David Denton, Owner and Operator of Denton Wildlife Services

After graduation from college, I went to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. That was also the year the federal government made large personnel cutbacks, so I started work with the NC Forestry Service. I left the NCFS to work with Delta Waterfowl on a research project on Canvasback ducks. Shortly after that project, I started work with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission in the Wildlife Management Division. I worked for the management division for 20 years working game lands from VA to SC in the coastal region. The majority of my work was with waterfowl. My work consisted of maintenance of waterfowl impoundments, banding waterfowl with leg bands, neck collars, and a few satellite harnesses. I assisted with the re-introduction of river otters and raccoons in the mountains, and the Eastern Wild Turkey and Canada Goose in NC. At around 20 years of service, I transferred to the Wildlife Enforcement Division as the hunter and boating education coordinator for the North Eastern section (District 1) of North Carolina. As the district coordinator of the hunter and boating education program, I was fortunate enough to meet many wonderful outdoor oriented adults and their families. Their kids participated in the NC Wildlife hunter education skills tournament. In certifying the parents and other volunteers, I trained them as instructors for the different skills for competition in rifle, shotgun, archery, and orienteering. I was a certified rifle, shotgun (wingshooter), archery, orienteering, and muzzleloader instructor. I was instrumental in developing the NC trapper education course. From my work with this program, I was asked to teach several sessions at the NC Wildlife Animal Damage Control course. After several years of teaching at this class, I decided that was what I wanted to do when I retired from the Wildlife Commission.

This is when Denton Wildlife Services was born. While I worked with the Wildlife Commission, I had excellent supervisor. Now, I am my own boss and the feller won't give me a day off. My only employee goes with me just about every day and stays with me all day. She helps me most of the time but loves to play. She is a Black Labrador, black as coal, 96.5 pounds and riding with her in a 12 foot pirogue can sometimes get exciting. If you scroll through my pictures, you will see Scout usually posing with beaver or participating in her favorite sport, sleeping. She is still a pup and in training.

 

Folks wonder why I would want to work in a swamp every day. The sights I get to witness are amazing--the waterfowl, otters, mink, osprey, bald eagles, rookeries, songbirds, all kinds of turtles, and yes, snakes. I have stumbled upon old artifacts and old graveyards telling a little bit of history of the area. I have a great office, except when the AC breaks and for the several months of extreme heat and humidity with yellow biting flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and hundreds of spiders and their webs, and the snakes. Sometimes when the weather is like this, I wonder if I chose the right profession, but I quickly come to my senses.

I believe God made all there is, and if He took the time to make it, the least I can do is take the time to enjoy it.