Warden's Watch Podcast By Wayne Saunders / John Nores cover art

Warden's Watch

Warden's Watch

By: Wayne Saunders / John Nores
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This podcast brings you stories from Game Wardens across the world. Listen to their favorite cases, worst cases, what led them to their career, and what makes their job unique. Hosted by retired game wardens Wayne Saunders and John Nores.2022 Warden's Watch Biographies & Memoirs Biological Sciences Science True Crime
Episodes
  • 169 – PAGC Tracking Team

    169 – PAGC Tracking Team
    Apr 3 2026
    In this episode of Warden’s Watch, we sit down with members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Tracking Team - a rare, highly trained group of game wardens who specialize in man tracking. From grassroots beginnings and intense training standards to real‑world deployments where everything clicks, this conversation explores what it truly means to be experts in the woods. Along the way, the guys share powerful success stories, gear talk, and a reminder that camaraderie might just be the most important tool they carry. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers Here’s what we discuss: · How Pennsylvania’s Tracking Team grew from a small grassroots idea · Wardens investing in their own training before the team officially existed · The missing person search that proved the team’s value · What it really means to be “the police in the woods” · Why earning a tab can take two to five years · The training required to stay on the team, from tracking to firearms to med skills · Why trackers focus on disturbance, not perfect boot prints · “If it was just footprints in the sand, we wouldn’t need a tracking team.” · Learning the natural patterns of the woods - and noticing what breaks them · How time, distance, and decision‑making shape every search · A call‑out that led to a young boy being found and returned home · A fugitive pursuit that unfolded just like a training scenario · “Everything clicked - it felt like Christmas morning.” · How tracking teams and K9 units support each other in the field · Knowing the limits of scent work and when human tracking matters most · The gear they carry and why preparation is everything · A quick snack can be a small thing that makes a big difference · How mapping and coordination happen before teams ever hit the woods · The close‑knit camaraderie that defines the team · What it means to wear the tab and lead by example · The “shirt off your back” tradition · Why so many wardens want to join the team - and why standards stay high · How teams like this help agencies stay trusted, capable, and relevant Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • 168 Talking Turkey - With Patrick Gibbs & Ben Martin

    168 Talking Turkey - With Patrick Gibbs & Ben Martin
    Mar 20 2026
    Spring might still be a snow-covered dream up north, but down in Georgia the dogwoods are thinking about blooming – and that means the turkeys are waking up. This week, Georgia Game Warden Patrick Gibbs and Ben Martin of HuntRegs join Wayne for a closer look into the southern turkey season, the surprising quirks of Georgia’s big‑game rules, and why the HuntRegs app is becoming one of the most powerful tools in the field. From license mistakes to a Thanksgiving turkey story involving a dog with questionable morals, this one’s packed with practical advice and classic game warden comedy. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum HuntRegs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers Here’s what we discuss: · Spring turkey talk and the north–south difference in season timing · Patrick’s 13 years as a Georgia game warden · Working the Georgia coast: shrimping, crabbing, oysters, and commercial fisheries · Moving inland and “traditional” game‑warden work · HuntRegs’ goal of improving public understanding of what wardens actually do · “There’s not enough game wardens” - why follow‑up matters · What wardens look for on a turkey hunter check · Licensing requirements for turkey · Bag limit changes: two per season, one per day · “Leave one to keep the population going” · Printed harvest records vs app check‑ins · You can game‑check without service and upload later · Requirements: record before moving the bird, game‑check within 24 hours · Turkeys as the most‑poached species and why tagging matters · Patrick’s approach with inexperienced hunters and juveniles · Why turkey hunters tend to be more seasoned · Public‑land turkeys: “No inexperienced hunter is killing a Georgia public bird” · Florida, early spring weather, and turkey chatter starting up · “When the dogwoods bloom, the turkeys gobble” · Common mistakes: assuming WMAs follow statewide turkey dates · Miss the quota? “You’re definitely getting a ticket.” · HuntRegs app: geolocation, pin drops, license requirements, special rules · Archery‑only zones, no‑camping rules, and property‑specific notes · Game wardens using the app themselves before checks · Printed regs and rules: “They call it the digest… not very digestible!” · Growth of HuntRegs and its state‑by‑state customization · A turkey tossed out a car window, then snatched and hidden by a dog · “Did you charge the dog - aiding and assisting?” · No fall turkey season in Georgia; hens always protected · HuntRegs‑generated cases: night hunting, baited duck ponds, hunting without permission · Duck pond baited with molasses and corn, caught on Thanksgiving morning · Why community tips matter · Focus on catching blatant violations: night hunting, baiting, hunting under the influence · Anonymous reporting, optional follow‑ups, and confidentiality · Georgia’s monetary rewards for tips leading to convictions · Improving the system based on warden feedback · “Already a good day when you learn something new.” Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • 167 Amanda McKune – Illinois

    167 Amanda McKune – Illinois
    Mar 6 2026
    It’s Women’s History Month, and there’s no better time to highlight CPO Amanda McKune - Illinois officer, new mom, and the 2025 NWTF Officer of the Year. Amanda shares the behind‑the‑scenes reality of the job: the long hours, the high‑stakes turkey and deer cases, the instincts that guide her, and the determination that has already defined her first six years in the field. Humble and relentless, she’s exactly the kind of story this month is made to celebrate. Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line Podcast Don Noyes Chevrolet North American Game Warden Museum Hunt Regs WiseEye SecureIt Gun Storage XS Sights “A Cowboy in the Woods” Book Maine Operation Game Thief New Hampshire Operation Game Thief North East Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association International Wildlife Crimestoppers Here’s what we discuss: · Stepping onto the NWTF stage and realizing the scale: “I had no idea going into that… wow.” · Working turkey and deer hunters in southern Illinois - being “in the right place at the right time.” · The habitual turkey poacher and the tip that set everything in motion. · Working 3 AM mornings through April until she finally caught him. · Charging him with 8 birds she could prove, knowing the real count was far higher. · Spending another April up before dawn to catch him again during suspension. · The rush when officers from another district caught him a third time. · Why turkey cases are so tough: long hours, staying still, waiting. · “Sometimes it doesn’t add up… but 90% of the time it leads to something.” · The strain of April on her young family - “They put up with me the whole month of April.” · A wild deer case: a shot at dark, a suspect in Long Johns, and three huge bags of illegal deer corn. · Interviews stretching for hours as he claimed he was “just looking.” · Finding his gun buried in a creekbed, wrapped in his unworn camo: “We were all amped up… we got him.” · Growing up fishing, discovering her interviewing superpower — “People just like to talk to me.” · The importance of catching a single word out of place. · Illinois’ massive deer - with 26‑pointers becoming normal in some counties. · Ongoing cases involving 30+ illegally killed deer. · Starting her career in the same county she grew up in. · Knowing the land, families, and history. · Tips and informants as the backbone of most big cases. · Balancing motherhood, a state‑trooper husband, and long hours: “I’m taking advantage now and trying to catch these guys while I can.” · The rise of night road hunting and non‑residents chasing big Midwest deer. · October–December feeling like another April. · A new era of poaching — thermal optics and crossbows with thermals. · Working across the Missouri border and the challenges of multi‑state cases. · District teamwork: “It takes all of us to make these big cases.” · The impact of heavy illegal take on local populations — especially in concentrated areas. Credits Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores Producer: Jay Ammann Warden’s Watch logo & Design: Ashley Hannett Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Google Waypoint Stitcher TuneIn Megaphone Find More Here: Website Warden’s Watch / TGL Store Facebook Facebook Fan Page Instagram Threads YouTube RSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
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Wayne is the best!!!! You can literally feel his passion in every podcast. keep it up

Wayne!!!!!

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Best podcast about game Wardens and the work they do that is out there awesome job!

Best podcast available

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I love hearing the stories from wardens across the country. Keep up the great work!

My favorite podcast!

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Good episode. I wouldn't have thought ginseng poaching was a thing but not really surprising either. Very informative.
First time I was able to leave a rating and review (Spotify does not allow me to for some reason). I'll continue listening on Audible in the future.

Interesting

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4 episodes in and no intention of stopping. Found my new podcast! I'm a hunter on the east coast and love hearing these stories. Episodes 52 and 53 hit home. There are no almost no box turtles left in our area of Southern NJ. 20 years ago there were literally hundreds visible throughout the year each spring. Keep at it!

Awesome stories, great Podcaster

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