July 16, 2008

California Game Warden Sean Pirtle received the prestigious Pogue-Elms Award from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced.

"Warden Pirtle has proved himself a tenacious fighter of fish and wildlife crime," said Nancy Foley, DFG's Chief of Enforcement. "His investigative skills, professionalism and relentless pursuit of poachers have consistently produced extraordinary cases."

During 2007, Warden Pirtle, through diligent patrol efforts, cultivated outstanding citation statistics, including 17 over-limits of waterfowl cases totalling 127 ducks including 31 Pintail (one case involved Pirtle finding duck breasts hidden in a coffee thermos). He made one swan case, two unlicensed guide cases, two illegal use of lead shot cases, seven trespass cases, three turkey cases and eight deer poaching cases. Striped Bass, salmon, squirrel and dove cases were also made throughout the season, in addition to the many "routine" cases that he came across on a daily basis.

Also during the last year, Warden Pirtle developed and used sophisticated surveillance techniques, spending countless hours to catch pig poachers illegally using snares and bear poachers taking bears out of season. Both of those cases required him to write and serve search warrants and ultimately resulted in several felony convictions. Warden Pirtle was also the lead investigator on what was labeled the "Thrill Killings of Sutter County," where 13 deer and other wildlife were killed and left to rot.

"Warden Pirtle's attitude is far from just making a living," said Lt. Kent Harrison, Pirtle's supervisor. "It is living to make a difference; a difference to help do his small part in the big scheme of things and truly living for his passion of conserving all things wild and punishing those who do not respect the resources he is sworn to protect."

Warden Pirtle's father, Robert, is a retired warden, so Sean grew up riding around in a warden's patrol vehicle, learning about and gaining an appreciation for California's wild. His sister, Kelly Blair works in the DFG Wildlife Investigations Lab. He is an avid outdoorsman who has hunted and fished his entire life.

The Pogue-Elms Award was created to honor Bill Pogue and Conley Elms; two Idaho wildlife officers killed in the line of duty in 1981 by a poacher. The award is given at the Annual WAFWA meeting on their behalf to a wildlife law enforcement officer who exemplifies courage, dedication, sacrifice and hard work in their dedication to, and love for wildlife. WAFWA is an association of 23 states and Canadian provinces with a unified goal of sound resource management for the protection and conservation of America's fish and wildlife species.