By Leigh Ann Rutledge
FPS Accent Editor
February 26, 2008
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| STATE AWARD WINNER. Carroll County Wildlife Officer Dan Shroyer is shown receiving his award for being named "State Wildlife Officer of the Year" by the National Wild Turkey Federation. From the left: NWTF Regional Directors Wayne "Skip" Markland & Troy Conley, ODNR Division Of Wildlife Executive Law Director Jim Lehman, State Wildlife Officer Daniel Shroyer, and NWTF Regional Director Walt Ingram. |
Carroll County Wildlife Officer Dan Shroyer was named "State Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year" for his efforts in conserving America's wildlife. He was honored by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) at their state awards banquet held Jan. 19 in Columbus.
Shroyer said, "I was told I had been nominated and when I learned I won, I was very surprised. It's something you don't expect or anticipate. It just kind of happens."
NWTF initiated the State Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award in 2000 to highlight the contributions form wildlife officers across the country. Final selection of the winner is based on the officer's performance and turkey enforcement, their general attitude toward enforcement and their involvement in NWTF.
Shroyer is involved in NWTF at the state level and was a founding member of the Carroll County Doublebeards Chapter. He has been treasurer of the local chapter and treasurer of the state chapter of Women In the Outdoors. He has taught basic handgun safety skills to hundreds of women at the Women In the Outdoors events held each September at the FFA Camp Muskingum and participates in the winter event in Ashtabula County. He also educates youths about wildlife at hunter education courses.
Originally from Summit County, Shroyer attended The Ohio State University receiving a degree in Wildlife Biology. He started with the Division of Wildlife (DOW) as a seasonal worker at Deer Creek Wildlife Area as a natural resources specialist. Then he worked at Big Island in Marion County as a natural resources worker and during this time, he was accepted as a cadet with the DOW.
To be considered for the position of Wildlife Officer, an associate's degree in Wildlife Biology or Law Enforcement is required. Candidates then go through a yearlong hiring process going through such tests as background checks, psychological tests, etc. Cadets then go through peace officer training for 16 weeks and then through the DOW's Wildlife Academy, which specializes the peace officer training to wildlife enforcement. This academy lasts for 10 weeks.
Shroyer was named Wildlife Officer for Mercer County, on the Indiana border, right after finishing at the academy and remained there for three years. Officers can move to different counties based on seniority. When Shroyer heard about the opening in Carroll County, he thought it might be a good opportunity.
"My wife and I drove to Carroll County and decided it would be nice to be closer to our families. I was struck by the make up of Carroll County. There is a mix of agriculture and woods and it's on the edge of hill country. Mercer County was flat," says Shroyer.
He noted Carroll County is very diverse when it comes to wildlife with deer, turkey, pheasants, grouse. Atwood and Leesville Lakes and three sections of wildlife areas were also a big draw. "Carroll County is a smaller county and it's nice to know what is going on in the county. Regardless of square miles, there is only one officer per county," states Shroyer.
He became Carroll County's Wildlife Officer Nov. 18, 2001. He is responsible for fishing and hunting law enforcement, polluting of state waters and ginseng certification. Shroyer admits he learned the county fairly quickly and says he had traveled every road in the county during his first year. Being a small county with small communities, he said little things would sometimes trip him up, such as trying to find Kangaroo Krossing or having them tell you "at the old Johnson farm." "A lot of those places aren't on a map but when people refer to an area or homestead, they expect you to know where it's at," he chuckles.
Shroyer says is job is easier because of the strong relationship he and DOW have developed with the Sheriff's department, prosecutor's office and Judge Charles Johnston and county court. "We probably have one of the best, if not the best, court system when it comes to wildlife violators," states Shroyer.
Shroyer works out of Division 3 Northeast Ohio District located in Akron. The District office can be reached at 330-644-2293. For information on DOW, visit their website at www.dnr.state.oh.us.
Dan resides in Carroll County with his wife, Chris and three children.
NWTF is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport. Founded in 1973, in Fredericksburg, VA., NWTF has many outreach programs designed to promote the conservation of the wild turkey and preservation of the hunting heritage.
These programs include JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) for children 12 and under; Extreme JAKES for ages 13-17; Women In the Outdoors and Wheelin' Sportsmen, which provides people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities.
For more information regarding their outreach programs, conservation and habitat management or to beocme a memboer of NWTF, visit their website at www.nwtf.org. |
