Q & A with a Conservation Officer
By Kasey Wassenaar

Want to know more about a Conservation Officer’s job? Ask them questions.

One young west river hunter asked Tom Beck, Game, Fish and Parks conservation officer, some questions about his job.

1.  Have you always been interested in wildlife? 

Yes, I’ve always been interested in wildlife.  I grew up on a farm which had a couple of ponds and a woodland area.  I spent many days exploring the areas and watching all of the wildlife in the area.

2.  What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I started collecting bugs when I was a kid and thought I wanted to be an entomologist (a  guy who studies bugs) for a couple of years until I found out most of that job consists of sitting in an office.  I wanted to be outdoors and had always had an appreciation of wildlife.  I listened to a talk one time in school by our local conservation officer and knew that was the job for me.

3.  What is the best part of your job?

There are several great things about the job.  Most of the work is outdoors.  There is a large variety of duties which include checking hunters and fishermen to see if they have licenses and what game they have, conducting  wildlife surveys, designing habitat on public lands and talking with landowners, sportsmen and kids.  You get to see and handle a lot of game and fish and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.  Every day is a little different so it is never boring.     

4.  What do you have to do to become a Conservation Officer?  Do you have to go to school?  If so, for how long?

A four-year degree from a university in wildlife or biology is not required to become a conservation officer, but helpful.   Then prospective conservation officers have to successfully attend the law enforcement standards training for 12 weeks in Pierre to become certified law enforcement officers.  On completion of that training, new officers have to ride with several training officers for 15 weeks for training on the different duties of conservation officers.  Only after completion of all of the training are new conservation officers given a station and allowed to work on their own. 

5.  What is the worst part of the job?

Most of the time the job is fun and you get to see neat wildlife and meet interesting people.  However, occasionally the job isn’t fun.  Conservation officers have to investigate hunting accidents, look for drowning victims and assist people who have been injured in hunting, boating or automobile accidents.  While it is rewarding to be able to help someone in those situations, it can also be very upsetting to see someone who has been severely injured or who has died.  Conservation officers also go out in bad weather to rescue stranded hunters, fishermen and boaters.  Again, while that can be very rewarding, if the conservation officer makes a mistake, he may find himself in as bad a circumstance as those he is trying to rescue.

6.  How did you find out about this job?

Our local conservation officer talked about his job at our school.  I already knew there were conservation officers before that, but his talk helped me decide that was what I wanted to do when I grew up.  

7.  What is your typical work day like?

One of the neat things about this job is that there isn’t a typical work day.  On one day you may start work way before daylight and not be done until way after dark.  The next day you may not start until noon and may work half the night.  Some days are spent  visiting with landowners and sportsmen.  Other days are spent checking hunting and fishing licenses.  On some days you are on the lakes and rivers checking boating safety equipment and seeing what fishermen have caught.  And other days are spent on a computer doing reports or looking up information.   The variety of work and the times one works keeps the job very interesting.

8.  What equipment do you use at your job?

We have a variety of equipment depending on the job that we are performing that day.  We have four-wheel drive pickup trucks, four-wheelers, and boats to get us around on the job.  I’ve even spent some days in an airplane.  Other equipment that we use or carry are binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision scopes and firearms. 

9.  How long have you had this job?

I started as a Conservation Officer in January of 1981. 

10.  Is there a dress code?  What do you wear?

Conservation Officers are required to wear a uniform for most occasions.  The uniform consists of brown or black boots, brown pants, and a tan shirt.  A gun belt is also part of the required uniform.  Brown law enforcement coats are also issued for colder weather.  A baseball type cap, which says South Dakota Conservation Officer, is an optional item that we can also wear.

11.  What are the five most common things you do at work?

One of the most common things we do is to check hunters, fishermen and boaters to check if they have licenses and the proper equipment.  We visit with a lot of landowners and sportsmen to gain their insight on wildlife and fish populations and to answer their questions.  We meet with and assist landowners with our wildlife depredation programs, food plots and habitat programs.  We also assist landowners with law enforcement issues such as trespassers, people shooting too close to livestock and buildings, etc.  We also continue to learn and train.  Each year we have several training programs and courses to keep us familiar with new laws and law enforcement procedures.

12.  What is the most exciting work experience you have ever had?

I don’t know if there is one thing that stands out above others.  I had a stray bullet strike my windshield once during deer season.  That definitely was exciting.  Fortunately, the bullet had been fired several miles away and didn’t penetrate the windshield.  I’ve been involved in several high speed pursuits, arrested two murder suspects and been involved in the arrest of several other felons.   All were exciting experiences.

13.  Can your job be dangerous?

The job requires operating vehicles such as pickups, boats and four-wheelers in all kinds of weather.  Rescuing a capsized boater in rough waters can be very dangerous.  Arresting armed poachers can also be dangerous.  We occasionally come across someone who has been using mind altering drugs or have committed other serious crimes.  They can be very dangerous also.  By far, most of the individuals we deal with are great guys and are not dangerous.  However, we always have to be ready for the occasional dangerous circumstance.

14.  Have you ever been in a high-speed chase?

Yes, I have been in several high-speed chases.  We try to avoid high-speed chases whenever possible as they are dangerous for those running, the officer pursuing the vehicle and for bystanders or others that may be along the roadway.  In order to prevent high-speed chases, we will use tactics such as stealth where we sneak up on a vehicle and get close before turning on our red lights.  When we get close to a vehicle and have identified the vehicle and occupants, there is much less of a chance people will run.  If someone tries to run, we simply call ahead and have another officer stop the vehicle while we stay a safe distance back and do not push the vehicle into running at high speeds.  We consider the crime that has been committed and the safety to others before deciding whether to chase them. 

15.  What do you do when you catch a poacher?

Most of the time when we catch someone poaching, we simply issue a ticket and seize the game that was taken illegally.  We may also seize weapons and other items that were used to poach.  In the most severe cases where the poacher tried to harm the officer or others, we will arrest the poacher and take him to jail.

16. What is the most common offense you see? 

The most common offenses I see are hunters and fishermen making simple mistakes because they did not read the laws correctly or they got a little excited and did not follow laws such as the road hunting laws.  In cases where the individual did not intentionally break the law we often give verbal and written warnings.  In more severe cases or where the individual knew he was breaking the rules, we issue tickets and the individual has to pay a fine or go to court.

17.  What is the most dangerous animal you work with?

This is really a hard question as most of the animals are not dangerous when we handle them properly.  I’ve helped radio collar a mountain lion.   Some people consider them dangerous but I did not feel threatened by him.  We also deal with sick and injured deer and elk.  They can be dangerous if not handled properly, but again if you know what you are doing they are not a threat.  I had a badger once come charging at me popping his teeth as I was between him and his den.  Under those circumstances you could consider him dangerous, but I simply had to dodge out of the way and let him get to his home.   I’ve been struck in the boot by a rattlesnake and had a couple of others strike and miss me.   They can be dangerous but most of the time they try to avoid you.   You just have to keep watching for them and respect them.  Because we are trained in handling wildlife, I’d say the odds are probably better that I could be bitten by someone’s dog when I’m going to their residence to visit with them than hurt by wildlife.

18.  What is your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is an elk.  I think they are a really majestic animal and are very smart.  I love to listen to them and watch them in the fall when the bulls are bugling.