166 Badges on the Bayou

On this episode of Warden’s Watch, we head deep into Louisiana with Captain Will Roberts and Sergeant Terry Hicks — two wildlife agents who bring the state’s culture, cases, and Cajun humor to life. From crawfish wars and cooking secrets to big-game patrols, wild night‑hunting busts, and the state’s legendary boat poker runs, Will and Terry share stories that reveal a Louisiana most of us have only imagined. It’s part culture lesson, part law‑enforcement adventure, and entirely Louisiana.

Our Sponsors:

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

North American Game Warden Museum

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Maine Operation Game Thief

New Hampshire Operation Game Thief

North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

Cajun cooking traditions, heavy seasoning, and why the roux matters.
“You season everything two or three times.”
Crawfish culture, regional boil methods, and the friendly “crawfish wars.”
How Louisiana farms, regulates, and harvests crawfish — and how dry weather affects production.
Wildlife across the state: deer, turkey, black bears, and tightly regulated alligator seasons.
Long deer seasons, electronic tagging, and how multiple hunting seasons overlap.
Busy waterways, boating safety, and enforcing alcohol laws on the water.
“A DWI on the water is the same as on the highway.”
The Tickfaw 200 poker run, big boats, long routes, and how safety has evolved.
Career paths, teamwork, and how Operation Game Thief works behind the scenes.
Memorable trespass, baiting, and night‑hunting cases, including turkey hunters caught sitting on cracked corn.
Decoy operations and the mix of funny, tense, and unpredictable encounters.
Working small communities where they often know the people they catch.
Strong landowner relationships and why most hunters follow the rules.
Cajun identity, accents, and local names like sac‑a‑lait and pull‑dues.
What keeps them in the job — the adventure, the outdoors, and the humor.
“I’m surprised they pay us for a lot of the stuff we do.”