Wardens

Michigan Conservation Officers investigate a bear killed during the season's opening weekend. A suspicious bag of trash left at a state park. Why every successful bear hunter has to turn in a tooth from his kill.

It's a late night for two Michigan Conservation Officers as an investigation into a hunting blind on federal property turns into much more. The area is also home to a once nearly extinct bird that is now making a comeback.

Montana Wardens spend a week tracking the killer of two out of season deer. Anonymous tips and eye witness accounts keep the Wardens hot on a trail filled with many twists and turns.

The Fourth of July weekend in Silver Lake State Park is a non-stop party. It's always a thrill ride as Michigan Conservation Officers help patrol the park during this busy time and make keeping the peace their number one priority.

Michigan Conservation Officers spend a lot of time enforcing the laws of waterfowl hunting. Using canoes, they work silently across the state's largest game area. It's not all work as one officer oversees a class trip to the pheasant field.

Opening Day looking for antlers is like a Christmas morning for shed hunters. A few are willing to break the law for a crack at a monster shed. Montana Wardens are on the look out for one offender who is no stranger to a run-in with the law

To slow the spread of CWD, Michigan Conservation Officers work opening day to make sure no deer come in from infected states. Their goal is to stop any deer that don't belong. Suspect deer are checked at the Wildlife Disease Lab.

Montana Wardens use everything from a deer decoy to a K-9 to make sure hunters are following the rules.

During the opening week, CO's and brothers Bill and Shane Webster patrol the state using vastly different strategies. Bill is on aerial patrol looking for illegal bait piles while Shane is working the web to track down offenders.

Michigan - The opening week of firearm deer season is one the year's busiest. Officers in Districts 3 and 6 tackle road hunting issues in rural Michigan.

Michigan - Officers in both the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan work to stop hunters from baiting for bear too early.

Montana - Warden Bryan Golie investigates a call of shots fired on private property during the big game season and is in for one long night.

In District 6, the Walleye Opener is one of the busiest weekends of the year. A 10 officer patrol works the weekend making sure everyone is safe and obeying the law.

All across Michigan, officers spend the 16 days of the firearm deer season responding to all manner of calls. From trespassing to poaching, just when you think you've seen it all, something new pops up.

Hunters have their downed elk attacked by a grizzly bear and Warden Koeppen investigates a separate dead elk, left in a field.

There are two distinct elk seasons in Michigan, one in August and one in December. Patrolling those two seasons couldn't be more different for the officers in District 3.

C.O.s in Michigan sometimes rely on aerial surveillance to crack down on illegal baiting during the firearm whitetail season.

Game Warden John Lesofski starts his day before sunrise and doesn't wrap up until well past sunset.