BY HOWARD " SKIP " LAIRD CRAWFORD COUNTY DEPUTY GAME WARDEN EXTRA EYES AND How often have you heard the old saying, " Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good? " It often rings true, especially in lawenforcement - a field where hard work often leads to a better outcome, but luck can be as important as anything. Take this story, for instance. All the hard work in the world couldn't have replaced the extra set of eyes and ears that helped move the investigation along. It was a stroke of luck, and without it, it could have been just one more violator who got away. Flashback to an incredibly beautiful EARS 2020 Memorial Day weekend. Temperatures on Saturday were in the 80s with perfect blue skies and a slight breeze that seemed to promise a great summer. So many of us had been " cooped up " due to COVID-19, and it just felt good to be outside. I had been working all morning on my hobby farm and was taking a muchneeded break in my old recliner when the state police dispatch from the Corry barracks called me directly. The dispatcher told me a man had just reported someone apparently had shot at game from the road near his home. A state WILDLIFE'S WATCHDOGS JUNE 2021 19