Warden&#039;s Watch

Here’s what we discuss:

17-year FWC veteran; Dive Team, Special Operations Group
Nothing is ever routine
Every encounter is different
Call was originally a disturbance complaint
Two ‘kids’ on a sailboat
Officer noticed alcohol and expired registration
Shooter went into the cabin to retrieve paperwork
Emerged from the cabin with a gun
Leapt off the boat as gunshots rang out
First shot passed through Brady’s shoulder – and life jacket
“He was hunting me.”
Returned fire from behind the patrol boat’s engines
Shooter jumped onto patrol boat, still shooting
Swimming, shooting, and reloading in full gear
Shooter then tried repeatedly to run over Brady
Brady continued firing, hitting shooter in the hand
Left for dead
A nearby Coast Guard vessel approaches
“I’ve been shot, and they stole my boat.”
The importance of dispatchers
Shooter and partner were arrested less than two hours later
News spread quickly on social media
Reunited with family at the hospital
Kevlar vest and training made the difference
Train to win
Kevlar vests are now mandatory to wear
“I’m still here.”
It only takes one time

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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104 Chris Johnson – Alaska – Part II

Posted on April 13, 2023April 13, 2023 by nhfishcop10

Picking up from our last episode, Wayne continues his conversation with Alaska Wildlife Trooper Chris Johnson. Come along as Chris shares more stories from his years patrolling the vast and sometimes unforgiving Kenai Peninsula as a US Fish and Wildlife officer, and looks forward to many more years of service to the people and wildlife of America’s true “Last Frontier.”

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Here’s what we discuss:

Chasing illegal baiters
Truck through the ice!
Recovering vehicles from water
A lifetime of physical fitness
Teaching HIIT classes as co-owner of Tides Yoga Studio
Small injuries can cause big problems
Exceed expectations when training
Consistency is paramount
An uneasy encounter in a remote village
The balance between enforcing wildlife laws and respecting indigenous lifestyles
Treaties have since changed subsistence living rules
A significant bear snaring case
Evidence showed it had been going on for years
Multiple scenes were discovered
Poachers were taking only the gall bladders
The illegal gall bladder trade
Alaska State Troopers are currently recruiting
Survivor Island
Your most important survival tool is your brain

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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103 Chris Johnson – Alaska

Posted on March 31, 2023 by nhfishcop10

When US Fish and Wildlife Captain Chris Johnson reached the mandatory retirement age, he wasn’t quite ready to hang up his hat, so he did what most never would; after 33 years of federal service, he went right back to the Academy and became an Alaska State Wildlife Trooper! Join us as Chris shares stories of the outdoors from “Alaska’s Playground” – the rugged and stunningly beautiful Kenai Peninsula.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Mandatory retirement from Federal law enforcement service
Torn between becoming a professional football player or game warden
Began career with the National Park Service and local PD in Minnesota
Joined USFWS in 1989
First full-time Federal wildlife law enforcement officer in the Alaska refuge system
Part-time positions now being phased out
Arriving at the 2-million acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
“The playground of Alaska.”
A one-day orientation
The first of many bear mauling cases
Charged by three juvenile brown bears in a row
A sow had been shot
Cubs became dangerously habituated to humans
The best bear defense
Bear incidents increased through the years
Black and brown bears tend not to mingle
Joined first USFWS Honor Guard team
Only federal member of state Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT)
Back to the Academy!
Previous experience was a huge advantage
Hoping to rejoin SIRT
The moose that shot back
Teasers for a follow-up: a truck through the ice and a ‘warm’ welcome to the Kenai

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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102 David Holt – Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Posted on March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 by nhfishcop10

With almost 27 million acres across the state, the officers of Tennessee’s Wildlife Resources Agency have a lot of ground to cover. Any given day could include fish and wildlife law enforcement, safety checks, search and rescue on land or water, conducting outreach programs, and more. Join us as we sit down at NAWEOA with Boating Enforcement Officer David Holt, who’s been patrolling the waterways of eastern Tennessee since 2017, and has some stories to tell!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Live from NAWEOA
Delayed honeymoon for hunting season
A mysterious message from the water company
Unplanned home renovations
The path to becoming a game warden
The rookie
A wild stolen yacht chase
The thief tried to create swells to sink the patrol boat
Apprehended when the yacht ran aground
Chase was filmed by a drone pilot
Patrol boat looked like a dot next to the giant yacht
“Designated Skipper”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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101 Audrey Hunter – Arkansas Game & Fish

Posted on March 3, 2023March 3, 2023 by nhfishcop10

Audrey Hunter grew up in a home where hunting is a family affair. Through her father, grandfather, and uncles, she and her and four brothers were taught to respect the resources, the impact of conservation, and the importance of sharing the outdoors. This led to a natural career with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, where after only five short years she’s proven herself an outstanding officer – and now she has the hardware to back it up! Join us as Wayne sits down with the first female to win the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Officer of the Year award, AGFC Wildlife Officer 1st Class Audrey Hunter!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Winning NWTF Officer of the Year at the national conference – surprise!
Drove home with trophy in the front seat
Focused on illegal bait sites
A memorable baiting case; educating the next generation
Violator had multiple bait sites
Hunting and wildlife is a family tradition
Experience has taught patience
Tough cases can be the most rewarding
The pros and cons of patrolling in your hometown
Getting involved in the local chapter of NWTF
What’s a Jakes Day?
The diversity of Arkansas wildlife
Surprising a field full of baiters

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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100B Celebrating 100 Episodes!

Posted on February 2, 2023 by nhfishcop10

In this special bonus episode, our hosts and producer get together with fan favorites Kris MacCabe of Maine, Benny Richards of Texas, and New Hampshire’s own Col. Kevin Jordan. Join us for a fun and wide-ranging chat looking back on 100 episodes, and looking forward to 100 more!

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Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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100 CJ Box – Joe Pickett Series

Posted on January 19, 2023January 19, 2023 by nhfishcop10

CJ Box is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the enormously popular Joe Pickett series, now a small-screen sensation streaming on Paramount Plus. An avid outdoorsman, the Wyoming native’s hit novels capture the vast, unspoiled beauty of the American West, the conflict between new and old ideas, and feature authentically believable (and sometimes heinous) characters, lightning-quick plots, and truly gruesome crimes. We are thrilled to welcome CJ to the show for a chat about the inspiration for Joe Pickett’s character, two successful TV shows, and much more!

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Here’s what we discuss:

100^th episode introduction – thank you!
Game wardens are all collectively Joe Pickett
Making Joe as authentic as possible
The inspiration for the first Pickett novel – the Endangered Species Act
Never intended to be a series
Wanted to introduce the element of family
Game wardens can be called on for any number of situations
Local wardens are integral to a rural community
Joe Pickett show runners are fans of the book series
Second season incorporates parts of three books
Wasn’t the first offer for a Pickett-inspired television series
A peek at Season Two
The show was an immediate success on Paramount Plus
Filming in Alberta, Canada
Capturing the family dynamic has helped broaden the audience
Making sure Joe wasn’t perfect; “he screws up.”
Joe’s character has grown and changed, but he still can’t shoot
Finding experts on every topic to seek different points of view
Joe arrests the governor – based on a true story!
Tackling socially relevant and contemporary issues
Consulting with game wardens to ensure accuracy

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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99 Susan Swem – Missouri K9 Unit

Posted on January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 by nhfishcop10

After more than 30 years on the job, Corporal Susan Swem was contemplating retirement from the Missouri Department of Conservation – and then came the chance to join the state’s newly formed Canine Protection Unit. Since then, she and K9 Astro have assisted on multiple investigations, done significant public outreach, and saved countless staff-hours tracking, recovering evidence, and protecting the wildlife of Southwest Missouri.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Joined the newly formed Canine Protection Unit two years ago
Missouri program is adding four more handlers
K9 program has been beneficial in multiple ways
Job changes with the seasons
Changing areas or specialties can create a completely new challenge
Considered retirement before joining the K9 unit
Being a K9 handler requires constant training
Pros and cons of being a female Conservation Agent
More women are becoming game wardens
Crappie fishing techniques
What is a paddlefish?
Eggs are similar to caviar
An illegal egg sales case
Training involves a lot of running!
Tracking with a K9 saves considerable time
Different breeds have different advantages
Technology is making fishing and hunting easier. Is it sustainable?
Missouri geography and weather
The job is like chocolate cake; a K9 is the frosting

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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98 Bob Vashaw (Ret.) – New Hampshire

Posted on December 22, 2022December 22, 2022 by nhfishcop10

Before dive teams, rescues using locator beacons, and OHRV and snowmobile enforcement, the job of a New Hampshire game warden was very different than it is today. Often left very much to their own devices, officers were primarily responsible for observing and reporting local conditions and activities, protecting and managing wildlife, and of course, stopping poachers. Join us for a walk through history with retired New Hampshire CO Bob Vashaw!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Stories of game wardens past
Began working in 1965
Grinding mussels on the seacoast
Search & Rescue before cell phones
A game warden is shot
Teaching hunter safety courses
A shot through the window
Backpacking into the wilderness to stock ponds
The snow revolution
Fish & Game duties have evolved
“We were one big family”
Loose dogs were a huge problem
Cutting cedar trees for deer feed
A daily diary
No overtime pay
Joining the first state dive team
Looking through a memory book
“I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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97 Brock Hoyt – Georgia

Posted on December 8, 2022 by nhfishcop10

Despite having been a member of the Georgia DNR for just five years, Game Warden First Class Brock Hoyt is already a standout officer. The recipient of both the 2022 NAWEOA Torch Award and the 2022 Georgia Game Warden of the Year, he’s also been recognized as Game Warden of the Year by International Wildlife Crimestoppers. We caught up for a quick chat with this rising star back in July at NAWEOA – join us!

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