Tag: Canada

Maine Operation Game Thief

Iron Skillet Seasonings

New Hampshire Operation Game Thief

Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania

North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association

North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association

Here’s what we discuss:

Starting the job at just 20 years old after switching from police academy to game warden training
“It’s two totally different jobs” – policing the woods vs the streets
Quebec wardens enforce fish, game, and trapping laws, not full police powers
Arresting suspects as a citizen in uniform before turning them over to police
First posting in Lac Saint-Jean – a remote territory with massive patrol areas
“People just don’t like bears” due to concerns about moose calves
His very first case – a bear decoy operation during closed season
Lying in a ditch as a hunter returns with his family
Waiting for a second shot to confirm intent
A plane flying overhead causes the hunter to panic
Moving the decoy’s head to trigger a reaction
“Dad, the bear is moving” leads to a second shot
Officers step in after clear evidence is established
“He truly thought it was a real bear.”
Covering areas with 10,000 plus lakes and hours-long patrol drives
Fishing opportunities – walleye, pike, and lake trout everywhere
Moose hunting rules – multiple hunters and shared tags required
“About a $2,500 fine” for illegal harvest
“The most dangerous animal is a moose with a calf.”
Transfer to a mining region brings more drug-related cases
“We are there for wildlife, but we deal with human problems too.”
Case involving a drug dealer with two baby crocodiles
Illegal possession of exotic animals without proper permits
Joint operation with provincial police
Planning entry into a single-access basement
Unexpected twist – the suspect’s father answers the door
Securing the scene and removing the animals safely
“Drugs and reptiles seem to go together.”
Roughly 300 officers covering all of Quebec
Balancing wildlife enforcement with real-world danger

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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131 Live from NAWEOA – with Drew Milne (BC), Kris MacCabe (ME) & Chris Gilkey (OH)

Posted on July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 by staceydesroches

This episode finds us live at NAWEOA 2024 in in beautiful Penticton, BC with Maine’s Kris MacCabe, Chris Gilkey from Ohio, and Drew Milne of British Columbia, Canada. The guys sit down for a lively roundtable talk about their respective states and provinces, the beauty surrounding them, and of course, the incredible experience that is NAWEOA.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Grizzlies, rams… and musk ox?
A forest fire to the southwest
Bears across the continent
British Columbia’s strict bear hunting laws
Much of BC is public land, filled with wildlife
Ohio has far fewer bears
Some people love BC bears, others very much do not
Connecting and learning at NAWEOA
Sharing commonalities and differences
NAWEOA 2025: Erie, Pennsylvania
The many microclimates of British Columbia
“The Napa Valley of Canada.”
Canadians really are that friendly
Tim Hortons, maple syrup, Cheezies, and poutine
“You guys don’t have Smarties?”
Chris’ poutine plan: The Gilkey
NAWEOA in one word
Camaraderie, connection, and family
Snakes!

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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130 Lukas Madsen – Alberta, Canada

Posted on July 13, 2024July 13, 2024 by nhfishcop10

Ahead of NAWEOA 2024 in British Columbia, Canada, Wayne discusses warden life across the border with special guest Sgt. Lukas Madsen, a Fish & Wildlife officer in the neighboring province of Alberta. Sgt. Madsen discusses his path from growing up in the rugged beauty of the Northwest Territories to becoming a game warden, Alberta’s many outdoor opportunities, and shares a few adventures he’s had along the way.

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Here’s what we discuss:

What Canadian accent?
Originally set out to become a biologist
Growing up in Yellowknife; one road north, one road south
Great Slave Lake is one of the deepest in Canada
Outdoor experience creates an advantage
Education never stops
Had to build experience to be hired full-time
Working as a park ranger – aka the Party Police
Adventures in bear trapping
Sometimes euthanasia is the only option
The Western Conservation Law Academy
“The best job in the world.”
Alberta has an abundance of wildlife
A couple of unethical outfitters
Wildlife crimes in another country can result in big problems
NAWEOA: “We all have the same stories.”
Always move forward, always try to do better

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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119 Martin Thabault – Environment & Climate Change Canada

Posted on January 5, 2024January 5, 2024 by nhfishcop10

The Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is the Canadian equivalent to both the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and like the US agencies, ECCC is responsible for the protection and conservation of both the environment and wildlife for future generations. As a Law Enforcement Specialist and Operations Manager for ECCC, Martin Thabault’s responsibilities can extend from the Artic, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans to the longest undefended border in the world.

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Here’s what we discuss:

What is the Wildlife Enforcement branch of Environment & Climate Change Canada?
Martin’s background and path to Ottawa
ECCC Wildlife Enforcement branch currently has nearly 100 officers
Main mandate is illegal wildlife trade and protection of migratory birds
ECCC also acts as a safety net for the protection of endangered species
Officers in remote areas can deal with both environmental and wildlife enforcement
Where’s Nunavut?
A duck baiting case in Quebec
Business was charged multiple times
Illegal logging and the import business
Identifying and sampling European eels; “a bit of a grey and slimy area.”
The value of sharing knowledge and experience
Working in coordination with US officers is beneficial to both agencies
Adapting to new and emerging technologies can be challenging

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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107 Randy Nelson – British Columbia

Posted on June 2, 2023 by nhfishcop10

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.

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