09/15/2026
Behind the Badge - Not Your Typical Call
Written by District Game Warden Josh Hedstrom
As a North Dakota game warden, I've learned there really is no such thing as a "typical day." The job involves much more than checking licenses and making sure hunters and anglers are following the rules. We field a wide variety of calls, especially those involving wildlife. Some are routine. Others are anything but.
In early spring, I received one such call that I will likely never forget. Not very often does a call begin with, "Now, hear me out. I have not been drinking …"
Needless to say, I immediately started mentally preparing myself for the story I was about to hear. As the caller continued, the story became even more entertaining.
"A duck came down my chimney like Santa Claus and is sitting in my fireplace."
I could already feel a grin creeping across my face. Then came the kicker:
"For the second time."
At that point, I was doing my best not to laugh.
The first time this happened, the caller and his family had spent the day chasing the duck around the house, desperately trying to convince it to find its way back outside. Picture a wildlife version of "Caddyshack" — only with a duck instead of a gopher.
This time, they decided it was time to call in a professional.
Now, I can tell you that this was not a typical call for me. There is no handbook titled, How to Safely Es**rt a Duck From Inside Someone's Fireplace. But fortunately, I was only a few blocks away, so I headed over to see what I could do.
Sure enough, when I arrived, there was a hen wood duck sitting in the fireplace. She looked understandably frightened and clearly had no idea how she had ended up in this predicament.
I carefully reached in, caught the duck and, after her unexpected adventure, escorted her to the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area. There, she was released back into the wild where she belonged.
Thankfully, she flew away safe and sound.
It just goes to show that being a North Dakota game warden means you never really know what the next call will bring. One day you may be checking hunting licenses or patrolling a lake. The next, you may find yourself reaching into someone's fireplace to rescue a duck that apparently has a very unusual idea of what a chimney is for.
Suffice it to say, there was no "fowl play" involved — just one very confused wood duck, one very relieved family, and one game warden with a story he won't likely forget.
