Grangeville Fish and Game Officer Honored

GRANGEVILLE, ID - Idaho Department of Fish and Game District Conservation Officer George Fischer of Grangeville, has been named Idaho's National Wild Turkey Federation Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. To recognize the valuable contributions of Fischer and other wildlife law enforcement officers, the NWTF will honor top officers across North America in February at the national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The Idaho chapter of NWTF will pay for Fischer's travel expenses and banquet registration. Besides being an active hunter, Fischer has been a strong advocate in establishing and transplanting wild turkeys throughout Idaho. However, Fischer's passion for teaching new hunters is his greatest strength, as he participates or leads several hunter education courses each year. He recently challenged NWTF to fund a youth shotgun to help facilitate hunter education in his patrol district. In addition, Fischer annually mentors two of his outstanding hunter education students and takes them on their first hunting experience. He also has taught several turkey hunting seminars and has instructed at several Women in the Outdoors events sponsored by IDFG and the NWTF. "The NWTF established this award to give wildlife law enforcement officers the thanks and recognition they deserve," said Charles Henry, Idaho's NWTF Chapter President. "Fischer is an outstanding wildlife officer and we are proud that he will represent Idaho at the national convention." Fischer has been an Idaho conservation officer since 1991. He was honored twice in 1997 as the Southwest Region and Idaho Conservation Officer of the Year. While stationed in Cascade, ID, he initiated the development of a kids fishing pond, which the city council named after him. "George provides guidance and a work ethic that other officers around him strive to emulate," said his supervisor Dave Cadwallader. "His love for the sport of turkey hunting is well known as is his determination to detect and apprehend anyone who violates the game laws."