A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agent puts themselves in harm’s way every day they put on the uniform and it is an arrangement they willingly accept as part of the job.

LDWF agents are expected to board vessels in choppy seas, be outside in frigid and extreme heat conditions for hours on end, navigate rural roads in trucks and small bayous in boats at night with little to no visible light, perform search and rescue missions after hurricanes, and patrol remote areas of the state as well as the vast Gulf of Mexico to name a few of their duties.

Combining the harsh elements that exist in the state of Louisiana, agents also have to perform checks on the public to make sure they are in compliance of hunting and fishing regulations.  While the large majority of hunters are ethical and law abiding citizens, the fact remains that agents often conduct these inspections on people actively hunting meaning they are already armed and in isolated areas.

“Our agents bravely and selflessly perform their duties every single day,” said Secretary Madison Sheahan. “This week, we were reminded of how dangerous their job is, and we thank them for their service that too often goes unnoticed.”

Recently, agents had an incident involving a hunter they wanted to perform a compliance check on that reinforced how dangerous being an LDWF Agent can be.  A duck hunter fired upon two agents that were approaching a duck blind.  The two agents were unharmed during the incident and arrested the hunter.

Agents are trained on how to approach hunters with officer and public safety as priority one to avoid accidental and intentional shootings to the best of their ability.

“Some of the biggest differences between being a Wildlife and Fisheries Agent and other law enforcement personnel is that we are often checking people that already have a loaded weapon in their possession in secluded areas,” said Col. Rachel Zechenelly, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division.  “Our agents are very well trained in encountering hunters when performing inspections and our agents are also actively conscious about this threat at all times.”