Warden's Watch

Picking up from our last episode, Wayne continues his conversation with Alaska Wildlife Trooper Chris Johnson. Come along as Chris shares more stories from his years patrolling the vast and sometimes unforgiving Kenai Peninsula as a US Fish and Wildlife officer, and looks forward to many more years of service to the people and wildlife of America’s true “Last Frontier.” Our Sponsors:  Thin Green L...

When US Fish and Wildlife Captain Chris Johnson reached the mandatory retirement age, he wasn’t quite ready to hang up his hat, so he did what most never would; after 33 years of federal service, he went right back to the Academy and became an Alaska State Wildlife Trooper! Join us as Chris shares stories of the outdoors from “Alaska’s Playground” - the rugged and stunningly beautiful Kenai Penins...

With almost 27 million acres across the state, the officers of Tennessee’s Wildlife Resources Agency have a lot of ground to cover. Any given day could include fish and wildlife law enforcement, safety checks, search and rescue on land or water, conducting outreach programs, and more. Join us as we sit down at NAWEOA with Boating Enforcement Officer David Holt, who’s been patrolling the waterways...

Audrey Hunter grew up in a home where hunting is a family affair. Through her father, grandfather, and uncles, she and her and four brothers were taught to respect the resources, the impact of conservation, and the importance of sharing the outdoors. This led to a natural career with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, where after only five short years she’s proven herself an outstanding officer...

John and Wayne talk with John Guarnieri, a former Secret Service agent and host of the Spear Talk Podcast - a podcast that caters to anyone with an interest in the security and covers topics including martial arts, entertainment, wildlife conservation, human trafficking, domestic violence, and life on the road as a security professional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

In this special bonus episode, our hosts and producer get together with fan favorites Kris MacCabe of Maine, Benny Richards of Texas, and New Hampshire’s own Col. Kevin Jordan. Join us for a fun and wide-ranging chat looking back on 100 episodes, and looking forward to 100 more! Our Sponsors:  Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet Sovereign Sportsman Solutions “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Hu...

CJ Box is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the enormously popular Joe Pickett series, now a small-screen sensation streaming on Paramount Plus. An avid outdoorsman, the Wyoming native’s hit novels capture the vast, unspoiled beauty of the American West, the conflict between new and old ideas, and feature authentically believable (and sometimes heinous) charact...

After more than 30 years on the job, Corporal Susan Swem was contemplating retirement from the Missouri Department of Conservation – and then came the chance to join the state’s newly formed Canine Protection Unit. Since then, she and K9 Astro have assisted on multiple investigations, done significant public outreach, and saved countless staff-hours tracking, recovering evidence, and protecting th...

Before dive teams, rescues using locator beacons, and OHRV and snowmobile enforcement, the job of a New Hampshire game warden was very different than it is today. Often left very much to their own devices, officers were primarily responsible for observing and reporting local conditions and activities, protecting and managing wildlife, and of course, stopping poachers. Join us for a walk through hi...

Despite having been a member of the Georgia DNR for just five years, Game Warden First Class Brock Hoyt is already a standout officer. The recipient of both the 2022 NAWEOA Torch Award and the 2022 Georgia Game Warden of the Year, he’s also been recognized as Game Warden of the Year by International Wildlife Crimestoppers. We caught up for a quick chat with this rising star back in July at NAWEOA...

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Officer Jason Keller was on the scene when fellow officer Kevn Behr was shot at close range by a poacher. In this episode, he recalls the incident and the aftermath, and shares some important lessons learned on that day. Our Sponsors:  Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet Sovereign Sportsman Solutions “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Hunt of a Lifet...

Five days before Christmas 2020, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Officer Kevin Behr was shot from behind while investigating a poaching operation. Nearly two years and 15 surgeries later, he shares his remarkable story of survival, courage, and determination.  Our Sponsors:  Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet Sovereign Sportsman Solutions “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Hunt of a Lifeti...

Steve Beltran is an award-winning Conservation Police Officer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who combines his passion for both technology and the outdoors through his Timber-Tech column, a regular feature in International Game Warden Magazine. Eric Richey is the founder and CEO of Sovereign Sportsman Solutions (S3), an industry leader in customized electronic license and permitt...

Joel Wilkinson spent 28 years serving the state of Maine, including twelve years as Colonel of the Maine Warden Service. Now retired, Col. Wilkinson sits down with Wayne to reflect on an extraordinary career that began when he was just a teen. In this episode, we discuss his swift rise through the ranks, a television show that almost wasn’t, the challenges and rewards the outdoors can provide, and...

Joel Wilkinson spent 28 years serving the state of Maine, including twelve years as Colonel of the Maine Warden Service. Now retired, Col. Wilkinson sits down with Wayne to reflect on an extraordinary career that began when he was just a teen. In this episode, we discuss his early years as a game warden, including an intense turn in covert operations that resulted in some of the agency’s most sign...

Sean Spencer is a Sergeant with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. After 14 years patrolling in some of the most remote and most populous areas of the Beehive State, he’s dealt with a wide variety of people, wildlife, and problems. In this episode from the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference (NAWEOA) in Tennessee, he and our hosts discuss planning for next yea...

When Rick Libbey saw his first moose in 1981, he was hooked for life. An entirely self-taught photographer, Rick and his wife Libby travel between New England and Alaska to capture stunningly beautiful and rare photos and videos of loons, bear, lynx, raccoons, wolves - and of course, moose – all of which they showcase on their YouTube channel and website, MooseMan Nature Photos. Often rising at 3a...

Josh Landrum is a Nashville-based Boating Officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Besides receiving multiple honors for his tireless efforts to combat impaired boating, he has also served on the board of the Tennessee Wildlife Officers Association for the past decade, and most recently as president. This year, Josh and his fellow officers hosted the annual North American Wildlife Enf...

Ty Runyan is a state game warden with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Besides being a rancher, driving instructor, former K9 handler and sometimes-snake wrangler, he may be best known for his TikTok presence. Ty’s lighthearted, interesting, and educational short videos have attracted more than 175,000 followers. In this episode, he and Wayne discuss the value of social media as a...

The winter tick is a small, external parasite that, like all ticks, survives on the blood of its host. Although winter ticks are not dangerous to human health, they can pose a significant threat to wildlife - moose calves in particular. In this episode of Warden's Watch WILD, wildlife biologist Dr. Alexej Sirén describes the relationship between winter ticks and the eastern moose, how ticks spread...

Award winning author Terry Hodges is the creator of the popular Warden Force series of short stories, the true adventures of game wardens and the wildlife-destroying outlaws they pursue. Having been a California Fish & Game warden himself for over three decades, Terry writes with the special authority found only among those who have worn a badge on behalf of wildlife. In this episode, he shares so...

Lee Kantar is man with moose on his mind. Whether he’s conducting aerial population surveys by helicopter, attaching specially adapted tracking collars, or racing to the scene of a mortality to conduct a field necropsy, Maine’s official state moose biologist is dedicated to the health and survival of the largest herbivore in the North Woods. Throughout the last decade, he has been integral to buil...

Capt Tom Rowland is a fishing guide in both fresh and saltwater turned entrepreneur.  Becoming a flyfishing guide in Jackson Hole, WY was a dream come true but finding great success in Key West, FL was even more of an unlikely success story. No one could have predicted what came next as Tom and his partner started a production company, created, starred in, sold and distributed a television show on...

Eric and Ashley Hannett are embarking on an adventure like no other - sailing the world while promoting conservation and sustainable living on their new YouTube channel, GypSeaLegs. In this episode, they share some triumphs - and some trials - they’ve faced while preparing for the first leg of their journey; sailing to the beautiful Bahamas, where they will begin repairs on a hurricane-damaged cat...

Historically native to the Northeast, the mighty eastern moose declined throughout the last century due to over hunting and land clearing. With the establishment of hunting laws and forest restoration efforts, the population slowly expanded, but is again under threat from climate change. Warden’s Watch WILD is joined by wildlife biologist and postdoctoral researcher Alexej Sirén discussing he and...