These days, wardens increasingly rely on modern technology to help them catch violators, says Joel McOlash, a conservation warden based out of Door County. Underwater cameras scan the watery depths to monitor nets. Airplanes fly over Green Bay and Lake Michigan in the wintertime as wardens inside the cockpit scan for boats fishing in protected waters. Most of the work is good-old fashioned law enforcement, however, some of the same kinds of activities Baker did in the late 19 th century, McOlash says. Wardens routinely inspect commercial fish catches at the docks to ensure licensed commercial fishers are not exceeding their quota for a certain fish species.
Wardens also check the accuracy of the boats logbooks and the captains estimates of their catches.
On the water, wardens in patrol boats make sure nets are placed in legal areas. At times, wardens board commercial fishing boats to measure gill net mesh size, to ensure that game fish are being returned to the water, and that nets are being routinely lifted as required by law to prevent spoilage of the fish caught in them. In the winter, the wardens monitor gill nets placed under the ice in parts of Green Bay, and also monitor commercial fishing activities on Lake Michigan by flying over the protected areas in a DNR plane. The Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center is offering a variety of clinics and workshops this spring for people interested in learning more about the outdoors. On Saturday, March 27 from 8 a.m. to noon Rod Ercikson, M.D., will conduct a clinic on Wilderness Medicine - Going Beyond First Aid .