Conservation Law Enforcement

The primary responsibilities of officers are to:

• Enforce laws related to hunting, trapping, fishing, navigation, commercial fishing, snowmobiling, and all-terrain vehicles.
• Investigate incidents involving outdoor recreation.
• Inspect game breeders, taxidermists, bait dealers, and other commercial users.
• Educate adults and children through hunter education, outdoor skills workshops, and other courses.
• Communicate with schools and community groups through public programs, and with the media through TV, newspaper, and radio shows.

Field officers typically cover one or two county territories.  Recreational safety officers cover up to 19 counties and perform similar duties as field officer while coordinating safety education program and assist with investigations.  Bureau supervisors oversee officer activities in regional offices across the state.

Officers' work schedules vary with the seasons and activities.  They work most weekends, particularly in hunting seasons and summer holidays, and have two days off per week.  Officers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week by radio and telephone.  Most maintain offices in their homes and in their assigned work vehicles.

Equipment is an important part of a conservation officer's job. The DNR equips officers to perform their diverse duties with uniforms, firearms, and seasonal apparel including waders, snowmobile suits, and flotation devices.

Each officer is issued a patrol vehicle equipped with lights, siren, cell phone, computer, and radio. Other transportation tools include boats, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles.

After completing initial basic training at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, newly hired officers must complete the Probationary Conservation Officer Academy and Field Training Program.  Officers then hone their skills through ongoing training in defensive tactics, firearms, communication skills, ice and swift water rescue, and law enforcement driving, to name a few topics.  Many officers act as instructors for the bureau and other law enforcement agencies.

Conservation officers are usually highly motivated, independent workers. They tend to be career employees; turnover can be relatively low and hiring is competitive. However, for those who have a strong desire to work in natural resources and with the people who enjoy them, it can be a rewarding career.

Applications for full-time positions are selected through an extensive interview and testing process that includes a physical agility test, cognitive test, and psychological exam. They must meet all the requirements to be a state peace officer.

Candidates should have excellent communication skills, be flexible and adaptable, and act in a fair and ethical manner. Individuals selected as conservation officers usually have four-year degrees in fish and wildlife management, biology, criminal justice, or similar fields. Most also participate in outdoor recreation and have prior experience in natural resource fields.

Purpose The purpose of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is to assure that in participating states, non-resident violators will receive the same treatment as resident violators. The IWVC member states reciprocate regarding the suspension or revocation of licenses and permits resulting from violation of hunting, fishing, or trapping laws. If an individual's license or permit privileges are revoked in one compact member state, they are subject to suspension or revocation in all other member states. For example, if an Iowa resident has their hunting privileges suspended in Minnesota, their privileges may also be suspended in Iowa and in all other compact states. This helps prevent habitual violators from relocating their illegal activities to other member's states.

The IWVC also has established procedures that cause a non-resident violator who fails to comply with the terms of a citation issued in a participating state to face the possibility of the suspension of his wildlife license privileges in their home state until the terms of the citation are met.

The goal of the IWVC is to facilitate improved enforcement of hunting, fishing, and trapping laws through the cooperation of law enforcement units in member states.

History The topic of an interstate violator compact was first broached in the 1980s. Law enforcement agencies were looking for a way to deal with individuals who violated wildlife and resource laws outside their home state or in multiple states. Their work came to fruition in 1989 when the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact was passed into law in Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon. Iowa became an active member of the compact in 2003.

Members

• Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact - Membership Map
• Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact -Membership List