Top-Nominees for OK State Game Warden of the Year
The top officer award (Oklahoma State Game Warden of the Year) this year went to District Two nominee Jerry Henry. Nothing however, should be taken away from the Game Warden nominees from each of the other seven districts. Though only a brief glimpse, take a minute to "meet" each of these fine officers from the other seven regions of the state.
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Paul is a five year veteran assigned to Osage Co. Paul hails from Ottowa Co. and began his warden career in Jefferson Co. in SW OK. Paul's wife is a surgical nurse and they have one son and one daughter. Paul is a 31 year old softspoken officer who graduated from OSU. As nice as he is, he knows how to stand his ground as his favorite "warden-duty" is busting deerpoachers. Paul's favorite personalpastime is spending time with his family and when time allows, hunting spring turkey, and fishing for big crappie. |
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Dru follows his older brother Dane, into the wildlife enforcement
field. He began his employment with the Department of Wildlife
in 1998 with the Fisheries Division at the Durant Hatchery.
Then in 2001 he transferred into the law division and took
an assignment as Game Warden where he is currently stationed
in McCurtain County. Dru is married and they have two children,
one of which is very new! Dru works tirelessly and fearlessly
in a tough area where wardens are faced with an enormous task
of confronting a myriad of serious violations from serious
viola |
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Tom is a 21 year veteran who hails from the Tulsa area. His original assignment was Hughes Co. and evidently it was a good area because he remains there today. He has a wife, one son and one daughter. Tom is 45 years of age and a graduate of Northeastern in Tahlequah. His favorite part of warden work is contributing to the 'team' by training his fellow officers. Tom is a CLEET-certified instructor who specializes in firearms and driving. He is an accomplished videographer who has taken his passion for wildlife, hunting, and video skills to earn hunting-sponsorships from big-names like "Scentlock" and works on national hunting shows such as "Driven to Hunt" and "Point Blank Archery". As a 'hardcore' bowhunter, Tom has harvested around a dozen P&Y deer and has taken an archerybull elk every year for the past nine years running! |
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Wade is a five year veteran assigned to Logan Co. He started out assigned to Oklahoma Co. and recently moved to the county just north of OKC. Wade is 28 years of age and a graduate of UCO in Edmond. He is married and his wife is a very accomplished professional artist. Wade enjoys enforcement work but his most favorite duty over all the rest is busting deer poachers! His favorite personal pastime is waterfowl hunting and flyfishing. |
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James or Jimbo as he is affectionately called by peers, is a 7‑year veteran assigned to Caddo County. Jimbo is a 31 year old, OSU grad who also happens to be a second generation warden following in his father's footsteps (also named James but with a different nickname). He hails from the Potowatomie County area and has worked Caddo for his entire tenure to date. Jimbo is married to an R.N. and the couple enjoys Colorado trout fishing trips. When you meet Jimbo you can't help but sense his enthusiasm for the job. His most valued part of the warden job he says, is "preaching the immeasurable value of wildlife law enforcement". He understands well that if there were no wardens, there would be no huntable numbers of game species, thus no hunting, no funding and, consequently no conservation! |
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Robin has obviously been working very hard fox a new warden to have earned such prestigious recognition (as her district's nominee) as she has been a commissioned officer for only 2 1/2 years' Assigned to Tillman County, Robin is a 25 year old product of SEOSU in Durant and Marshall County. For three years prior to her work as a game warden Robin worked for the ODWC in the fisheries division. On her own time, Robin enjoys riding and maintaining her own two classic motorcycles. Another favorite pursuit (when not pursuing violators) is summer kayaking the "Boundary Waters" of MN with her rowing buddy Jacob. Jacob is a loyal mix breed that seems to enjoy riding in her kayak except when Robin hits white water! Robin says her favorite thing about the job is the "total unpredictability of each new day". |
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Marshall hails from Payne County and, is a second generation warden following in the footsteps of his late father, Randall. Marshall began his career in Grant County 3 years ago. He is a 28 year old graduate of NWOSU in Alva who's earned quite a reputation! In addition to producing 'solid' game warden work, he brings lots of laughs to his district with antics and humor. He's married to an R.N. who prefers to out hunt him whenever she can. Marshall enjoys many aspects of hunting, fishing and, even turps for fur but, says his favorite thing is hunting waterfowl. He reluctantly admits that he does deer hunt but, mostly because that's the hunting his wife enjoys the most! |
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