Tag: Pennsylvania

Here’s what we discuss:

Can Waterway Conservation Officers deal with Game Commission issues?
All officers are cross-trained
Officers from both agencies help each other
Stocking 3.2 million trout
The importance of fish hatcheries
NASBLA accreditation and cadet training
The importance of boating skills
Taking action against black market reptile & amphibian sales
Dual agencies allow each to focus on their respective mandates
Implementing recruitment program to increase candidate pool
“It doesn’t get any better than this”
Unexpected perks and advantages

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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81 Rachel Thurner-Diaz – Pennsylvania Fish & Boat

Posted on March 17, 2022 by nhfishcop10

Rachel Thurner-Diaz is just the seventh woman to serve as a Pennsylvania Waterways Conservation Officer. Although she grew up fishing, hunting, and boating, she didn’t opt for a career in the outdoors until she’d started down a different path. Today, after seven years, two kids, and being honored as PFBC’s Officer of the year in 2020, Thurner-Diaz knows she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Growing up in the outdoors
The path to becoming a Waterways Conservation Officer
First week of work is busiest of the year
Field training on the water
Four female officers statewide
Family life and flexible scheduling
Fish stocking is a public event
What is float stocking?
Golden rainbow trout
FishBoatPA app displays where fish are being stocked
Non-residents can take boat safety courses
Community outreach
Environmental law enforcement
Snakes!
No current illegal exotic animal regulations
Working patrol until just before giving birth
Flexibility to find your niche
PFBC command structure
Trout stockers don’t eat much trout

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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80 Tim Schaeffer – Pennsylvania Fish & Boat

Posted on March 17, 2022 by nhfishcop10

Pennsylvania may have been named for its woodlands, but the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission believes the waters are the real attraction. Tim Schaeffer is the Executive Director of the PFBC, the agency dedicated to protecting, conserving and enhancing the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources, and providing fishing and boating opportunities for everyone. Join us as Tim describes the agency’s mission and its many public outreach initiatives – including a popular volunteer fish stocking program – and a mobile app that provides users a one-stop portal to the many activities the Keystone State’s waters have to offer.

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Here’s what we discuss:

What is the Fish & Boat Commission?
Agencies complement each other
Founding Fish
Volunteer fish stocking program
“You can’t beat Spring in PA”
FishBoatPA mobile app
“Spend more time fishing, less time worrying about where to get a license”
Always looking to do things better
Online/web-based coupled with in-person courses
Trout in the Classroom
Cold weather life jacket law
Life jackets are more comfortable than ever
How to fit a life jacket
The importance of clean waterways
Fishing with the family

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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079 Chad Eyler – PA Game Commission: Command Staff

Posted on February 24, 2022March 16, 2022 by nhfishcop10

In our final installment from the PA Game Commission, Wayne talks with PGC Special Permits Division chief Chad Eyler. Besides being an administrator for Pennsylvania’s Operation Game Thief program and the architect of one of the most successful wildlife crime reporting lines in the US, he also has the unique perspective of having worked for all three state conservation agencies. In this episode, Chad explains the formation, structure, and funding of the agency, the Deputy Game Warden program, and much more.

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Here’s what we discuss:

A good game warden story
Leader in wildlife forensics
Forensics skills can apply to all aspects of the job
Formation of the Game Commission
Refuges and ranges
Game lands help fund the agency
Low-cost hunting and trapping licenses
Explaining the Deputy Warden program
Almost a hobby
Hundreds of thousands of hunters
Keeping the agency moving forward
Issued a typewriter and a revolver
Refocusing priorities and adapting with the times
“It literally takes my breath away”

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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078 Brandon Pfister – PA Game Commission: The Veteran

Posted on February 24, 2022March 16, 2022 by nhfishcop10

Continuing our visit to Pennsylvania, Wayne sits down with State Game Warden Brandon Pfister, a former restaurateur who joined the Game Commission as a Deputy Warden in 2008. In this wide-ranging conversation, Brandon talks about some memorable cases, going viral on TikTok, and even shares some tips for a prize winning pie crust!

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Here’s what we discuss:

Snakes!
If at first you don’t succeed…
Deputy game warden program
The elk whistle and the viral TikTok
The importance of outreach
Everyone makes mistakes
Cooking wild game
Talking with kids
Humanizing the badge
Snakes!
Connecting with the next generation
Working together toward a common goal

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Cover Art: Ashley Hannett

Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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077 Zach Salsgiver – PA Game Commission: The Rookie

Posted on February 24, 2022March 16, 2022 by nhfishcop10

On the eve of graduation, Wayne sits down at the Pennsylvania Game Commission with Zach Salsgiver, one of 24 members of the latest class of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation in Brockway, PA. Established in 1932, the school – part college, part police academy, and part museum – was the first of its kind in the US. Listen as Zach explains what drew him to a career in wildlife, and shares some of his experiences from his ten-month journey toward becoming a Pennsylvania game warden.

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