State Wildlife Officer Begins Duty In Union County

COLUMBUS, OH -State Wildlife Officer Joshua L. Shields, Bellefontaine, Ohio began active duty in Union County on May 6th, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Officer Shields is a 2009 graduate of the Wildlife Officer Academy. He has been employed with the Ohio Division of Wildlife for 6 years serving the past 3 years as the Meigs county officer. As he has done for the past 12 years, Officer Shields continues to serve in the Ohio Army National Guard and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran.

"I would like to encourage the community to get involved with wildlife management conservation programs and conservation education programs." Any questions for me can be directed to 614-644-3929 ext. 1213. All wildlife violations should be reported to 1-800-POACHER tip line.

As a state wildlife officer, Shields will be responsible for enforcing wildlife laws on public lands as well as private lands and providing assistance to other law enforcement agencies as needed. He will also contact many Ohio sportsmen and women in the field, perform fish and wildlife surveys, advise on nuisance wildlife issues, and give presentations on wildlife management, hunter education, trapping, and fishing.

Contact:
Joshua Shields, Division of Wildlife
(614) 644-3929 ext. 1213

Karen Norris, Division of Wildlife
(614) 644-3925