. "Sometimes, the only backup you have is a flashlight and a really bad idea." "Nothing will make you question your life choices faster than standing in waist-deep water, realizing you're not alone." "The Florida backcountry is full of creatures that bite, sting, or eat you—some of them even walk on two legs."
The book opened with Lee interviewing a notorious poacher who managed to avoid the law and any extremely serious consequences. It was basically Florida Man shenanigans with story after story of alligator-infested waters and illegal deer hunting. This book is probably perfect for anyone who actually loves wildlife adventures, or like me, prefer to experience the backwoods from the safety of a beach chair.
These are some quotes that made me realize why I enjoy being in CLEAR water, within safe distance of a resort or pool bar. "Sometimes, the only backup you have is a flashlight and a really bad idea." "Nothing will make you question your life choices faster than standing in waist-deep water, realizing you're not alone." "The Florida backcountry is full of creatures that bite, sting, or eat you—some of them even walk on two legs."
February 1, 2018
Overall I liked it well enough. The descriptions were more vivid for me since I've been at or near many of the locations described in the book. These are the places most visitors and even residents never see - the relatively pristine woods and waters of back-country Florida. I was rather disappointed to discover how lax the wildlife laws were regarding repeat offenders - especially the most egregious poacher mentioned in the book. This man who wantonly killed 50-60 deer every year of his adult life - and countless other fish, birds, and animals - was often sent home with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. When repeat DUI violators often go to jail for months at a time, it seems ridiculous that someone who breaks the law so often would never go to prison. Sadly this is what the state of Florida has become: The Land of Hypocrisy.
April 28, 2022
Backcountry Lawman: True Stories from a Florida Game Warden by Bob H. Lee
Bob Lee is a retired Florida game warden. While a warden he came into contact with the always entertaining “Florida Man” on many occasions. This book is a compilation of those interactions and they are pretty darn interesting.
For the uninitiated, Florida Man is a generic descriptor for a person who commits bizarre or idiotic crimes, popularly associated with Florida. In Backcountry Lawman the Florida Man takes the form of a game poacher. A poacher is someone who kills or takes wild animals (such as game or fish) illegally. Now put those two together…. Yep, idiots in the woods with guns.
Bob Lee is a retired Florida game warden. While a warden he came into contact with the always entertaining “Florida Man” on many occasions. This book is a compilation of those interactions and they are pretty darn interesting.
For the uninitiated, Florida Man is a generic descriptor for a person who commits bizarre or idiotic crimes, popularly associated with Florida. In Backcountry Lawman the Florida Man takes the form of a game poacher. A poacher is someone who kills or takes wild animals (such as game or fish) illegally. Now put those two together…. Yep, idiots in the woods with guns.
March 16, 2022
Growing up in this area, I thought this would be an interesting read. Instead I found the typical game warden arrogance. For example, when Lee crashes his high powered boat into the older man’s small skiff sinking it at night, his first thought is the impact to his career rather than the safety of the citizen.
I found other parts of the book slow and lost interest. This is a beautiful part of the country and we need to work to preserve the flora and fauna, but do it peacefully and safely.
I found other parts of the book slow and lost interest. This is a beautiful part of the country and we need to work to preserve the flora and fauna, but do it peacefully and safely.
May 30, 2018
This is an exciting, well-written account of the adventures of a wildlife officer. This book gave me a much clearer understanding of and appreciation for what these important law-enforcement officers really do. I had no idea how determined -- and sometimes dangerous -- poachers could be, but without these devoted officers to keep them in check, Florida's wildlife wouldn't have much of a chance.
June 15, 2023
Backcountry lawman is a great book about the poachers of central Florida and the game wardens that arrest them. Many locations in the book being familiar to me being described accurately and plenty of stories with an aspect of humor, like the Amtrak case, or Buckshot the Buck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2021
Entertaining stories and an interesting look at a group of people I’ve always been curious about: poachers and those that hunt them.
June 14, 2025
I live in FL and like to learn about the history .. in this case poaching wildlife. Bob Lee .. w background as a game warden .. wrote very detailed and interesting book of his experiences.
November 17, 2025
Found this book when I went to a lecture by the author. I live near where the events took place, so interesting to me
May 12, 2021
Clearly game wardens have an important job, the book perhaps sheds no new light on the continued losing cause of Florida wildlife management- as it is one disaster after another.
September 21, 2025
Awesome read! Growing up in North Florida and spending summers at Silver Glen Springs, this book brings back many memories. Spending many hours in the woods and on the water, I always had an appreciation for the Florida game wardens. Bob Lee was the outstanding example of what a law enforcement should be like a boy scout, honest, trustworthy, loyal, and brave
February 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Whole new look at what Game Wardens do.
June 26, 2023
I listened to this audiobook and I don't know what exactly I enjoyed about it so much, but it was really great. It is totally out of my normal reading genre and I think I was expecting some kind of Indiana Jones adventure novel, but what I got was totally different, but still good. The narrator's voice was both soothing and intoxicating. The stories were just interesting enough to keep my attention, but didn't have me on the edge of my seat. The descriptions of the beautiful landscapes and peaceful environments were lovely and it took me back to a time before cell phones and instant communications. The lengths that both the lawmen went to, in order to catch poachers, was mind-blowing and sometimes reckless, especially considering the fines and rewards.
September 25, 2014
Although this book may not win any literary awards, it was one of the best books I have read in a while. The author is a retired Fish and Wildlife officer whose territory covered this local area. Some of the stories were quite comical, some sad, but all real and set in places literally in my backyard. Much of the book is set in Putnam County and on the St. Johns River. I have become acquainted with this area and some of its residents in the last several years. This book added to my knowledge of the area and recent history. One story in the book about floating down the Oklawaha in the dark is one of my nightmares. Since the author experienced this, I hope I don't ever have to! I think anyone who enjoys the northeast Florida outdoors would enjoy reading this book!
March 28, 2016
Backcountry Lawman is a great and easy read if you want to get a glimpse into the work of a Game Warden, even more so if you're a Floridian. Bob Lee tells a great story about his 30 years as an officer with the now Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. I couldn't set the book down, his stories are vivid and easily come to life as if you were right there with him and it flows wonderfully. If I'm not mistaken, there really is nothing else like this book so it's a rare piece.
June 12, 2013
A vivid and accurate depiction of the landscape, the wildlife, and the people of Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties.
September 8, 2013
Not bad. It was interesting to read about my community, and I enjoyed being able to visualize the places mentioned in the stories. I did lose interest towards the end.
July 11, 2013
Great local color!
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January 8, 2014An easy read and gave me a new found respect for "game wardens".
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews