Fish and wildlife offficers

El Carnicero · #1 12-09-2022, 07:37 AM

So, During the off season, what do our fish cops (said with the utmost respect) do?

Is that when they do their investigative portions on the cases they deal with? What if they are a hunter themselves, Do they get time off to do participate with the rest of us in the sport?
Are the fish cops involved in the draw process for tags?

I've always wondered but never had the chance to meet up with one to ask those questions?
Any Fish and Wildlife guys on here that can tell us more about what you do throughout the year other than meet us in the fields and check our tags and guns?

58thecat · #2 12-09-2022, 07:41 AM

Not one myself but I would suspect given the fact that they are under staffed they respond to immediate emergency calls or high priority calls and do their best to be present in the field and investigate other cases.

Wish every WMU zone had at least 5 or more on staff.

WayneChristie · #3 12-09-2022, 07:42 AM

people fish all year too eh

Smoky buck · #4 12-09-2022, 07:46 AM

Poaching doesn’t have a season and not all wildlife infections are hunting or trapping or fishing related

elkhunter11 · #5 12-09-2022, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Poaching doesn’t have a season and not all wildlife infections are hunting or trapping or fishing related

Exactly! Investigations will be ongoing, probably a lot of paperwork to catch up on, animals struck by vehicles still happen, problem animal calls, trespassing and poaching go on all year. And fishing will go on.

Battle Rat · #6 12-09-2022, 07:58 AM

There is not off season.

Salavee · #7 12-09-2022, 08:14 AM

Now that they are burdened with the additional duties of a Provincial Sheriff as well as F@W, I doubt there is a moment they have nothing to do.
Bad move by Dept of Agriculture. No doubt we will lose a few of the better Fish Cops as I don't think many of them signed up to do that job as well. I see F&W are now recruiting if any one is interested.

Smokinyotes · #8 12-09-2022, 08:15 AM

I haven’t been stopped by F&W in over 20 years. I would like to see them in the field more but suspect they are tied up with clerical work.

Trochu · #9 12-09-2022, 08:16 AM

Poaching doesn't only occur in November.

El Carnicero · #10 12-09-2022, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

There is not off season.

Right, I was referring to the off season as outside the standard hunting season.

Markl11 · #11 12-09-2022, 08:25 AM

I had the chance to ride around with one for a day when I was young because that was the career I was contemplating at the time. I can answer a couple of your questions.

The ride along was during the hunting season, we drove around a few areas that had lots of road hunters and pulled one over checking for the usual things. if there was an emergency call the closest FWO would respond. Their day is prioritized by poaching reports, calls, patrols, assisting EPS/RCMP or whatever is important at the time. F&W are involved in a lot of things I didn't know. They told me if there is an animal at a house the police service is at they call F/W to go in first to remove the animals. I got to see some of the exotic animals drug dealers had and F/W confiscated. Seemed like they are always busy and every day is different and under staffed so its hard for them to respond to every call right away.

The officer I was with is a hunter and has a set number of days off like most salary jobs. I didn't ask about helping with draws.

El Carnicero · #12 12-09-2022, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salavee

. I see F&W are now recruiting if any one is interested.

That's actually why I was asking as I did see an ad up for recruitment. Was curious what the job was like outside of what we typically see as hunters and fishers. Thought that might be an interesting career change avenue.

lund17 · #13 12-09-2022, 08:30 AM

They are busy helping the Sheriff's out with policing traffic and traffic control. This past February, I stopped to talk with a F&W Officer @ Long Lake and this is what he told me. He asked me about the lake and if we were catching anything, told him yes. He than told me he had not been out on the ice yet to check licenses. Conversation was short as he had to go.

marky_mark · #14 12-09-2022, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

There is not off season.

this

fordtruckin · #15 12-09-2022, 08:33 AM

Do albertan COs do anything with water recreation enforcement, game damage complaints, ohv/snowmobile enforcement, wildlife attacks, hunters Ed, trapping, or fishing outside of hunting checks? Those are a few of my duties as a game warden. On top of that we get to patrol our agency owned properties as well as state parks for violations and maintain land owner relationships. As the seasons change so does my workload and priorities.

Battle Rat · #16 12-09-2022, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Carnicero

Right, I was referring to the off season as outside the standard hunting season.

If you consider the hunting season for large game and birds starts in Sept and runs late Jan in between that ice fishing gets going around Remembrance day until ice out.
Year long they respond to are poaching and wildlife complaints especially bears.
Fishing occurs year round and trapping for most of it.
Only stupid poachers operate in November if that is what you are referring to as standard season.
Not sure why you would assume there is a quite time of the year.

El Carnicero · #17 12-09-2022, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

Not sure why you would assume there is a quite time of the year.

Maybe because I'm a city dwelling individual and I rarely see Fish and wildlife officers other than during the hunting season when I am outside of the city and the odd time while hiking or camping during the summer.

You'll forgive me if I am asking for understanding on a duty that is not often spoken of and there are few individuals around that do that job to ask what they do. Particularly when I have only encountered 2 officers in my entire hunting career and neither of them were in a position to sit and chat.

Big Grey Wolf · #18 12-09-2022, 09:52 AM

Just as already mentioned our F&W boys now have to be policeman and patrol rural/farm areas of Alberta for breakins etc. It is the UCP novel way of replacing RCMP. Thus they probably will only be able to do a poor job of both duties at best.

Battle Rat · #19 12-09-2022, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I haven’t been stopped by F&W in over 20 years. I would like to see them in the field more but suspect they are tied up with clerical work.

No kidding.
I like to see them on my road dealing with the road hunters shooting out the truck window.
A lot of supecious slow driving at night going on too.

MathewsArcher · #20 12-09-2022, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Just as already mentioned our F&W boys now have to be policeman and patrol rural/farm areas of Alberta for breakins etc. It is the UCP novel way of replacing RCMP. Thus they probably will only be able to do a poor job of both duties at best.

I think this program has been discontinued

https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news...ponse-program/

dfarms11 · #21 12-09-2022, 06:58 PM

I've spoken more with f&w during the summer at lakes than during hunting season.

WV911 · #22 12-10-2022, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

No kidding.
I like to see them on my road dealing with the road hunters shooting out the truck window.
A lot of supecious slow driving at night going on too.

I brought this up on a previous thread but apparently there are guys on this forum who think there is nothing wrong with this

ehrgeiz · #23 12-10-2022, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WV911

I brought this up on a previous thread but apparently there are guys on this forum who think there is nothing wrong with this

Look pal, if you have a better way to steady a rifle I’d love to hear it!

58thecat · #24 12-10-2022, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehrgeiz

Look pal, if you have a better way to steady a rifle I’d love to hear it!

Is this where pool noodles and truck mirror comes into the equation to the ultimate steady rest

WV911 · #25 12-10-2022, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Is this where pool noodles and truck mirror comes into the equation to the ultimate steady rest

You just got me thinking of a business venture.
Camo pool noodles.

Big Grey Wolf · #26 12-10-2022, 09:18 AM

Mathews, read the Red Deer article, still says F &W officers will be used a rural police.

elkhunter11 · #27 12-10-2022, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfarms11

I've spoken more with f&w during the summer at lakes than during hunting season.

I have met our local officer at the range, and I did talk to him this fall after calling the report a poacher hotline, but I have never seen him while hunting. When I called another time to report a crippled deer on the highway, he was over an hour away, so they dispatched an RCMP officer to deal with the deer.

KegRiver · #28 12-10-2022, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Do albertan COs do anything with water recreation enforcement, game damage complaints, ohv/snowmobile enforcement, wildlife attacks, hunters Ed, trapping, or fishing outside of hunting checks? Those are a few of my duties as a game warden. On top of that we get to patrol our agency owned properties as well as state parks for violations and maintain land owner relationships. As the seasons change so does my workload and priorities.

They do all that and more.

They have been also assisting other law enforcement agencies for as long as I can remember. Upon request I believe. Not as a part of regular duties.

KegRiver · #29 12-10-2022, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I have met our local officer at the range, and I did talk to him this fall after calling the report a poacher hotline, but I have never seen him while hunting. When I called another time to report a crippled deer on the highway, he was over an hour away, so they dispatched an RCMP officer to deal with the deer.

Interesting.

I have reported several injured animals. And I have photos of those animals that I took to show F&W what their condition was.
F&W never responded to any of those calls to the best of my knowledge.

In fact twice I was told they wouldn't respond because as they said, it was natural.

Two were fawns with broken jaws, Two were adult Deer, one with a broken lag the other with a broken jaw and one was a bear with a broken jaw.

The bear was put down by a Lands and Forests officer I know.

I would post the photos to prove I'm not lying but they are very gruesome.

Smokinyotes · #30 12-10-2022, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Interesting.

I have reported several injured animals. And I have photos of those animals that I took to show F&W what their condition was.
F&W never responded to any of those calls to the best of my knowledge.

In fact twice I was told they wouldn't respond because as they said, it was natural.

Two were fawns with broken jaws, Two were adult Deer, one with a broken lag the other with a broken jaw and one was a bear with a broken jaw.

The bear was put down by a Lands and Forests officer I know.

I would post the photos to prove I'm not lying but they are very gruesome.

So did you do the right thing and put the fawns down?