In a place dubbed “Lake Country,” it’s no surprise there are many boats.
That means a lot of boaters, too, of all ages, levels of experience, and responsibility. And that’s where Game Wardens Taylor Bingham and Mason Miller come in with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Bingham and Miller are based out of the DNR region office in Thomson and work throughout Morgan, Greene, Taliaferro, and Hancock counties. But most days through the long Georgia boating season, they man DNR boats on Lake Oconee, working out of a centrally located boathouse at Old Salem Park.
On back-to-back evenings late last month, though, Bingham and Miller were landlocked in Crowe Marine at the corner of Hwy. 44 and Old Phoenix Road in Putnam County.
They were teaching a free DNR class to more than a dozen boaters of varying skill and experience, from teens to senior citizens, about safe boating practices and the laws that apply to operating a vessel on Georgia waters.
“Most people, I think, get at least something out of it,” Miller said. “It tends to be, at least in the two classes we’ve done so far this year, a lot of older boaters. We don’t tend to get as many of the younger kids, so it was a good chance to have a couple here this time. I would like to see a little bit more of them in the future.”
Part of Miller’s motivation is a 10-year-old Georgia law that requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, to pass a boater’s education course to legally operate any motorized vehicle – boat or personal watercraft (PWC) – on any publicly accessible body of water in the state.
Anyone aged 12 or older is eligible and required to pass the course to become a legal Georgia boater.
“I believe at first it was publicized pretty well, but then it’s just kind of fallen into the cracks,” Miller said. “But it’s getting to the point now where people born in 1998-99, they’re up to 25, 26 years old now, buying boats and PWCs, and it seems to be continuing to fall through the cracks. But all a person has to do is take a class online or come sit in a class with us, and it could prevent a ticket, an accident, or even worse.”
Bingham, officially promoted to corporal as of June 1, explained during the class that DNR game wardens have full police powers on the water, with legal search and arrest authorities. However, he stressed game wardens are not out to spoil anyone’s fun at the lake.
They are most concerned with making sure a vessel has its required safety gear aboard, curtailing dangerous operating, and addressing more serious offenses like boating under the influence of alcohol, he said.
Last year, DNR presented its boating class to Morgan County High School bass fishing team members, and in April this year at Del Webb in Greensboro.
It’s a quick, informative process that provides legal requirements and basic boating advice from experts on the water.
Both Bingham and Miller were open to answering their students' questions before taking a 50-question, multiple-choice test.
“I mean, anyone can go online and take the same course, but not every person really gets the whole meaning of the course or understands everything,” Miller said. “I just think the ability to come in here and see us go through the material with them and ask any questions can be more helpful to some individuals.”
No one earned a perfect score last month, but no one failed either, so Bingham and Miller felt good about signing off on everyone’s fresh, new, official boating certificate.
As a bonus, they mentioned that each licensed driver will also get a small anchor imprinted on their driver’s license the next time it is reissued to demonstrate the accomplishment.
To register for the free Georgia DNR boating course June 19-20, 5-9 p.m. at Singleton Marina, visit online at license.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com/event/viewevent.aspx?id=42690.