Book Review: Poachers, Polluters & Politics

Veteran Perry Edwards recommends this book by Randy Nelson.

According to Perry “I first got to know DFO officer Randy Nelson when he joined the “K” Div. team for the Jasper-Banff Relay many years ago. He was a phenomenal runner. Most of us were glad to complete our approximately 10 mile leg over the mountains and then crash in the team van. Randy took on several legs and ran them hard & fast. We were also on the RCMP team for the Baker-Vegas law enforcement relay in the desert.

We lost touch until just a couple of years before I retired, when “E” Div. was invited to conduct a Managerial Review at DFO in Vancouver as a demonstration project. By then Randy was the officer in charge there. Randy has since written a very entertaining book of anecdotes from his lengthy career with DFO. He loved to catch poachers and would go to any length .. including hiding inside hollow trees! I’d recommend his book to any of our retirees .. as an added bonus, all the proceeds from the book are going to the Fallen Officer Fund for families of Fish/Wildlife officers killed in the line of duty.”

One of the Amazon book reviews outlined the following about this book:

Retired fishery officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a devious mind and enthusiasm for marathon running, spelled big trouble for law-breaking fishermen. Thirty-five years in the field (and stream) netted a gold mine of stories: with hair-raising tales of grizzly bear attacks; angry axe-wielding, rock-throwing, shotgun-blasting fishermen and high-speed chases on dirt roads and through bush; Poachers, Polluters and Politics provides a rare glimpse into the lives of DFO officers and the communities in which they live. Here too are stories showing the lighter side of the DFO, like how Nelson honed his “psychic powers,” and recollections of life in a rodent-infested, government-issue trailer–where his wife Lorraine once awoke to find a mouse chewing her hair.

Firm but fair, and always innovative, Randy Nelson usually earned the–often grudging–respect of communities and fishermen he encountered. Whether it meant carving a peephole in a hollow tree or teaching his dog to sniff for salmon, Nelson was constantly scheming up new and tricky ways to catch poachers and polluters, many of them known violent criminals. Nelson spent a career dedicated to protecting BC’s waters and fish population and his passion for his work shines through with every word, drawing the reader into the exciting world of protecting wildlife and prosecuting bad guys.

As outlined by Perry Edwards, this book can be ordered from Amazon Books, Chapters/Indigo book and most book stores.  Price of book is $15.64.