Warden's Watch

178 The Turtle Trap – With Zach Abrahamsson A quiet back road, a string of dead turtles, and a community determined to protect local wildlife. Conservation Officer Zach Abrahamsson joins Warden's Watch to tell the incredible story behind "The Turtle Trap," an investigation that used a toy turtle decoy to catch a suspect responsible for a shocking act of wildlife cruelty. From citizen observations to undercover surveillance, this episode highlights the challenges of proving wildlife crimes and the importance of protecting vulnerable species. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Iron Skillet Seasonings Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Here’s what we discuss:  Wayne welcomes Zach Abrahamsson from New Hampshire Fish and Game.  The case begins on Bog Road in Hillsboro, New Hampshire.  Residents install turtle crossing signs to protect nesting turtles.  The signs begin disappearing.  Someone leaves a handwritten message demanding the signs be removed.  Witnesses notice a local resident repeatedly driving a side-by-side up and down the road.  Dead turtles begin appearing along a short stretch of roadway.  Concerned citizens carefully track the number of turtles being found.  Fifteen turtles are found dead over a short period.  A nesting turtle catches the attention of nearby residents.  Witnesses watch as a man picks up the turtle, places it in the road, and stomps on it.  The injured turtle survives and is rushed to a licensed rehabilitator.  The turtle is expected to make a full recovery.  Hillsboro Police contact Fish and Game to investigate.  Zach discusses New Hampshire's wildlife cruelty law.  Officers begin planning a proactive operation.  Fellow officer James Benvenuti suggests using a toy turtle as a decoy.  "My son has this toy turtle."  The realistic decoy is placed along the road.  Officers hide nearby and wait.  A passing vehicle unintentionally disrupts part of the operation.  Zach spends several tense moments hiding behind a large boulder.  "My heart was pounding."  The suspect spots the decoy turtle.  He turns around and deliberately drives over it.  The action is captured on video.  The suspect immediately heads home afterward.  Officers explain the difference between circumstantial evidence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.  Zach breaks down how wildlife cases are built for court.  The chargeable offense centers on the turtle that witnesses observed being stomped.  The decoy operation helps reinforce the investigative findings.  Zach explains the difference between felony and misdemeanor wildlife cruelty charges.  The discussion turns to officer discretion and appropriate punishment.  "The most important thing is getting this guy to stop doing this."  The suspect pleads guilty to the charges.  The case results in fines and a criminal record.  Public reaction to the case is intense.  Balancing accountability with changing behavior.  The importance of reporting suspicious wildlife activity.  Zach explains the conservation impact of losing multiple turtles.  Remarkably, the famous turtle decoy survives the operation with only a cracked shell.  The battle-scarred decoy earns permanent trophy status among the officers. Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

W10 Lisa Feener & Kelly Irwin – Pack Life Kelly Irwin and Lisa Feener join the podcast to share their experiences in the world of hound hunting, from raising generations of bear dogs to navigating a traditionally male-dominated sport. This conversation explores memorable hunts, dog breeding, wildlife behavior, mentorship, and the deep bond between houndsmen and their dogs. More than anything, this episode is about the dogs, the people who love them, and the traditions that keep the sport alive. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Iron Skillet Seasonings Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Here’s what we discuss:  Meeting through New Hampshire Bear Hunters Association field trials  Why women are still relatively uncommon in hound hunting  The term houndsmen and why neither guest worries much about labels  Keeping things simple and focusing on the dogs  Kelly's introduction to hunting with hounds after meeting her husband  Falling in love with the sport almost immediately  Building a family bloodline that now stretches six generations  Lisa's first exposure to hound hunting while working on bear research  Using hounds to capture and study radio-collared bears  Discovering that hounds are more than just tools  "Of course they're dogs. They're going to want to play, they're going to want to snuggle, and they just have this really intense job."  Driving hours to learn more about dogs and hound hunting  Mentorship, friendship, and learning the craft together  "I want you to have a real bear dog."  Trial and error while building a successful pack  Learning to manage different dog personalities and abilities  The differences men and women can bring to dog training  Reading dogs through their voices, behavior, and body language  Understanding each dog's strengths and weaknesses  Memorable hunts in steep mountains and rugged terrain  Recovering dogs from cliffs and navigating difficult country  A successful bear hunt that led to an unexpected encounter with hikers  Turning curiosity into a positive educational experience  Common misconceptions about hunting with hounds  "The strongest relationship you can have with an animal is to hunt with it."  Why most houndsmen are motivated by the dogs, not the harvest  "It's not about how many bears you can kill. For most houndsmen, it's about the dogs."  Watching young dogs develop and gain confidence  The excitement of a puppy figuring things out for the first time  "Some of the most memorable hunts are when the puppies learn a thing."  Catch-and-release bear hunting during training season  Understanding bear behavior and seasonal food sources  Following clues from what bears are eating  Studying movement patterns and habitat use  Building bloodlines and preserving desirable traits  The role genetics plays in creating successful hunting dogs  "You have full ownership over the outcome of that dog."  Why local bloodlines often perform best in local conditions  Hunting differences between northern New Hampshire and northern Maine  Water crossings, cold trailing, and challenging terrain  How regional conditions shape dogs over generations  Hunting with children and introducing the next generation  The teamwork required to manage a successful hound hunt  Working together through guide camps and outdoor adventures  Processing bears in the woods rather than rushing back to camp  Slowing down and appreciating the entire experience  "Take time to smell the roses."  Why the journey matters more than the harvest  Looking ahead to another season with the dogs Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

177 The Creek Kings Case – With Mark Williams What happens when modern poaching meets social media fame? Ohio Wildlife Officer Mark Williams shares the story of the Creek Kings case, an investigation that exposed years of illegal deer hunting hidden behind a successful YouTube channel. What began with a park visitor finding hunting equipment in a metro park quickly grew into a massive digital investigation involving trail cameras, cell phone data, deleted evidence, fake hunting locations, sponsorship money, and some very ambitious trophy hunters. Mark takes us through the case from the first clue to the final sentencing and explains how technology helped both the offenders and the officers who caught them. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Iron Skillet Seasonings Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Here’s what we discuss:  Meet Ohio Wildlife Officer Mark Williams  Why Mark calls this a "21st century poaching case"  The rise of wildlife commercialization through social media  The Creek Kings Outdoors YouTube channel  Hunting for views, sponsorships, and online fame  A park visitor discovers hunting equipment in Three Creeks Metro Park  Metro Park Ranger Stefan Brook gets involved  Building partnerships before a major case pays off  Trail cameras, tree stands, and ATV trails in the park  Investigators identify two cousins as suspects  Zach Bethel and Justin Booth become the focus  How cellular trail cameras changed the investigation  "It would have been impossible for them to do what they did without technology, and impossible for us to stop them without ours."  Rangers document repeated hunting activity  Officers begin monitoring the YouTube channel  Hunting equipment, filming gear, and surveillance cameras  The challenge of predicting suspect movements  Rangers catch the suspects entering the park  Excuses about lost dogs and accidental hunting  Contradictions begin piling up  Hidden cameras and deleted messages  Evidence tampering enters the picture  "The only lesson they learned was not to hunt it with equipment they couldn't carry out."  Search warrants for phones and digital devices  Suspects underestimate the investigation  Recovering deleted information  Discovering years of illegal activity  Investigators realize the case is much bigger than expected  Illegal deer linked to YouTube content  Prodigy, Turkeyfoot, Wide 10, and other named bucks  Hunting places they had no permission to hunt  Recovering deer across multiple properties  The fake Kentucky hunts  Deer allegedly harvested in Kentucky were actually killed in Ohio  Manipulating videos to create a false story  Property owners misled by the suspects  Sponsors unknowingly backing illegal hunting content  "These guys made tens of thousands in material and monetary wealth from illegally killing wildlife."  Investigators spend months analyzing phones, computers, drones, and photos  Five years of documented activity uncovered  The Metro Park becomes their "cheat code"  Conversations about avoiding detection  Planning future fake Kentucky hunts  Using drones to locate deer  Hunting-related drone violations  Evidence from podcasts, texts, videos, and photos  How social media became a treasure trove of evidence  The decision to focus on the strongest charges  Cooperation between wildlife officers, park rangers, prosecutors, and tech specialists  76 total charges filed  Plea agreements and guilty pleas  Over $29,000 in wildlife restitution  More than $37,000 in total financial penalties  Nine days of jail time  Five-year revocation of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges  Wildlife Violator Compact consequences across North America  Ban from Metro Parks and Alum Creek State Park  Restrictions on possessing hunting equipment  "They treated it like their own private preserve."  The damage done to sponsors and supporters  Hunters who felt betrayed by the channel  The dangers of chasing fame and online success  Lessons for conservation officers facing digital-era wildlife crimes  Why Mark believes more cases like this are coming  The importance of protecting public resources  Final thoughts on greed, accountability, and conservation Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

176 Open Fields Doctrine - With Chief Travis McLain This week on Warden's Watch, Wayne sits down with Missouri Department of Conservation Chief of Protection Travis McLain to tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in conservation law: the Open Fields Doctrine. As both a conservation officer and attorney, Travis breaks down where the doctrine came from, what it actually means, and why protecting wildlife resources requires a balance between private property rights and public trust responsibilities. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Iron Skillet Seasonings Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Here’s what we discuss:  Why the Open Fields Doctrine continues to generate confusion  Common myths about game warden authority  How conservation officers operate under the same constitutional protections and limitations as other law enforcement officers  The origins of the Open Fields Doctrine and Hester v. United States  What the Fourth Amendment protects and what it doesn't  Why open fields are different from homes, curtilage, papers, and personal effects  "The Constitution really does apply to conservation officers, just like other police officers."  Why there isn't a game warden behind every tree  How conservation officers prioritize calls, complaints, and active hunting and fishing activity  Respecting private landowners while protecting public wildlife resources  The connection between the Open Fields Doctrine and the Public Trust Doctrine  How wildlife belongs to all citizens, not individual landowners  The history of wildlife management in North America  Robin Hood, the King's deer, and the roots of wildlife law  Why the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is unique  The role of science and public input in setting regulations  Wildlife management as a balance of biological and social factors  Missouri's recovery from just 2,000 deer to around a million!  "What got us there when they start thinking about totally upsetting the apple cart or changing the system."  How conservation law enforcement supports long-term wildlife sustainability  The importance of relationships between agencies, landowners, and sportsmen  Why 93% of Missouri being privately owned creates unique challenges  What could happen if conservation officers couldn't investigate wildlife violations on private land  The role regulations play in protecting future generations of wildlife  Why enforcement is about protecting resources, not writing tickets  Conservation officers as educators and community partners  How officers are trained to respect private property rights  Social media misconceptions about conservation law enforcement  Why many large landowners welcome conservation officers onto their properties  Protecting hunting opportunities for everyone  How officers provide valuable field information back to wildlife biologists  Baiting, disease transmission, and fair chase concerns  "Rules without enforcement are just suggestions."  The Boone and Crockett Club's Poach and Pay study  Why the biggest deterrent to poaching is the presence of a capable guardian  How major wildlife cases often begin with small observations in the field  The difference between making cases and protecting resources  "It's not about the case. It's about stopping the damage that's being done to the public trust resource."  Why successful conservation means more compliant hunters and anglers, not more citations  Protecting wildlife regardless of land ownership, wealth, or status  Challenges faced by public land hunters  Why wildlife moves freely across property boundaries  The importance of fair and consistent enforcement  Looking beyond today and managing resources for future generations  "If we all work together and respect each other, we can continue to keep going into the future for everybody."  Final thoughts on balancing private property rights and public wildlife resources  Debunking the myth of "special powers" held by game wardens Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

175 Jessica Avery – Manitoba, Canada Jessica Avery from Manitoba Conservation Officer Service joins Wayne at the North American Game Warden Museum to talk about her career, life as a conservation officer in Manitoba, serving on the museum’s board of directors, and some of the incredible places game wardens patrol in northern Canada. From winter road caribou patrols and -60C mornings to fish poaching stakeouts and wildfire deployments, Jessica shares what makes conservation work in Manitoba both challenging and rewarding. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Iron Skillet Seasonings Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Here’s what we discuss:  Jessica explains the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service and how the agency has evolved over the years  Her role as Canadian Treasurer for the North American Game Warden Museum  The unique international location of the museum  Why the museum is a "pilgrimage" destination for game wardens  Starting as a seasonal conservation officer in Manitoba  How Manitoba still offers one of the few seasonal conservation officer programs in Canada  Growing up in Saskatchewan, calling Alberta home, and building a career in Manitoba  “I’m really lucky to get to go all those places and do that kind of stuff.”  Patrolling Manitoba’s remote northern wilderness  Fly-in caribou patrols and winter road enforcement  Common caribou hunting violations officers encounter  Working alongside northern Indigenous communities  Staying in remote bush camps and nurse barracks  Northern lights and untouched wilderness in Manitoba’s far north  Waking up to temperatures around -60C (-76F)  Trucks refusing to start in extreme cold  “We were just not as prepared as we probably should have been for those temperatures.”  Using helicopters and float planes to reach remote areas  Conservation officers' role in wildfire operations  Long fire assignments and burnout challenges  Supporting firefighters with logistics and supplies  Why Manitoba has experienced severe wildfire conditions  Human-caused fires versus lightning-caused fires  Deep-burning peat and bog fires that can survive winter  Being part of a game warden family  Why so many Manitoba conservation officers meet their spouses through the job  Managing a long-distance conservation officer relationship  Building a family while advancing both careers  Moving from field work into headquarters leadership roles  Life on Manitoba’s endless prairie road system  Jessica’s favorite game warden story: a winter walleye-poaching stakeout  Surveillance in -45° temperatures  Trying not to sound like a “bull in a china shop” while sneaking into position  Catching poachers who had been using the same spot for years  “They were shocked.”  How consistent enforcement led to voluntary compliance  The value of the North American Game Warden Museum  Learning from other law enforcement museums across North America  The surprising success and size of the Game Warden Museum  “It’s just such a great career, great lifestyle.”  “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life other than being a game warden.” Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices