For the third time, we were able to sit down at the International Game Warden Conference held this year in Erie, Pennsylvania, with Game Warden Chris Gilkey of Ohio, Game Warden Kris McCabe of the Maine Warden Service, myself, Wayne Saunders, host of the Warden’s Watch podcast, and Game Warden Andy Hueser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission who was also instrumental in the organization and implementation of this year’s conference. Tune in for a lively conversation!
Tag: Chris Gilkey
131 Live from NAWEOA – with Drew Milne (BC), Kris MacCabe (ME) & Chris Gilkey (OH)
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.
Our Sponsors:
North American Game Warden Museum
Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH
International Wildlife Crimestoppers
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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112 Chris Gilkey – Ohio Division of Wildlife
From a cozy front porch in Utah, Wayne talks with Ohio Wildlife Officer and K9 handler Chris Gilkey. Born, raised – and now based – in the Ohio foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Officer Gilkey shares the remarkable story of Big Boy, the largest typical white-tailed buck taken in North America in 2009 – and for one poacher, more ‘bucks’ than he counted on.
Our Sponsors:
Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH
International Wildlife Crimestoppers
Here’s what we discuss:
- Missed connections and an epic fishing trip
- Fifteen minutes from West Virginia
- Ohio is a destination for white-tailed deer hunters – but also for poachers
- Ethical hunters spotted a huge buck in the summer of 2009 and planned to hunt it in the fall
- Wanted Officer Gilkey to be involved
- “Big Boy” disappeared from trail cams shortly before the season
- Months later, Big Boy is on display at an expo
- Poacher claimed the trophy buck was taken in Kentucky
- Stuck to his story but eventually confessed, hoping to avoid prison
- Thirteen prior hunting convictions
- Poacher forfeited his bow, received fines, a lifetime hunting ban and…
- A $23,572.05 fine under Ohio’s Trophy Restitution Law
- Received Ohio Bow Hunter Officer of the Year award for this case
- Hunters who provided the information deserved an award
- Report wildlife crime in all 50 states and Canada through wildlifecrimestoppers.org
Credits
Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores
Producer: Jay Ammann
Art & Design: Ashley Hannett
Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches
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110 – Ethan Justinger (Utah) and Chris Gilkey (Ohio) talk NAWEOA
After a short summer break, Warden’s Watch picks things up with a look back at NAWEOA 2023 with Ohio Wildlife Officer Chris Gilkey, and Utah’s Ethan Justinger. Now called the International Game Warden Association, this year’s conference was held in beautiful Provo, Utah in early July, with a jam-packed schedule of activities that included a wide variety of training, speakers, and fun for the whole family.
Our Sponsors:
Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH
International Wildlife Crimestoppers
Here’s what we discuss:
- Game wardens watch – but it’s rough on binoculars
- The value of conferences
- “Everybody is on the same page.”
- Utah conference provided activities for the entire family
- What is VirTra training?
- “All it takes is one” visit to NAWEOA
- Awards are a humbling experience
- Youth Room kept kids safe and entertained
- Speakers were both interesting and inspirational
- Keynote speaker Brody Young
- Mindfulness training with Jeff Jones
- “You are not alone.”
- Scenarios can be recreated, but there’s no substitute for sharing lived experience
- Bill Livezey, author of Let’s Go For A Ride
- Tracking migration patterns through collaring
- * Apache touch and go interlude *
- K9 training demonstration
- The annual Torch Run supporting the North American Game Warden Museum
- Mickey Mouse pancakes
- Game Warden skills competition; antler toss, fish drop, trivia, and fun
- The ‘Warden Spawn’ youth team
- NAWEOA 2023 in one word
- Train hard, play hard, work hard
- See you next year in British Columbia, Canada!
Credits
Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores
Producer: Jay Ammann
Art & Design: Ashley Hannett
Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches
Subscribe:
Find More Here: