January 2026 – Warden's Watch

In this episode, Wayne sits down with Nevada Game Warden James Mortimore from the floor of the Sheep Show® in Reno, NV — complete with bugling elk echoing in the background! From rescuing kayakers in monsoon swells on Lake Mead to blow-darting mountain lions and tracking illegal alligator sales on Facebook, James has lived the full spectrum of wildlife policing in one of the most diverse law enforcement landscapes in the country. His stories from Las Vegas to Reno show the grit, humor, and sheer unpredictability of being a modern Nevada warden.

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Here’s what we discuss:

The “Las Vegas warden”
Crowded urban ponds and busy boat patrols made every day unpredictable
Watching for the folks who pack up quickly when a warden shows up
A wild monsoon rescue in six‑foot swells
For Colorado River wardens, rescue calls are everyday business
Low water levels reveal old mob‑era secrets – and the jokes that came with it
“I think that’s why we got our water back.”
An illegal alligator seller learns the meaning of “take a bite out of crime.”
Blow-darting mountain lions in neighborhoods and on golf courses
Dealing with a sedated mountain lion while a homeowner complains through their doorbell cam
Moving from Vegas to Reno and learning the world of bears and mountain lions
The importance of biologists and cross-team collaboration
Nevada’s pay and retention challenges
Covering massive patrol areas – sometimes thousands of square miles during vacancies
Poaching investigations built using GPS dog collar data
Odd urban cases: “dinosaur bones,” sea turtles, and surprisingly realistic bald eagle replicas
Working with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and other federal partners
Learn more about Nevada wardens in the new Animal Planet series, Nevada Wild!

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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From growing up with a game warden father to leading investigations, Staff Sergeant and canine handler Larry Hergenroeder has seen it all—and loved every minute of it. In this episode, Larry shares why he believes being a game warden is “the coolest job on earth,” how his canine partners have cracked cases in record time, and why networking through NAWEOA matters more than ever.