| The wildlife conservation movement unofficially began | | | | assisting other police officers in more conventional law |
| in North America at the turn of the twentieth century. In | | | | enforcement. Also, today, wildlife officers are heavily |
| about the year 1900, the various states and Canadian | | | | involved with homeland security work and are called |
| provinces began to pass legislation designed to protect | | | | upon on a daily basis to perform their oftentimes |
| different species of wildlife within their jurisdictions. This | | | | difficult and dangerous tasks.Many citizens do not think |
| was due to the fact that many species of wildlife | | | | of the game warden as a police officer but the reality |
| were almost extinct primarily because of the | | | | is that that is exactly what he/she is. Wildlife officers in |
| unrestricted overshooting of various species that | | | | the various states are trained at their state or |
| occurred during the settlement of the western United | | | | provincial law enforcement training center. They |
| States. Additionally, the habitats of various species had | | | | encounter all of the same problems and risks that a |
| been severely altered and even destroyed due to the | | | | conventional police officer does and the laws they |
| settlement of the land.At about this time, the two | | | | enforce are incredibly important in that they insure the |
| governments not only passed protective legislation on | | | | survival of species and provide for public protection.In |
| various species but they also took the necessary step | | | | summary, the wildlife officer in both the United States |
| of hiring the first wildlife enforcement officers (or game | | | | and Canada are highly trained police officers of the |
| wardens if you will) to enforce these laws.Due to the | | | | outdoors. They perform duties that protect the |
| strict enforcement of our wildlife laws, the Whitetail | | | | environment and the species that share this planet with |
| Deer, The Elk, The Pronghorn Antelope and the | | | | the human race.Rick Seward is a Nebraska |
| Bighorn Sheep to name a few have been not only | | | | Conservation Officer. He has patrolled his state for |
| saved from extinction, now they are abundant. Without | | | | many years protecting is valuable natural wildlife |
| proper law enforcement in the past 100 plus years, this | | | | resources. His love of the outdoors and wildlife is |
| would not be the case.Today there are approximately | | | | reflected in the engraved artwork that he does in |
| 8,000 wildlife officers in the United States and Canada. | | | | gunstocks, canoe paddles and wooden plates. He |
| They may go by different titles such as game warden, | | | | even does Ostrich Eggshell designs. He does maintain |
| Conservation Officer, Wildlife officer and so on but | | | | a website that will showcase some of his previous |
| essentially, their duties are the same. To protect the | | | | works. It is located at His work is all hand engraved |
| wildlife of their jurisdiction by sound law enforcement.In | | | | and the primary theme is wildlife although he had done |
| addition to wildlife protection, most of these | | | | some other things for people such anniversary |
| enforcement people have had other duties added to | | | | commemoratives and such. Today, his work is hanging |
| their list of responsibilities such as enforcing the boating | | | | in various homes and offices all across the United |
| laws of their state or province, enforcing the state or | | | | States and into Canada. |
| provincial park regulations of their area and also | | | | |