Behind the Badge

Game wardens develop some esoteric skills in the course of their work. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Corey Erck.

Mistakes happen. Compounding them with lies, however, probably isn't the best choice. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Clayton Edstrom.

Just because you don’t see anyone around when you’re illegally hunting, doesn’t mean no one is watching. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Mike Raasakka.

In this week's Behind the Badge, warden Ken Skuza recalls some field escapades, including one where a little help from his dog uncovered the evidence.

For a game warden, protecting our natural resources is a job, but it is also personal. Read warden Jonathan Tofteland's story in this week's Behind the Badge.

In this week's Behind the Badge, warden Drew Johnson tells a story where a combination of coincidence and luck caught a poacher.

People get creative with license fraud in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Erik Schmidt.

While game wardens commonly work solo, sometimes solving a case requires connections across the state and even across the country. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Courtney Sprenger.

Sometimes reports of poaching incidents are short on details, making it a challenge to find the perpetrators. Read about one such case in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Zane Manhart.

Some poachers are so indolent they can't even be bothered to drive out into the wilds to commit their crimes. Read one such story in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Sam Feldmann.

Deer gun season can be a very busy, stressful time for game wardens, but it can also provide very rewarding experiences. Read more in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Andrew Dahlgren.

In this week's Behind the Badge, warden Jerad Bluem issues an invitation to everyone who is ready to get out of the house and spend some time with like-minded people at the state's spring sports shows.

Some people just don't know when to leave well enough alone as in this week's Behind the Badge by warden James Myhre.

Sometimes an ingeneous idea is anything but. Read more in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Kylor Johnston.

Sometimes a wildlife violation occurs because a new hunter was missing a big piece of critical information…like the fact that hen pheasants look quite similar to sharp-tailed grouse. These incidents can provide teaching moments. Read this week’s Behind the Badge by warden Connor Folkers.

A key responsibility of any hunter is knowing what species they are aiming their gun at prior to firing. Being too lazy or too excited to bother with this crucial step can land you in some trouble. Read this week’s Behind the Badge by warden Noah Raitz.

Mistakes happen. So what do you do if you are waterfowl hunting, botch a shot and find yourself over the limit on a species? Not what these folks did. Read more in this week's Behind the Badge with warden Joe Lucas.

Just because the game warden is “off duty” doesn’t mean that he isn't still watching. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Jonathan Peterson.

If you're new to hunting a particular species, first learn the differences between it and similar species least you find yourself mightily embarrassed as in this Behind the Badge by warden Greg Hastings.

Combines aren't the speediest machinery out there nor, sadly for some unwary creatures, are they the most manuverable. Learn more in this week's Behind the Badge by warden Alan Howard.

Twenty years ago, game warden Corey Erck got a call reporting a possible poaching incident involving two men and one deer. Turns out, the case was a wee bit more extensive than the original report. Read Corey's account in this week's Behind the Badge.

Raccoon kits may appear cute and cuddley, but in reality they can be little menaces as warden Zachary Biberdorf shows in this week's Behind the Badge.

For some, honesty comes naturally. For others, it can require a little encouragement. Read this week's Behind the Badge with warden Riley Gerding.

Sometimes a casual reminder of the laws and regulations turns into something you never expected would happen. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Clayton Edstrom.

The American coot is a very distinctive bird, hard to mistake for anything else, but sometimes, somehow mistakes still happen. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Erik Schmidt.

The job of a game warden requires a very diverse set of skills and a willingness to try new things under pressure as shown in this Behind the Badge by warden Gage Muench.

Have you ever gotten that sneaking suspicion a tale you've been told isn't quite aboveboard? When that happens, a little fact checking can be quite enlightening. Read this week's Behind the Badge by warden Andrew Dahlgren.