Zero Choiceby Terry Hodges A still October night in the forest. The green patrol vehicle, a four-by-four pickup, was all but invisible in the darkness. Alert behind the wheel, Warden Josh Brennan, California Department of Fish and Game, peered down … Continue reading →
Mary Ford PlattenArizona’s First Female Game Warden Mary Ford Platten was a trailblazer. Born June 11, 1869 on Kodiak Island, she was the first white child born in Alaska under the American Flag. Her father, a Civil War veteran, was … Continue reading →
The Merritt SystemHow one federal officer unintentionally achieved a unique status Different paths lead each of us into a career in the outdoors. What started as a chance sighting of a poster during her college days at the University of … Continue reading →
The Trading Game It was the summer of 2010, my second year as a full-time officer for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, when I attended my first North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference. I began my career in 2003 patrolling … Continue reading →
Operation Ring Bear The unlawful sale of bear parts is still very much illegal in all provinces in Canada. Severe penalties and public education have possibly resulted in investigations and occurrences where the unlawful sale is reported or found. The … Continue reading →
Fish and Wildlife Special Agents and Partners Strike Major Blow to Cactus Black Market After years of investigation, four cactus traffickers have been sentenced for their role in the illegal harvest, sale, and/or transportation of the protected living rock, a thornless … Continue reading →
Two Years In Prison And $1.5 Million In Restitution Ordered In Washington Sea Cucumber Case In late 2015, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Detective Julie Cook received a tip indicating Hoon Namkoong, the owner and operator of Orient Seafood … Continue reading →
Finding The Needle In A Haystack Buffalo Narrows, in Northern Saskatchewan, would be considered a remote and challenging duty station for any conservation officer, but even more so in 1959 before the advent of GPS, satellite phones, and modern radios. … Continue reading →
A Monumental Tribute By Dan Kelsey, Senior Conservation Officer (retired) Idaho Department Fish and Game In 1981, two conservation officers were murdered after responding to a complaint of illegal trapping activity in a remote area of Owyhee County in southwestern … Continue reading →
Guam Calling By Texas Game Warden Will Plumas I have been a state game warden, with the Texas Parks & Wildlife, for 26 years. My career was stationed in the extreme southern tip of the state, which includes the southern … Continue reading →
