Warden's Watch

Ben Shank is a trailblazer in the world of television production and the Chief Content Officer at Engel Entertainment. With a career highlighted by co-founding York and Wilder Studios and his innovative work on "Casey Anthony’s Parents Speak" for the A&E Network, Ben has been a driving force in the industry. His career spans over 200 hours of content for networks like Discovery and Animal Planet, with standout work on series such as "Lone Star Law" and "North Woods Law."

At Engel Entertainment, Ben is leading the charge on a range of new projects. These include a design challenge show, a docu-soap about expats living in Lisbon, Portugal, and a factual series on US government agencies. Additionally, he's overseeing the development of "Women on Death Row," a sober reality series set to premiere on A&E. This project reflects his commitment to creating content that is not only engaging but also socially relevant.

Join us in this episode as we explore Ben Shank's journey, his vision for the future of television production, and the innovative projects that are shaping the industry.

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For twenty years, Bill Livezey led a double life rubbing shoulders with some of Maine’s worst wildlife offenders; the kinds of people who not only live by the poacher’s mantra “if it’s brown, it’s down,” but many who were dangerously unstable felons, alcoholics, and drug abusers - his success at putting bad guys out of business stemming largely from his early years as one of them. Since retiring in 2020 as the Maine Warden Service’s longest-tenured covert operative, he has co-written Let’s Go For a Ride, a captivating chronicle of both a life undercover, and a life transformed.

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Here’s what we discuss:

·        “Let’s go for a ride” - the universal bad guy code

·        Desire for wealth sent his father down a dark road

·        From successful businessman to meth dealer

·        Hired a hit man to kill his own brother

·        Ultimately died in a confrontation with police

·        Young Bill loved sports and the outdoors, but was using drugs regularly by 15

·        Spiraling out of control: “I was broken.”

·        Positive influences and an invitation from a teammate changed everything

·        Unity college and riding with the game warden

·        An extra-long warden service polygraph

·        Applying as many times as it takes

·        The young game warden who knew all the tricks

·        Experience as a juvenile lent itself to undercover work

·        Befriending, then arresting poachers was a psychological struggle

·        “Pull over! I’m an undercover game warden!”

·        Relationships have to feel real; some were easy, some not so much

·        Undercover work was difficult to step away from

·        Some cases were especially taxing

·        The fear of being discovered

·        The book brings the reader into each case

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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Warden News is a collection of current game warden-related news stories gathered from news sources worldwide. These stories are compiled and read by Warden's Watch podcast producer Jay Scott. 

October 2023

"In addition to being illegal to take in Missouri wildlife by the Wildlife Code of Missouri without the proper permits, it’s not good for the animal either."

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In Appalachian Ohio and beyond, ginseng hunting is a centuries-old tradition. Prized for its medicinal value and prestige, American ginseng was one of America’s first exports to the Far East. Today, highly regulated but harvested to near extinction, its value has only increased, setting the stage for a black market that often results in arrests, prison time, and tragedy.

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Here’s what we discuss:

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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The North American Game Warden Museum could not be in a more perfect spot. Nestled amid the pristine forest, prairie, and floral gardens of the US/Canada International Peace Garden, it is the only space in the world dedicated to educating the public, celebrating natural resource protection, and honoring the fallen heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty. In this episode, we speak with board members Tom Caifa and Sheila Paquette about this incredible one-of-a-kind facility.  

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Thin Green Line Podcast

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Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

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International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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Kirk Kiefer has been a wildlife investigator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the past 15 years. In this episode, he walks us through Operation “Root of All Evil,” a lengthy and complex investigation into the illegal ginseng trade that spanned multiple states, included unmarked vehicles, extended surveillance, buys and sales by undercover officers, and even a fake business.

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Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

Maine's Operation Game Thief

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International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

·       Wild ginseng root is highly valued for its perceived medicinal properties

·       Grows very slowly, taking up to five years to reach maturity

·       One pound can be worth up to $1000

·       Seeds take over a year to germinate

·       Information campaign helped educate stakeholders on the damage caused by poaching

·       Many poachers are involved in other illegal activities

·       Legal ginseng plants must have three leaf sets, or ‘prongs’

·       Case also had multiple prongs

·       Prong 1: Undercover officers sold ginseng to licensed dealers

·       Compared the amount sold to the amount reported

·       Officers then sold ginseng outside the buying season to confirm illegal intent

·       Prong 2: Coordinated with US Fish & Wildlife Service to create a fake business

·       Business would receive inquiries from those looking to buy and sell illegal product

·       Prong 3: Obtain offenders’ assistance in exchange for a reduced penalty

·       Task force worked in multiple states

·       One offender had been featured on a popular reality show

·       The television show actually helped educate the public about ginseng poaching

·       Many countries overseas have decimated indigenous flora and fauna, creating a black market

·       110 defendants received multiple charges

·       Nearly six years of jail time served, $77,000 in fines

·       Kirk’s background; jack of all trades

·       Trapping academy

·       State officers were made aware of the ginseng operation

·       “Giving a little bit, we received a lot.”

·       Not all states have Wildlife Investigators

·       State of Ohio has done some major operations

·       Ginseng awareness for stakeholders training began in 2015

·       Operation takedown day finally arrived in 2022

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), founded in 1936, stands as a prominent nonprofit conservation organization in the U.S. With a membership exceeding six million, its mission revolves around the conservation of wildlife and their habitats. The NWF actively addresses critical environmental challenges, notably climate change and sustainable wildlife management, and offers educational resources like the "National Wildlife" magazine.

In this context, we're privileged to have Aaron Kindle and Bill Cooksey from the NWF join us. They co-host the "National Wildlife Federation Outdoors" podcast, a platform that bridges sportsmen and women, advocating for fish, wildlife habitat, and ensuring access to fishing and hunting in the wild expanses of public lands and waters.

Aaron Kindle, the Director of Sporting Advocacy at the NWF, hails from Wyoming. His previous tenure at Trout Unlimited saw him deeply involved in public lands issues. A graduate from Gunnison, Colorado, with an M.S. from the University of Montana, Aaron, now based in Salida, CO, is an ardent outdoor lover. His role at the Federation zeroes in on hunter/angler conservation efforts, emphasizing the preservation of public lands, endorsing responsible energy practices, and fostering pro hunting and angling directives.

Bill Cooksey, the Sportsmen Outreach Coordinator for the NWF, has his roots in the river bottoms of West Tennessee. His early years were marked by a fervor for hunting and fishing, having explored duck hunting across all flyways and fishing from East Tennessee to the Pacific. His hunting escapades as an adult spanned from prairie Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Chesapeake to the California Delta, with the Mississippi Flyway holding a special place in his heart. Bill's professional journey in the outdoor sector saw him evolve from selling duck calls to being the Marketing Director at Avery Outdoors, and subsequently, the Managing Editor of the Mid-South Hunting & Fishing News. His knack for communicating effectively with sportsmen has been a cornerstone of his professional trajectory.

Enjoy!

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In the summer of 2009, Ian Obenshain and Brad Bailey began observing a colossal white-tailed buck feeding in an Ohio field. The friends had permission to hunt the area and immediately started documenting the huge animal’s growth, with the ultimate goal of Brad filming Ian harvesting ‘Big Boy’ during the fall archery season. Anticipation, however, soon turned to disappointment when the trophy buck suddenly disappeared – and then the story turned even stranger.

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Here’s what we discuss:

·       Origin of the name ‘Big Boy’

·       Ian first spotted the buck in a soybean field near a highway

·       “Have you shown this to anybody?”

·       Big Boy was a world class buck

·       The pursuit and subsequent events brought the two friends closer

·       Brad had guiding experience

·       Placing trail cameras and trying to predict the animal’s behavior

·       Many days were spent planning and scouting

·       The pair planned to film the hunt

·       Big Boy disappeared, but the hunters hoped to see him again

·       “I think it’s in the booth behind you.”

·       A plaque claimed the buck was a Kentucky state record

·       There was no doubt the buck had been poached

·       Hundreds of photos and videos provided evidence of the buck’s origins

·       The loss was a tough pill to swallow

·       Hunting a trophy animal is a huge commitment

·       It was gratifying to see how seriously law enforcement approached the case

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

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From a cozy front porch in Utah, Wayne talks with Ohio Wildlife Officer and K9 handler Chris Gilkey. Born, raised - and now based - in the Ohio foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Officer Gilkey shares the remarkable story of Big Boy, the largest typical white-tailed buck taken in North America in 2009 – and for one poacher, more ‘bucks’ than he counted on. 

Our Sponsors: 

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

Maine's Operation Game Thief

Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Amazon

Google

Waypoint

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Originally from Western New York, Ethan Justinger packed up and moved to Utah at just 22 to pursue

his dream of being a game warden in the West. Now on the job with the Utah Division of Wildlife

Resources for 5 years, Ethan sits down with Wayne to share his passion for elk hunting, conservation

law, and the spectacular beauty surrounding them.

Our Sponsors:

Thin Green Line Podcast

Don Noyes Chevrolet

Sovereign Sportsman Solutions

“A Cowboy in the Woods” Book

Hunt of a Lifetime

Maine's Operation Game Thief

Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH

International Wildlife Crimestoppers

Here’s what we discuss:

 The elk hunt that changed everything

 Elevation sickness and bull elk bugling

 Hunters are conservationists

 A fitness test at altitude – during a forest fire

 “One of the greatest jobs on earth.”

 Driving from New York to Utah

 Adventuring every day

 A late-night tip after a long day

 Elk poacher was on private property

 Carcass covered in sticks and logs

 Evidence on a GoPro™

 More evidence on a cell phone

 A false blood trail

 Case resulted in a felony conviction and a 14-year suspension

 Mistakes happen, but it’s important to learn and share to help others

 Mountain snow in July

 Tough winters result in healthier populations in the long term

 Utah scenery stuns visitors and locals alike

Credits

Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores

Producer: Jay Ammann

Art & Design: Ashley Hannett

Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches

Subscribe:

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TuneIn

Megaphone

Find More Here:

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