New book preserves NH conservation history

LACONIA — A new historical book offers a rare, firsthand look into the woods, waters, and wildlife of New Hampshire through the eyes of a legendary law enforcement officer. "Tracks N Trails: Dispatches From a NH Game Warden" compiles the historic weekly newspaper columns of the late Carl B. Akerley, a New Hampshire game warden who spent more than 30 years protecting the state’s natural resources from the early 1950s until his retirement in 1982, eventually serving as a regional district chief.

For over three decades, Warden Akerley shared his weekly columns with readers across the state. He reported on the everyday responsibilities of a game warden, including shifting hunting and fishing laws, public safety, and critical conservation efforts.

Following Akerley’s passing in 2005, his grandchild began preserving the thousands of words left behind. Realizing the columns formed a valuable record of a changing era, the author selected key pieces and conducted research to provide modern readers with essential historical context.

The collection captures a wide range of New Hampshire’s outdoor heritage. It features dispatches ranging from the rugged North Country wilderness around Pittsburg — including Hell Gate, Garfield Falls, Dead Diamond, and Back Lake — down to the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. The book also touches on Akerley's time serving on the New Hampshire Seacoast, where local residents marveled at his remarkable, intuitive understanding of the coastal waters and ocean tides — an expertise so precise that he was uniquely relied upon during critical search and recovery efforts along the shore.

"Tracks N Trails: Dispatches From a NH Game Warden" is currently available for purchase online at Amazon, and readers can also request a copy through their local New Hampshire public library system.