AREA LEGISLATOR WANTS GAME OFFICIALS WORKING WITH BACK-UPS

JEFFERSON CITY -- A Southeast Missouri state representative said the state has been lucky in letting its conservation agents go alone to investigate nighttime poaching and spotlighting complaints.

Poplar Bluff Republican Bill Foster has no problem with agents working alone during the day, but believes sending them out alone at night to investigate complaints is unwise.

Foster has met with conservation department officials to see what might be done to give agents some back-up.

"I don't want to waste money, but I am not going to jeopardize their lives by sending them out there at night alone," Foster said. "I want a situation where he can have help at the most appropriate time."

Foster said agents are often called at home in the middle of the night about reports of spotlighting, using dogs to hunt deer or other possible hunting infractions. Certain times of the year in parts of the state, calls come nightly.

Agents put on their uniform and head into the woods to check on violations of hunters, who are usually armed. Further complicating the problem is that many times, no one knows where the agents are working, and if they get into trouble it would be difficult to get back-up or find them, Foster said.

Foster's 156th District includes parts of Ripley, Butler and Bollinger counties and all of Wayne County.

Last November, two men attacked Ripley County agent James Kuenzle after he investigated a report of dogs being used to hunt deer. He was working alone.

Kuenzle eventually apprehended two suspects and filed charges against them.

Foster said there was another incident involving an agent in Wayne County a year before.

Ironically, Foster said Kuenzle had expressed some concerns about safety to him and U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson at a meeting several months before the incident.

Last week Foster met with officials at the Department of Conservation headquarters in Jefferson City and asked that they attempt to deal with the problem.

Gerald Ross, assistant department director, said they are still trying to assess what they might do in the long term.

"We are trying to look at ways to deal with the concerns," Ross said.

Sometimes additional agents can be brought in to saturate certain areas, but that isn't always possible.

"Agents go through a six-month training period to become a certified peace officer," Ross said. "We spend a lot of time training them in how to diffuse these potentially dangerous situations."

Dennis Steward, assistant chief of the enforcement division, said agents are encouraged to call an agent from a nearby county for back-up if they feel the need.

"But on a routine call, you never know what is going to be waiting there," he said. "We have had several assaults around the state, oftentimes at night and in remote locations."

Steward said an effort is being made to shift more agents to potentially troubles areas, however, he admitted by the nature of their job, they often work alone.

Agents are given some of the best radio equipment available and are well trained in how to deal with problems, he said.

Foster said he would sponsor legislation if needed, but thinks the department has the authority to provide back-up.

One option would be to pay off-duty sheriff's deputies to accompany agents at night.

"By having extra visible help, it will reduce the likelihood of confrontation," Foster said. "It will be safer for the hunters and the conservation agent both."

It also will help, Foster said, to have trained law enforcement officials going with the agents.

At the very least, Foster said he would like to see back-up provided during the fall gun deer season and the two-week "scouting season" prior to that. That period is when agents are called out at night the most often.

"I think the message to people that agents will be working with someone is a good message to send out," Foster said.

"Assaults are of great concern to us," Steward said, adding that nationwide, statistics show wildlife law officers are in a group most likely to be assaulted.

During the past year, Steward said complaints have been increasing from landowners about unauthorized hunting and hunters damaging land and livestock.