Law Enforcement

Read more about Chief Randy Stark and the program.

Hi. I'm Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark. As you may have noticed, we have recently updated our website to keep the public better informed about events occurring in the various programs held by the Bureau of Law Enforcement. Our staff is dedicated to bringing you the most up to date and interesting information. By keeping you informed, and working together, we can ensure everyone can safely enjoy our natural resources, today and into the future.

Wisconsin unveils a new opportunity for New Hunters

Wisconsin’s new Mentored Hunting Program, with the combined controlled conditions of "one gun", "arms reach", and "one to one" mentoring, was designed first and foremost with safety in mind. The mentoring program removes barriers to participation yet allows people to safely experience hunting in a highly controlled manner. It creates circumstances that are responsive to the social conditions research tells us is necessary to recruit more hunters. A mentored hunting experience can kindle an interest that leads to the creation of a life-long connection with the natural world – creating an appreciation and understanding of it - and evoking a spirit of commitment to pass on the conservation ethic and our hunting heritage to future generations. Read more: Hunting in Wisconsin.

Shore Anglers and VHS

Here are some tips on transporting fish caught from shore to prevent the spread of VHS.

• Shore Anglers and VHS [VIDEO Length :41]

VHS and You: Keeping Wisconsin's Waters Healthy

Invasive Species and Fish Disease

Conservation Wardens get geared up to educate the public on invasive species and fish disease.

Unfortunately, waterways where you hunt, fish or boat are vulnerable to being infected by an invasive species and VHS. That’s why wardens are making it a normal part of their duties to inspect boats, trailers and equipment for invasive plants and animals.

What can you do?

Read about characteristics of invasive species and symptoms of fish disease.

• Take Action to Stop Invasive Species!

2008 Fall Fish Run Report

Every fall, the Southeast Region produces a report for the enforcement efforts during the annual fall salmon and trout migrations on the tributaries of Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee Counties. In 2008, wardens issued 215 citations/criminal complaints for violations, totaling $47,299.85 in these three counties. Read the full report for more details, stories leading up to some of these citations given, and the importance of the enforcement efforts during this migration.

Full Tributary Stream Enforcement Report [PDF 264KB]

Conservation Warden Nick Nice, Taylor County, selected as the Wisconsin Waterfowl Officer of the Year

Nick received the award during the Conservation Congress Annual Convention May 8 at the LaCrosse Center in LaCrosse. In addition, Nick received a certificate and pin from the Mississippi Flyway Council Law Enforcement Commitee recognizing his excellent work in protecting our waterfowl resources.

Nick has developed a balanced waterfowl program, promoting waterfowl hunting, wetland and waterway protection, and enforcement of waterfowl regulations contributing to three of our strategic plan goals:

• Goal #1. Maintain healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitats.
• Goal #2. Enhance opportunities, safety and enjoyment of outdoor recreational experiences.
• Goal #4. Passing on the conservation ethic to future generations.

Nick creatively involves youth in activities beyond his working relationship as a warden. He has introduced a number of youth to waterfowl hunting. He truly enjoys providing an opportunity for youth to learn about waterfowl and their environment while participating in a safe and enjoyable hunting experience. Nick continues to pursue ways to involve our youth in the outdoors and strives to provide safety programs that educate and promote future interest in the outdoors.

Wetlands are very near and dear to Nick, as he enjoys much of his off-time recreating in wetland areas. Nick constantly works side by side with outdoor organizations to futher enhance wetland areas. Nick also works closely with water regulatory specialists and wildlife biologists in the Northern Region on wetland enhancement and protection issues.

With the help of the Taylor County Sportsmen's Club, Nick developed a wood duck box building program for the Taylor County Elementary Students in 1991. Since that time, over 4,000 wood duck boxes have been built, provided to interested landowners, and placed throughout Taylor County. The program has been a huge success and continues today.

Nick's interest and passion for waterfowling is evident by his high level waterfowl program in the Taylor County area. Nick consistently makes quality enforcement cases related to waterfowl hunting. In 2008, they included arrests associated with over-bagging on waterfowl, hunting after hours, transportation violations and failure to retrieve.

Bureau of Law Enforcement 2008 Annual Report is now available

Chief Warden Randy Stark announces the recent release of the Bureau's annual report. "We've significantly changed the way we produced this report" says Stark. "The report now mirrors our strategic goals and is designed to report back to the public we serve on our efforts to achieve these goals. The public helped us develop the plan and funds our operations. We intend to report back annually on what we've accomplished in protecting the people and natural resources in Wisconsin. We want to be viewed as an investment of choice for the people we serve."

Bureau of Law Enforcement 2008 Annual Report [PDF 23.3MB]

New Options for Purchasing Duplicate Safety Education Certificates

Customers can obtain their duplicate safety education certificate in one of several ways.

• Wisconsin's Online Licensing Center
• DNR service centers
• license sales agent

Information about Obtaining a Duplicate Safety Education Certificate. Fees for purchasing a duplicate safety education certificate are still $2.75 but for the customer that decides to print their duplicate at home there will also be a $1.00 convenience fee, a total of $3.75. The customer will need to pay online with a valid credit card.