Nebraskaland

46 Nebraskaland • January-February 2022 Questions for Cory By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley had the opportunity to patrol the Elkhorn River with Game and Parks Conservation Offi cer Cory Krause, who is stationed in West Point in northeastern Nebraska. Shortly after getting on the water, we came upon two fi shermen in a remote area of the river. As Cory predicted, they did not have valid fi shing permits. Cory fi lled out a couple of tickets and made some calls, and just when I thought this was going to be a textbook citation, the shiny handcuff s came out. Cory had just run background checks, and one of the men had several outstanding warrants in a nearby state. After some more digging, Cory found that he was also in possession of marijuana, neatly hidden in his tackle box. Cory strapped the off ender in an ugly orange life vest, crowned him with a pair of earmuff s and gave him the most awkward boat ride of his life. He was handed over to the sheriff 's department, who waited for us by the bridge on Highway 275. After, we sat down for lunch at a nearby restaurant to talk about the morning and Cory's job as CO. JNW: How long have you been a CO and what interested you? CK: When I was in the second grade, a conservation offi cer came to visit my class. He was actually my dad, and I never had a clue at what he did until he came to school and talked. I knew he went out and worked, and wore the uniform and a gun belt, and that was about it until his visit. I decided then that's what I wanted to do. I've been a CO since 2005, and I'm living my dream. JNW: How long does the process take from applying for the job to actually being out in the fi eld? CK: You begin by taking a written test that covers a number of things, including biology, wildlife identifi cation, the equipment you will use and general knowledge of hunting, fi shing and trapping. Then you have two interviews after that, which is followed by more testing. It could be fi ve months before you fi nd out if you're off ered a position. And then if you're not certifi ed law enforcement already, you have to go to Grand Island to the law enforcement training center for 16 weeks. After that, you go through four months of conservation offi cer academy and the in-the-fi eld training program. So, if you're not already certifi ed law enforcement, it would be a year until you're on your own. JNW: What signals or signs do you look for when you approach people? CK: Those guys earlier, as soon as we got there, I could tell there was something wrong before we even really got into it. And I know the reason why they chose the spot they did. Normally, when I see someone that far off the beaten path, there's something going on. It just happened to be these guys who didn't have fi shing permits. JNW: Why is it important for everyone to follow game and fi sh laws? CK: We can't let everybody go that doesn't buy fi shing permits because that's what funds our conservation eff orts. And it's just a small percentage of the people out there who aren't following the rules that make everyone else look bad. And there's a diff erence between an honest mistake and blatant violation. JNW: So whether or not you issue a citation is dependent on circumstances. CK: Offi cer' s discretion is very important, and I don't need to write a ticket to do my job. Citations can either make or break a person. For example, let's say there's a kid who just turned 16, and he didn't grow up in a family where they did any fi shing or hunting. All of a sudden, this kid decides that he's going to buy his own fi shing pole and go fi shing, but he goes fi shing without a permit because he doesn't know. And here comes the CO to check him. By law, he's in the wrong, but I can make or break him on his outdoor experience. If I give him the ticket and walk away, he may say, "I'm never doing this again." Or he can become a potential problem for me down the road and become a big violator who will never buy a permit. Or, I can work with him. That can pay dividends down the road. He could be someone who can keep an eye out for me or give another kid a break and help somebody else. JNW: Have you ever gotten into a dangerous situation? CK: We don't just handle fi sh- and game-related situations. There are times when the sheriff 's department or state patrol needs help with speeding tickets, DUI, car wrecks and traffi c, and we'll assist. To say anything was completely dangerous where I was fearful for my life, fortunately, no. I've had some "oh [crud] moments" though. A few summers ago at one of our small state recreation areas, I ended up in a wrestling match with a guy on the ground. He had drugs, and he wasn't cooperating. It was late at night, I was in an area with poor radio coverage, and I was outnumbered. The only way I could get him in handcuff s was to go to the ground fi ghting. JNW: What's a typical work week for you? CK: It's not a Monday through Friday job. My off days change all the time. We work nights, weekends and holidays. We are busy year-round, and we get home when we're done. If I'm working spot lighters, I won't go out until 9 p.m. I

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