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Literature Review
Most research on policing has been directed toward the study of traditional law enforcement officers that work in urban environments. Rural law enforcement has received comparatively little attention by criminal justice scholars. One type of rural law enforcement officer is the conservation officer, or game warden. These individuals generally work in rural areas and enforce hunting and fishing laws (Calkins 1970; Lawson 2002, 2003; Moreto and Lemieux 2015; Warchol and Kapla 2012). Although evidence suggests that these individuals are increasingly performing traditional law enforcement duties (Falcone 2004; Morse 1973; Patten et al. 2015; Shelley and Crow 2009; Sherblom et al. 2002), their primary responsibility remains the enforcement of hunting and fishing laws (Eliason 2007a) and the apprehension of poachers (Eliason 2008b, 2012, 2013; Forsyth 1993a, 1994, 2008; Forsyth and Forsyth 2012; Palmer and Bryant 1985).
While the duties of game wardens appear to be expanding as these individuals assume a greater number of traditional policing tasks and responsibilities (Benoit 1973; Falcone 2004; Morse 1973; Shelley and Crow 2009; Sherblom et al. 2002), conservation law enforcement remains a unique style of policing. During their patrols of remote rural areas while performing wildlife law enforcement tasks, game wardens come across diverse individuals pursuing a wide range of recreational activities. In addition to monitoring the behavior of hunters and anglers, wardens are likely to encounter individuals who are engaged in camping, horse riding, hiking, off-highway vehicle riding, snowmobiling, and mountain biking activities (Sherblom et al. 2002). In some states, conservation officers are responsible for the enforcement of boating laws (Eliason 2006a, 2007a; Shelley and Crow 2009).
As is the case with traditional policing, wildlife law enforcement is a dangerous occupation (Eliason 2006a, 2011b; Carter 2004; Forsyth and Forsyth 2009). Game wardens sometimes get assaulted and killed on the job (Eliason 2011b; Long 1985; McIver 2003). Wardens have been killed in the line of duty from gunfire as well as a variety of other reasons such as automobile and aircraft accidents, drowning, and heart attacks (Eliason 2011a). Previous studies on game wardens have examined topics such as the use of discretion (Eliason 2003; Carter 2006; Forsyth 1993b), job satisfaction (Eliason 2006b, 2014; Palmer and Bryant 1985), occupational stress (Moreto In Press; Oliver and Meier 2006; Walsh and...