Randy Nelson was a fisheries officer for 35 years, and in his time, he saw some stuff.
So much, in fact, he’s turned his experiences and those of his colleagues across North America into a pair of books, and now, he’s got himself a television series.
Wardens: Case Files blends storytelling from Nelson, the show’s host, and some of those wardens, along with reenactments — similar to CBC’s The Detectives.
Nelson said the show was inspired by his second book, The Wildest Hunt, which details true stories from game wardens across North America.
“Current game warden shows that are out there, they’re driving around, and it’s the day-to-day activities, and people think, oh, that’s kind of a cool job,” Nelson told CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce.
“But when they see what this is, it’s going to blow people away. Like scary stuff, funny stuff. It’s all over the map.”
Nelson, who lives in Kamloops, B.C., said he was contacted by the production company in the spring of 2024, asking to bring his book to the small screen.
He agreed, and shortly after, production began.
Originally, he said, the crew wanted to shoot throughout the U.S. and Canada, but a conference in Penticton, B.C., meant many of the officers they planned to feature would be in one place, so Nelson convinced them to gather interviews there for a week before they went to Montana to do the rest.
The most intense story he heard along the way, which will be featured in an episode of the series, Nelson said, was from an officer in New Hampshire.
In some places, game wardens respond to police calls, according to Nelson.
“A guy had stolen a police car,” Nelson said. “What [the warden] didn’t know was prior to stealing that police car, he shot a judge … killed her, shot [another person], he shot a police officer who responded, pulled the police officer out of the car and stole the car.”
The warden, Nelson said, ended up in a chase with the suspect.
“The bad guy gets ahead of him, turns around and ambushes him as he comes around a corner and shoots through the windshield of the car.”
The bullet hit the warden’s badge and ricocheted into his arm, Nelson said.
“It’s a dangerous job,” he added. “Out there in the wilds, almost everybody that you’re dealing with has knives and guns.”
Wardens: Case Files premiered on the Outdoor Channel in the U.S. on Feb. 14. The network says it’s unclear if or when the show will be available in Canada. However, it says content is available “typically 90 days after linear airings” on the MyOutdoorTV app, which Canadians can download.
Daybreak Kamloops6:14TV show tells stories of a Kamloops author and former fisheries officer
True stories of game wardens and poachers are turning into a TV show featuring the experiences of a Kamloops man.
