NAWEOA 2008
In 1980, twelve officers from several western states and Canadian
provinces gathered together in Great Falls, Montana to discuss
organizing a fraternal organization for all wildlife/ fisheries
officers. Now twenty-seven years later, that organization, the
North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association, has
more than 8,000 members. This summer we travel back to Great Falls,
Montana for the 27th Annual NAWEOA Conference, aptly entitled
“Back to the Beginning.”
The conference opens on Sunday, July 13 and closes Sunday, July
20. Opening ceremonies and the annual Torch Run to honor fallen
officers starts the official conference on Wednesday, July 16.
Montana has put together an outstanding training agenda and a
host of social activities and tours for the week. As always, this
conference is not just for the wildlife officer, this is a family
gathering. Spouses, children and guests will find plenty of activities
geared for them. The conference is a great way to make contacts
from all over North America and lifelong friendships.
Check out Montana’s website: http://www.montanagamewardens.org/conference.html
for conference information and registration. If you have any questions
regarding the conference, feel free to contact Lisa Lacroix, Shannon
Martiak or Mike Massey.
Hope to see you in Montana!
Lisa Lacroix
NAWEOA member for 15 years, attended 12 of the last 13 conferences,
NAWEOA Executive Board member (Region 7 Director) 1997-2001, current
NJ Jurisdictional Rep.
New
Jersey Conservation Officers’ Association
2008 Raffle
Happy New Year!
To kick this year off, the NJCOA needs your help. We have obtained
the proper State permits and will be conducting a raffle to raise
much needed money so that the NJCOA can pursue its mission for
which it was established. To accomplish this, we need finances
and that’s where you come in!
This years raffle will feature 15 items:
1. A gift certificate for $500 to Sayreville Sportsmen or this
certificate can be redeemed for a Benelli Super Black Eagle shotgun
(Note that it is illegal to raffle off a firearm, as a result
the winner would be able to use the $500 gift certificate in exchange
for the shotgun)
2. Masterbuilt Digital Smoker
3. Masterbuilt Kettle Grill
4. Ten wildlife prints which are signed and numbered be Jack Pahula
5. Birdhouse/Binoculars/Field Guide
6. Fishing Rod.
The winners will be selected as follows; the first name selected
will choose from the six prizes, the 2nd name from the next five
prizes and so on.
There will be a total of 15 winners since we have the ten wildlife
prints plus the additional five prizes.
Tickets are $3.00 each or the whole book of six tickets for $15.00.
The drawing will be held on June 8, 2008 at our annual meeting
at Assunpink.
We are asking each member to sell (4) books. Members selling (7)
books will have their 2008 NJCOA membership dues comped. Finally,
to add a little friendly competition, whichever member sells the
most number of books will receive a $200 gift certificate to Cabela’s.
To simplify this raffle, we will have a representative in the
3 regions of the state.
north is Bill Honachefsky (908)638-8650
central is Shannon Martiak (609) 947-8659
south is Scott Risher (609) 947-8672
Contact these reps for additional books and to hand in money and
sold tickets. Checks are to be made payable to NJCOA.
Additional and more detailed information about the prizes and
a tally of each member’s ticket sales will be available
on our website, www.njcoa.com. If you have any additional questions
feel free to contact me.
Shannon Martiak
Lorax007@aol.com
(609)947-8659
2008
NAWEOA Torch Run/Walk
Hello Everyone!
Well, it's that time of year again, time to start planning the
2008 NAWEOA
Torch Run/Walk, and we need your help. Once again, we are asking
that you
forward the letter and donation form (see links below) to your
officer's associations
and anyone else you think will be interested in supporting this
great event!
The support and help we receive from the various officer's associations
and
corporate sponsors is always greatly appreciated. If you have
any
questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
See you in Montana!
Ellen Kiley
Secretary/Treasurer
Federal Wildlife Officers Association
FWOASecretary@aol.com
(781) 915-7377
Donation
Form
NAWEOA
Letter
Upcoming
Events
4th
Annual Sparta Mountain Day
May
18, 2008 at Rykers lake in Sparta.
Would you like to participate?
Mitch Morrison
5 Dorothy Drive
Sparta, NJ 07871
973.222.4703
mmorrison@nac.net
http://web.mac.com/sara.morrison/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
Sunday, April 27 through Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Marriott Seaview Resort and Spa in Galloway, New Jersey
http://www.neafwa.org/
World Fishing and Outdoor
Exposition
Suffern NY Feb. 28 to Mar. 2, 2008http://www.sportshows.com/ShowPages/Suffern/Suff_Main.html
Saltwater Fishing Expo.
Somerset NJ Mar. 14-16 2008
http://www.sportshows.com/
NJCOA Annual Meeting
Picnic and Raffle Drawing
June 8, 2008 10:00 A.M. Assunpink WMA
NJCOA Executive Board
Meetings
May 21, 2008 7:00PM Central Region Office
Oct. 8, 2008 7:00PM Central Region Office
South Jersey Youth Outdoor
Day
Saturday, AUGUST 16, 2008
Salem County Sportsmen's Club in Carney's Point
http://www.geocities.com/outdoorday/
Conservation Officers
of PA Field Day
September 9-11th, 2008
http://www.pawco.org/
I
Found “It” on 
(if
by “it” you mean a score of Title 23 violations)
By Linda
Paul
It is little surprise that the illegal trade in wildlife has taken
off in the free-for-all world of the internet. Illegal items can
be found listed daily even on a forum as public as the juggernaut
site eBay. It is probable that most people listing these items
on the site are unaware of the vast body of law concerning trade
in wildlife, especially given the pervasive “flea market”
atmosphere. People post any old dusty item they find in the attic,
closet or garage and odds are at least one of the millions of
potential buyers has been searching for just that thing. Add that
mentality to eBay’s lack of guidance in their listing policies
and the potential for violations is obvious. Conversely, there
are those sellers who do know, or at least should be aware of
the law, but figure their activity will go undetected and unchallenged
in the ocean of auctions. Locating listings in violation of state
law, or even federal law, doesn’t have to be a daunting
task, given a knowledge of how eBay works.
The two primary statutes in New Jersey law concerning the trade
in wildlife are N.J.S.A. 23:4-27 and N.J.S.A. 23:2A-6. N.J.S.A.
23:4-27 concerns the sale of game animals. The statute specifically
prohibits the sale or offering for sale of whitetail deer parts
other than the hide, tail, or portion of the lower leg, any part
of black bear, bobcat, or wild turkey, and illegally taken river
otter. Obviously, the majority of violations are sales of whitetail
deer mounts with antlers and antler sets sold alone. Wild turkey
mounts, fans, and skins have been posted by New Jersey sellers
less frequently. In December I conducted an investigation involving
the sale of a bobcat mount listed by a seller in Morristown. The
fines for the sale of the above mentioned animals are steep, $1,000-$2,000
for the first offense. The statute lists which game animals may
be sold, those animals considered furbearers such as fox, coyote,
mink, weasel and the like, provided that the animal was taken
in a lawful manner. Sale of other game animals not on the allowed
list, such as woodchuck (don’t laugh several dried skins
recently sold in the $10-$15 range), fetches a fine of $200-$1000.
N.J.S.A. 23:2A-6 protects non-game and endangered animals native
to New Jersey. Occasionally sellers list items such as dried toads
or bird’s skulls for scientific or curiosity’s sake.
This statute also protects the bobcat given its current status
on the endangered species list. In my investigation, the convergence
of the statutes allowed me to pursue either avenue for prosecution.
So, given the vast and complicated body of law governing the trade
in wildlife and popularity of listing those items on the site,
you would think eBay would provide guidance to its members, right?
Wrong. eBay’s listing policies for wildlife products takes
some diligence to locate. Once there, you’ll learn eBay
bans the sale of all bear and mountain lion products, seemingly
on principal alone. It does provide a link to the U.S.F.W.S. website
that supplies information on federal laws and CITES restrictions.
Interestingly eBay also provides a link to the portion of the
California (eBay’s home state) Penal Code regarding wildlife,
but no other states’ laws. Beyond that, sellers are advised,
“Animal pelts and skins from non-endangered species may
generally be listed on eBay, if not in violation of the seller’s
specific state laws.” Sellers are left to do even more searching
for the information they require. The seller I investigated essentially
gave up there and assumed because he saw other bobcats listed
on eBay that it was allowed. eBay does not regularly check on
individual listings without prompting from an outside source or
members. eBay will end a listing if a violation of its policy
is brought to their attention. Several years ago I saw a listing
for genuine tiger fur trim ended by eBay. However, if the listing
isn’t brought to eBay’s attention, or the seller simply
makes a claim that the item is legal, the auction goes on. For
example, I recently found two bufflehead duck mounts for sale
out of New York. After posting the initial listing, the seller
added the information that the ducks were pen-reared in an effort
to comply with federal law. The claim was doubtful at best, and
irrelevant given bufflehead aren’t exempted by federal law
or even eBay’s own policies, but the items sold successfully.
At any given time there are wildlife listings on eBay in violation
of New Jersey law. Obviously, the Bureau of Law Enforcement doesn’t
have the manpower to investigate every sale, but identifying them
is not difficult once you learn to use the eBay search system.
All one need do is pull up the “Advanced Search” feature.
Enter a key word such as “taxidermy,” or “antlers”
in the search field. Check the box for “Search title and
description.” Then scroll down to the “Items near
me” field. Since I live in roughly the middle of the state,
I enter my own zip code. Select the “items within 50 miles”
choice. Then click the “search” button. This will
give you a list of items, some will be in New Jersey, but others
will be in New York or Pennsylvania. The state will be on the
right side of the screen. It will also tell you the distance from
the zip code you entered. With this list you can begin to scan
for illegal listings.
As I mentioned before, the Bureau lacks the manpower to investigate
every illegal listing. At this point we have been limiting our
investigations to sellers who are listing a large quantity of
wildlife products, wildlife that is protected under 23:2A-6, or
listings that are blatantly illegal in some other way, such as
out of season, and illegal trapping. You’d be surprised
at what people will admit to in their item descriptions. Someone
who is listing a single 50 year old deer mount may get a pass
at this point, but a taxidermist moving out unpaid work, or a
hunter selling a quantity of racks, is going to raise a flag.
Once you have a seller ID and auction number to investigate, it’s
time to try to get a name and address or phone number for the
seller. In my bobcat investigation this was relatively easy because
the seller was the owner of a consignment shop and provided his
name and address in the listing and seller profile. The seller
may also provide useful information if they post a phone number
for additional questions, or an address for local pick-up of the
item. Usually you are not so lucky and eBay’s Fraud Investigation
Team must be contacted. You must fax the information you are requesting
to the office in California. The phone number eBay provides answers
to a recording only. The response from eBay has been mixed. I
received a reply to my request in 24 hours, while other officers
have had to wait over a month. eBay will provide the name, phone
number, town, and state of the seller and the transaction history.
From this information you can get a more specific identity by
the usual means.
Invariably, the sellers plead ignorance when confronted with the
violation. As I stated before, many people see similar items listed
on eBay and assume the sale is legal. I can’t answer for
other states’ reasons for allowing the commercialization
of wildlife, but I believe in strict enforcement of 23:4-27. Sportsmen
should not be out there killing deer for profit, whether it’s
selling fresh venison at the back door of a restaurant or auctioning
a set of trophy antlers. Nor should N.J.’s non-game species
have to suffer collection and sale, whether it’s alive and
on the black market, or dead on eBay. Ethical sportsmen supported
the ban on market hunting almost a century ago. Granted, the sale
of antlers is not going to lead to the demise of the whitetail
deer like market hunting did in the passenger pigeon, but we all
know greed is often a factor in the commission of wildlife violations.
Potential monetary reward frequently precipitates illegal hunting
behavior; one need only to look at the violations generated in
pursuit of “big buck” contests. People have the impression
that because eBay is an international forum, it is beyond the
scope of local enforcement. Would the response be any different
if these were classified advertisements in a local paper? When
it comes down to it, the if sellers are located in New Jersey,
it is a violation of Title 23, and though it would be more responsible
for eBay to notify sellers of the law, they are not bound to do
so. It’s time to change that old adage and, “Let the
Seller Beware.”
A
Day with a Montana Game Warden
By
CO Shannon Martiak
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Anyone
that has been in the game warden business knows that it’s
a unique job and they’re a part of a unique family. Prior
to a recent trip in Montana, I contacted the local game warden,
Kevin Nichols, who patrols Carbon County which is located in southern
Montana between Billings and Cody. My intention was to pick Kevin’s
knowledge of the area and direct me to some local trout. After
speaking with Kevin, we made tentative plans to meet up for a
beer in Red Lodge.
During the first week of August 2007, CO Greg Szulecki and I journeyed
out to Montana and as planned, met Kevin at a local watering hole.
After discussing game laws, recent cases, and tips on catching
poachers, we parted with plans to accompany Kevin on a boat patrol
of the Bighorn River.
On Monday morning, Greg and I crowded into Kevin’s F-250
with a patrol boat in tow. Looking at Kevin’s patrol vehicle
reminded me of my own. Dried blood in the bed (the end result
of a home bear invasion), ammunition scattered throughout the
cab, and enough paperwork and equipment to fill an office. I always
assumed that a Montana Game Warden would have a horse as a second
vehicle, however I learned that Kevin takes to his State issued
street legal dirt bike to make this off road rounds.
We drove into Wyoming to put in the boat and headed north on the
Bighorn River back into Montana. The nickname of this river is
the Grand Canyon of Montana. The river meanders through vertical
canyon walls into smaller slot canyons, not a bad place to have
an office! We performed a couple of vessel stops on water-skiers
and fishermen, but only handed out a verbal warning to a water-skier
without a spotter. After traveling 30 river miles and sharing
some great stories, we headed back to the boat ramp. On the way
back we spotted a group of Bighorn Sheep and managed to get some
great pictures while Kevin gave us a Bighorn Sheep ecology lesson.
All in all this was a worthwhile trip, but more importantly this
put into perspective that the same struggles, victories, and concerns
that we have here in New Jersey are shared with our colleagues
in Montana and for that matter the rest of the states and provinces.
Book Review . . .
Books
to Read with Your Kids…
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You
do read with your kids, right? But, you say, it’s so hard
to find a book the whole family can get into. Sounder
and Where the Red Fern Grows are classics, but they’re
sad. If you’re looking for heroes who always come out on
top, wilderness settings, and a hunting and fishing theme, check
out the works of Jim Kjelgaard.
Kjelgaard had a great respect for Game Wardens and their conservation
efforts. Whether in a lead or supporting role they appear in many
of his stories. Trailing Trouble and A Nose for Trouble
focus on the adventures of Game Warden Tom Rainse, his dog Smoky,
and his horse Pete. By relying on his wits and the talents of
his animal partners, Tom defeats several villainous poaching rings.
Kjelgaard’s first book, Forest Patrol is about
a Forest Ranger but also features a Game Warden. This book may
very well be responsible for giving me the notion I’d someday
like to be a clever Game Warden too.
There are several other Kjelgaard books parents and children alike
should enjoy. The well known Big Red series about Danny
Pickett and his Irish Setter are not to be missed. Danny and Red’s
excursions in the Wintapi rank with some of the finest outdoor
writing in print.
Having read all of Kjelgaard’s books, forty-three by my
count, there are only two points I can criticize. First, all are
formulaic in a sense, albeit that “formula” works
for his style: young man and dog in wilderness overcome challenges
posed by man and nature and succeed by taking the moral high ground.
Few story lines deviate from this premise though the wilderness
changes from swamp to mountain to desert. Secondly, female characters
are hard to find in these stories and only one, the very difficult
to find Duck-footed Hound, has a female character in
a significant role. Kjelgaard had a wife and daughter and I’d
be curious to know what his relationship with them was like. Perhaps
he believed young men just don’t need young women in their
lives. But, it seems like the author couldn’t relate to
or understand women and that’s why they are conspicuously
absent. Except for Kalak of the Ice, even the animal
characters are male in his tales.
A Nose for Trouble and Big Red can be found
for a bargain on Amazon.com
or eBay.
Trailing Trouble and the others have been out of print
for a while and are harder to track down. I suggest eBay, though
you may get lucky and find them at your local library.
Next time one for the adults only, C.J. Box’s Open Season.
- Linda
Paul
Where
are they Now?
Glenn Hawkswell and Steve Murza off to the
Adirondacks and
Vermont....
(Above) Glenn stands with his bike on a ferry on L. Champlain.
(Below) Steve Murza stands next to Glenn
Hawswell.
C.O. Gary Fittin’s
last day… Congrats on your retirement.
Retiree BBQ 2007
(left to right) Top Row: Capt Glenn Hawkswell, Chief Rob
Winkel, Lt. Wayne Bunting, Deputy Chief Ed Markowski, Lt.
Norm Gebhart, Deputy Ronald Galvan, Chief Steve Herb, CO
Bob Klaus
Bottom Row: Capt John Hedden, Deputy Bill Hight, CO Charlie
Torluccio
Congratulations!
CO of the Year 2006
Scott Risher
(Left to Right) Lt. Mark Leonard,
Scott Risher, and Capt. Tod Eisenhuth.
Congratulations!
Deputy CO of the Year 2006
Ken Schleifer
Congratulations to the following
Retired Conservation Officers:
Chief Mark Dobelbower
Capt. Mike Boyle
Lt. Don Cole
You guys are always in a thoughts!
Congratulations to Conservation Officer’s
Steve Sutton (Warren County) and
Paul Toppin (Camden)
for graduating from their respective Police Academies.
Congratulations to the following new hires!
Kyle Ziegler NRO
Todd Dicksen NRO
Bryan Mascio CRO
Jennifer Ciraolo SRO
Keith Fox SRO
Tom Swift MRO
Brian Scott MRO
Brett Nicklow MRO
New
to the fleet!
Dylan Thomas Lacroix
October 17, 2007
7lbs, 3oz and 20 3/4 inches
Proud Parents Carl and Lisa LaCroix
C.O. Kuechler
Alina Marie Kuechler
Born 12/18/2007
Introducing
Samantha Leigh
December
31st, 2007
8lbs 1oz
Welcomed by overjoyed Grandparents Frank
and Penny Virgilio.
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