British Columbia – Warden's Watch

While deployed with the Canadian Armed Forces, Drew Milne picked up a book that inspired him to pursue his true calling and a new career as a conservation officer. Now, after almost two decades and multiple honors, he oversees the beautiful South Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, and teaches at the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy. We sit down with Drew at NAWEOA as he shares his passion for helping both recruits and field officers hone their skills through use of force training and de-escalation methods.

Our Sponsors:

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

North American Game Warden Museum

Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

Maine’s Operation Game Thief

Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

Changing careers after six years with the CAF
Joined as a seasonal officer in 2008
Three years assisting another agency in establishing a new enforcement wing
Learned about a park warden’s job while in a tank in Bosnia
An encounter with a CO back in Canada
Horseback in the Rocky Mountains: hang onto your hat!
A life-changing confrontation
Learning to lower the temperature
Body language matters as much as dialog
British Columbia’s CO uniform
The path to becoming a BC Conservation Officer
Worked at the 2010 Winter Olympics
The Yukon: helicopters, float planes, snowmobiles and wildlife
A sheep poaching case solved by lichen in a photo
BC’s Use of Force lead trainer – sharing lessons learned
Remaining calm and respectful, even in tense moments
“Who cares what happened before? Now is now.”
Personal connections are critical

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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Randy Nelson is a retired 35-year veteran of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), where he became the most decorated fisheries officer in the history of British Columbia. Two years after leaving his post as director of the DFO’s Conservation and Protection Branch in BC, he was ready to write about his extraordinary and sometimes life-threatening experiences, resulting in Poachers, Polluters and Politics: A Fishery Officer’s Career. Now he joins us to discuss his second release, The Wildest Hunt – a collection of tales ranging from horrifying to hilarious from hundreds of wildlife officers across North America.