2020 Enforcement Division Review

Another year has come and gone, and what a year it was for all walks of life, including the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s enforcement division. From dealing with daily COVID-19 challenges, increased numbers of hunters and anglers and changes in technology, game wardens continued to do what they always do without pause, providing exceptional service to North Dakotans.

I sincerely appreciate the effort and contributions of the officers and staff. The men and women who choose to sacrifice their weekends, holidays, season openers and family time to safeguard North Dakota’s natural resources and ensure the safety of those who recreate outdoors certainly deserve a huge thank you.

One of the new pieces of technology implemented and finalized in 2020 was a new records management system. This new system was built specifically for the needs of the enforcement division and is providing new and interesting data that will assist in developing and improving enforcement operations.

While we have always been able to report the number of citations issued in a year, that number pales in comparison to the number of people contacted by a game warden where no citation was issued. These license checks, bag inspections, boating safety inspections, public safety calls, wildlife issues, permits, the list goes on, are as important as the number of citations and are now tracked.

For instance, between September 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, there were 11,937 contacts made by game wardens, and 1,061 citations written. This information shows more accurately the impact game wardens have instead of looking at citation numbers alone.

With this information now readily available, we will continue to develop and implement enforcement strategies and operations for the benefit of North Dakota’s wildlife and those who enjoy the outdoors.

Incidents 2020 – Top 10 Counties

(An incident is defined as any situation that requires a response from a game warden. It does not have to be a crime. The situation could be, for example, a stranded angler.)

• Ramsey – 200
• McKenzie – 197
• Burleigh – 190
• McLean – 173
• Williams – 168
• Morton – 154
• Richland – 152
• Stark – 133
• Cass – 119
• Bottineau – 113

Citations 2020 – Top 10 Counties

• Ramsey – 320
• Williams – 163
• McKenzie – 128
• Stutsman – 108
• Burleigh – 106
• Benson – 92
• Bottineau – 88
• McLean – 88
• Mercer – 83
• Dickey – 78

Johnston Named Wildlife Officer of the Year

Kylor Johnston, North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game warden stationed in Hazen, is the state’s 2020 Wildlife Officer of the Year. Johnston was honored recently by Shikar-Safari Club International, a private conservation organization that annually recognizes outstanding wildlife officers in each state.

In a nomination letter sent to Shikar-Safari, chief warden Scott Winkelman said Johnston’s district contains a variety of wildlife and recreational areas including the state’s largest reservoir, Lake Sakakawea.

“Warden Johnston’s district includes some of the busiest and best open water fishing in North Dakota, as anglers from across the state and country travel to fish the Garrison Dam Tailrace and Lake Sakakawea,” Winkelman said. “Late-season ducks and geese are also highly sought, along with pheasant, grouse and deer. He excels at finding evidence on violations and pushing until the case is complete.”