Kevin Anderson works by boat, ATV, snowmobile and foot. As a district game warden in Northern Maine, he spends about two thirds of his week outside.

Anderson responds to citizen complaints of illegal hunting, protects fishery and wildlife, conducts search and rescues and has the power to arrest wrongdoers. He has many of the responsibilities that a traditional law enforcement agent may have but has the perks of some pretty amazing scenery and awesome motor vehicles!

"We're out there checking people even if they haven't done anything wrong," he says. "If you get stopped by a police officer on the road, you're almost always very polite because you know you were speeding. But on weekends, that's your time to escape from stress. All of a sudden, out come the 'fun police,' and we're checking your life jackets. We have to make sure you're safe and that you're within the law."

With 30 to 40 lakes in his care, Anderson says a "typical day" is a rarity. If it's good fishing weather, he'll head to the water to check anglers. One such day, he planned to make the rounds in the evening, "but a guy got struck by lightening in a boat. Bang, there goes five hours." Fast thinking and level headedness are a necessity in this field...

And what experience stands out the most for Anderson? "One day that sticks out, it was snowing very hard. I'd been preparing two search warrants. Both warrants dealt with guys that were hunting illegally, possessing firearms illegally. We got a call that two hunters had gone out in the morning and didn't return. One of the wardens and one of the rescue guys went out to get the guys and found them on an island. They had tried to start a fire, and the winds had set the island on fire."

"It was everything we do in a day: fish and wildlife enforcement, arrests, downtime for paperwork for the warrants and search and rescue," Anderson explains.

To become a game warden, Anderson majored in conservation law enforcement at Unity College in Maine. After graduation, he competed with 1,500 applicants for 15 job openings and participated in a year long hiring process that included physicals, psychological and written exams, police training camp and a separate game warden school. Game wardens learn about high-speed driving, firearms, search and rescue, criminal investigation and hunting and fishing laws.