The Wildest Hunt: True Stories of Game Wardens and Poachers

by Randy Nelson

A lively collection of wilder-than-fiction poaching stories from across Canada and the US, including insights from investigating officers involved in real poaching situations.


Get ready to read some of the wildest true crime imaginable. Showcasing fish and wildlife poaching stories from every province and territory in Canada and every state in the United States, decorated fishery officer Randy Nelson offers a thrilling look into a dangerous industry.


With insights gathered through thousands of phone calls and emails to investigating officers, The Wildest Hunt collects over one hundred North American fish and wildlife officers’ stories, with tales ranging from absolutely disgusting to hysterically hilarious. Nelson takes readers across North America, from busting turtle-trafficking rings in Oklahoma to collecting a 4.5-metre beluga whale from a bus in Saskatchewan.


Nelson’s entertaining stories also shed light on the important work of fish and wildlife officers, and the often messy, sometimes dangerous situations they must face, as well as how important the public can be in solving wildlife crime.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are over a hundred stories of how wildlife officers get their man (I do not recall any woman mentioned). The author uses humour to describe the many situations where the poachers are found out. He, of course, has no respect for poachers and characterizes most of them as bumbling fools. Some of the investigations, however, involve a great deal of resources and time to procure the evidence needed. The author laments about the light sentences given after all that work He also laments the lack of wildlife officers on the ground and the need for the public to be more involved in reporting.

While I found the stories interesting and educational, it is my belief the author covered too many stories. In doing so some of the chapters were very brief. Some as little as one paragraph. My preference would be to provide more of the story and detail in each chapter and cover less of them.

[Don Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting stories that need to be told, but many are too brief and require more filling out to justify Nelson's disdain for poachers. I worked for a fish & wildlife agency and know the hard work officers do to protect natural resources. It's a thankless job Nelson was trying to highlight, but abbreviating the stories didn't help. Also, making the poachers more cardboard characters didn't help the story telling either.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tromp through the ridiculousness of poachers and their attempts to kill shit.

The writing is a bit simple, but the tales are interesting...what were they thinking? Added bonus for educating me about poaching and the laws.

[Cynthiarx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real stories from all over North American of wildlife crimes. Ie a “Poaching for Dummies” humorous and made me appreciate the job of wildlife officers everyday

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Randy Nelson's collection of hunting and poaching stories told from the perspective of a wildlife officer begins with balanced humor and informative description, but devolves into a self-righteous diatribe that is often disturbing. The reader is drawn in at first by quaint, simply told stories about encounters with hunters which end in criminal charges. As someone who was always turned off by the idea of hunting until getting a better understanding of the realities of commercial agriculture and factory farming, I was immediately on board with what I thought would be insightful, edifying adventures. By about the 50th or the 60th story, though (there are over 100), you get a little tired of listening to the author describe everyone as "stupid," "dumb," "moron," or "idiot" with so little justification. Are the only intelligent people in the world wildlife officers with encyclopedic knowledge of hunting seasons and fishing limits?

Initially, I was seduced by the inclusion of a quote that I thought would serve to represent the philosophy behind the stories thematically: "A 1950 Saskatchewan game code reads 'The best conservation laws are not found in the pages of our statute books, but are engraved on the conscience of the true sportsman.'" It's a great quote, but Nelson didn't write it, he was just smart enough to put it in his book. He's only too eager to live vicariously through other officers busting bachelor parties and celebrations that involve fishing or hunting, even individuals who shot a single animal on their own property. Don't be confused, Nelson is no animal-rights warrior making an appeal for the sanctity of nature or the well-being of wildlife—he's unconcerned with a person's need for meat or other legitimate reasons for killing animals, nor for how humanely it's done; as long as it's done within the law, he doesn't care.

Thankfully, every story is extremely short, so there's no room for detailing the regulations that give these authorities the right to slink around the forest "investigating" private parties, just because an officer suspects those in attendance might have shot too many deer one season. On the other hand, that kind of context would have made the stories more palatable, so I guess you lose either way. The author alternates between vituperative rants and delivering silly self-righteous platitudes like an officious Smokey the Bear. Nelson is pedantic, insulting and arrogant, but his book does have a great cover.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Ingram Publisher Services for the chance to review this ARC.