Tag: Conservation Officer

North American Game Warden Museum

Here’s what we discuss:

Born and raised in Rhode Island
Hired in 1995
Beginning her 29^th year with RI Dept of Environmental Management
Exposed to the outdoors from a young age
Interned with the state to build volunteer hours
Encouraged to apply by a coworker
“I didn’t know what I was getting into.”
Working in fish identification
A fish that had never been documented in RI
Joined at a time when few women were game wardens
Misconceptions around women in law enforcement
Camaraderie and networking opportunities at field days
“Almost like a mini family.”
Joining the North American Game Warden Museum
The Memorial Paving Stone project and scholarship program
Tune into the Warden’s Watch podcast episode about the museum
An autopsy led to an interest in accident investigation and reconstruction
Every boat accident has a critical moment
First Detective in the agency
The challenge of attracting more women to law enforcement
Finding your niche and learning from everyone you can
Obtained a 50-ton boat Master Captain’s license in 2006
Teaches boat handling and captains’ courses
Gaining confidence through experience
“You can do anything you put your mind to.”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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Great American Outdoor Show With Cole LeTourneau – NH Fish & Game

Posted on February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 by nhfishcop10

From the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA, we catch up with New Hampshire Fish & Game CO Cole LeTourneau, at the show promoting careers in wildlife and resource protection, and recruiting for his home agency.

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North American Game Warden Museum

Here’s what we discuss:

New Hampshire is hiring!
Working on the coast
Coastal wardens are deputized for Federal enforcement
New Hampshire’s many fishing and hunting options
More open access land than many states
Contentious trail cameras
New regulations for tree stands
Many landowners will post permission and guidelines on their property
An unforgettable poaching case
“I killed seven deer.”
A dumped deer leg… with a registration seal
Persistence paid off
Cole’s background
No one’s path to becoming a game warden is the same
“If this is your dream, you can get here.”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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120 Marshall Nych – International Game Warden Magazine

Posted on January 19, 2024 by nhfishcop10

Since its inception in 1984, International Game Warden Magazine has become known as the industry standard trade publication for wildlife professionals worldwide. Published in association with the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association (NAWEOA), each quarterly issue is jam packed with features ranging from emerging technologies and detailed case investigations to book reviews and recipes. In this episode, editor Marshall Nych highlights some of the first-rate content you’ll receive when you subscribe.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Submitted first story to the magazine in 2010
Joined IGW staff in 2015, became editor in 2021
Full-time teacher, part-time Deputy Game Warden (Ret.)
Game wardens have the best stories, they just need to be told
Each issue has a theme
Regular features include:
- Front Lines
- Behind the Badge
- Timber-Tech
- Technology Toolbox
- Voices From Abroad
- Marshall Law
- International Digest
- book reviews, agency profiles, wild game recipes, and more!
Available in both hard copy and digital subscriptions
Anyone can subscribe on the IGWM website

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

Posted on August 7, 2023August 7, 2023 by nhfishcop10

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.

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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

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North Woods Throwdown – with Eric Fluette & Kris MacCabe

Posted on July 11, 2023July 11, 2023 by nhfishcop10

It’s that time of year again and game wardens from Maine and New Hampshire are ready to hit the field in Portland, Maine on July 28^th for the fourth annual North Woods Throwdown softball game! We’re joined by New Hampshire’s Eric Fluette and Kris MacCabe of Maine, taking a look back at previous games, and unveiling an exciting new streaming option so fans can tune in from anywhere and support Operation Game Thief. Come join the fun in person if you can, or grab your streaming ticket here!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Idea for a fundraising softball game started in Maine
Every game so far has been a squeaker
Fans shook the stadium!
Game bats are made in Maine
A ‘friendly’ rivalry
Extra, extra, extra innings
Stadium wanted to turn the lights off!
Streaming option will allow fans to tune in from anywhere
Dugout interviews and multiple cameras
Every kid’s dream to play in a stadium
Did wardens get paid for North Woods Law? (Hint: No.)
New Hampshire fans and giant head cutouts
Maine looking to tie the series
“We’re gonna need a bigger plaque.”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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109 Michigan DNR History with Sgt. Mark Papineau

Posted on June 29, 2023June 29, 2023 by nhfishcop10

In this episode, we meet Michigan DNR Sgt. Mark Papineau. His official role as Technology Sergeant sees him researching new technology options, implementing software and equipment, and training Law Enforcement Division personnel – but he is also MiDNR’s foremost in-house historian, teaching recruits more than 100 years of the DNR’s storied history. Take a walk through time with Warden’s Watch and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Michigan DNR began as a commission to protect and maintain fish stocks
First Michigan game warden appointed in 1887: attorney William Alden Smith
Reportedly the first salaried game warden in the nation
Smith went on to enter US Senate and chaired hearings into the Titanic disaster
His report resulted in major changes to maritime safety laws still in effect today
Early game wardens were paid by counties – some refused to pay
1893 amendment to Game Warden Act allowed officers to seize equipment
Game warden history can read like a Hollywood action movie script!
Stetsons and bloused boots
Citizens often submitted poaching and wildlife complaints by mail
The evolution of the uniform
Early laws weren’t consistent between states
Some early officers’ names are still recognized and respected today
Chase Osborn’s vision to preserve MI forests
The Great Depression saw the division reduced to 95 officers
Field Administration Division combined many divisions and increased numbers
Poof – you’re a CO!
Illegal market venison in the late 1800s
3000 miles of nets
DNR state seal
COs issued pistols in 1939 after officer deaths
Records have been lost through the years

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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108 Katie Gervasi with Cpt. Jen Wolf – Michigan DNR Part I

Posted on June 17, 2023June 17, 2023 by nhfishcop10

Katie Gervasi is the Communications Representative for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, and has the significant task of telling the stories COs are often too humble to tell themselves. Whether it’s crafting press releases and news items, maintaining the Department’s web presence, or shooting photos on ride-alongs, she shines a light on the important work of COs across the state. We are also pleased to welcome back one of our very first guests, Captain Jen Wolf.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Katie’s role at DNR
Communication is one of a CO’s most important skills
The diversity of Michigan’s resources
Supporting Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger
Patrolling the Great Lakes
Extensive water safety training
Other jurisdictions have reached out to receive training
Always something to do in Michigan
Clear water – how far down can you see?
Every season brings a whole new world
Shining a positive light on wildlife law enforcement

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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Here’s what we discuss:

Writing the book was like doing several investigations
Growing up in Saskatchewan
Started running to help train
Foot chases became common – poachers run!
Book features at least one story from every state, province and territory
Spoke to hundreds of officers to learn as much detail as possible
Oklahoma: Busted on Bumble
Alberta: When your hunting dog is a little too good
First book was more biographical
The Wildest Hunt was written to shine a light on domestic poaching and encourage involvement
People often think of poaching in terms of large African animals
“If you see something, say something”
What is cactus poaching?
75x more police officers than game wardens in North America
Ethical hunters are the best conservationists
A poacher is not a hunter
Poachers are often involved in other crimes
Operation Thunderstorm
Game wardens have a far higher chance of dying on the job than other law enforcement
Biologists, game wardens, and management need to work together
The economic impact and long-term effects of poaching
A portion of the profits from The Wildest Hunt will be donated to the Game Warden Museum
First book was never intended to be published
Every officer has stories
A picnic gone wrong…
Always ready to address stakeholder groups: contact Randy
One voice can make a difference

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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106 For the Fallen: WCO David Grove – Pennsylvania

Posted on May 15, 2023May 12, 2026 by nhfishcop10

Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation Officer David Grove was known for his infectious smile, his deep faith, and his professionalism and commitment to the people and wildlife of his home state. On a quiet Veterans Day evening in 2010, Officer Grove was arresting a poacher when the suspect – a convicted felon – pulled a gun from his waistband and began firing. Despite having been shot, Officer Grove continued to return fire until he was fatally struck. He was 31 years old. Retired PGC Deputy Executive Director Thomas Grohol shares his memories of the incident, the aftermath, and the continuing legacy of an exemplary officer.

“It is not how these officers died that made them heroes; it is how they lived.” ~ National Law Enforcement Memorial, Washington, DC

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Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

Subscribe:

Find More Here:

105 David Brady – Florida Fish and Wildlife

Posted on April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 by nhfishcop10

While patrolling the Florida Panhandle in August 2015, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer David Brady suddenly found himself in the fight of his life; what had seemed a routine stop quickly became an open-water gun battle. Shot twice, weighed down by equipment and treading water with a deflated life jacket, he continued to return fire until the would-be murderer – himself shot – finally sped away. Officer Brady joined us at NAWEOA to share his riveting story of survival, resolve, and preparedness.

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