175 Jessica Avery – Manitoba, Canada

nhfishcop10

1 month ago

Jessica Avery from the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service joins Wayne at the North American Game Warden Museum to talk about her career, life as a conservation officer in Manitoba, serving on the museum’s board of directors, and some of the incredible places game wardens patrol in northern Canada. From winter road caribou patrols and -60C mornings to fish poaching stakeouts and wildfire deployments, Jessica shares what makes conservation work in Manitoba both challenging and rewarding.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Jessica explains the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service and how the agency has evolved over the years
Her role as Canadian Treasurer for the North American Game Warden Museum
The unique international location of the museum
Why the museum is a “pilgrimage” destination for game wardens
Starting as a seasonal conservation officer in Manitoba
How Manitoba still offers one of the few seasonal conservation officer programs in Canada
Growing up in Saskatchewan, calling Alberta home, and building a career in Manitoba
“I’m really lucky to get to go all those places and do that kind of stuff.”
Patrolling Manitoba’s remote northern wilderness
Fly-in caribou patrols and winter road enforcement
Common caribou hunting violations officers encounter
Working alongside northern Indigenous communities
Staying in remote bush camps and nurse barracks
Northern lights and untouched wilderness in Manitoba’s far north
Waking up to temperatures around -60C (-76F)!
Trucks refusing to start in extreme cold
“We were just not as prepared as we probably should have been for those temperatures.”
Using helicopters and float planes to reach remote areas
Conservation officers’ role in wildfire operations
Long fire assignments and burnout challenges
Supporting firefighters with logistics and supplies
Why Manitoba has experienced severe wildfire conditions
Human-caused fires versus lightning-caused fires
Deep-burning peat and bog fires that can survive winter
Being part of a game warden family
Why so many Manitoba conservation officers meet their spouses through the job
Managing a long-distance conservation officer relationship
Building a family while advancing both careers
Moving from field work into headquarters leadership roles
Life on Manitoba’s endless prairie road system
Jessica’s favorite game warden story: a winter walleye-poaching stakeout
Surveillance in -45C temperatures
Trying not to sound like a “bull in a china shop” while sneaking into position
Catching poachers who had been using the same spot for years
“They were shocked.”
How consistent enforcement led to voluntary compliance
The value of the North American Game Warden Museum
Learning from other law enforcement museums across North America
The surprising success and size of the Game Warden Museum
“It’s just such a great career, great lifestyle.”
“I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life other than being a game warden.”