Fall 2024 Issue Now Available
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Wardens Notes
BIO – MY NAME IS KIRK
KIEFER.
I was born and raised in Indiana. I grew up hunting and fishing and always knew I wanted to be a game warden. I obtained an associate’s degree in Conservation Law Enforcement from Vincennes University in 1999 and a Bachelor degree in Criminology from Indiana State University in 2001. I got my chance to be a game warden when I was hired by the State of Ohio in 2002. I started my career working as a county wildlife officer for approximately 6 years and was promoted to a plain clothes wildlife investigator.
I have held the Investigator position for over 15 years. I have worked and lived across the State of Ohio from the flat farm ground in the NW, to the more urban areas of central Ohio, to my present work area in SE Ohio. SE Ohio is the most rural part of the state and includes the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The majority of the landscape is forested and also includes the most public ground in Ohio. I am married and have a daughter who is a junior at The Ohio State University. Go BUCKS! The book reviews are always the first article I turn to when I receive the IGW publication, and I use it to find new game warden books to read.
I currently own 149 game warden books and have a large list of books on my wish list. My goal for the articles is to assist others in finding game warden books to entertain and educate yourselves along with passing on the game warden lifestyle to others. A secondary goal is to support game wardens across the US and Canada who have taken the time to tell their stories and memorialize their legacies.
Happy Reading!
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International Game Warden Magazine
IGW is a growing trade magazine dedicated to serving the professionals in natural resource and wildlife law enforcement. In our early years, primarily serving US and Canadian conservation officers, IGW became known as “THE trade publication of the profession” In North America.
Illinois Conservation 0fficer Don Hastings and his family launched IGW in 1984. although the idea had been percolating for years. Part of our founders’ vision was to create a means for officers to communicate with one another. Don credits a brave 1000 officers for IGWs early success _ they subscribed to the concept, and supported the effort, well before the first IGW Magazine was Published. In 1999, after producing 58 issues of the
magazine over 14 years. the Hastings retired for the second time and sold the magazine to Creative Street. The North American Wildlife Enforcement 0fficers Association (NAWEOA) took over with the fall 2002 issue and continues expanding with the gracious support of this profession and the public’s fascination with conservation heroes.
IGW has truly entered the international conservation arena. First, we are broadening our content to better reflect global conservation concerns. Second, we are actively expanding our international subscriber base to reach more conservation professionals. especially in areas where resources and training opportunities are limited.
IGW works closely with the US and Canadian concerns of NAWEOA, Federal Wildlife Officers Association. International Association of Natural Resource Crimestoppers and Canada National Park Warden Association in addition to state and provincial associations and agencies. We have recently forged a relationship with International Ranger Federation, an active force in advancing this profession throughout the world.
Our Focus
Our content is specific to the work and interests of Conservation enforcement. Regular columns include:
- firearms training
- communication
- parktrols
- game warden book reviews
- a comprehensive digest of case investigations
- work outside North America
Longer Features address topics such as:
- dangerous animal or poacher situations
- forensics
- professional commentaries
- officer assults
- animal human conflicts and trends
- a history of the profession
Each issue we publish detailed stories of big cases and busts- both to acknowledge officer’ good work and serve as training reference for other wardens and rangers.