A lively collection of wilder-than-fiction poaching stories from across Canada and the US, including insights from investigating officers involved in real poaching situations.

Get ready to read some of the wildest true crime imaginable. Showcasing fish and wildlife poaching stories from every province and territory in Canada and every state in the United States, decorated fishery officer Randy Nelson offers a thrilling look into a dangerous industry.

With insights gathered through thousands of phone calls and emails to investigating officers, The Wildest Hunt collects over one hundred North American fish and wildlife officers’ stories, with tales ranging from absolutely disgusting to hysterically hilarious. Nelson takes readers across North America, from busting turtle-trafficking rings in Oklahoma to collecting a 4.5-metre beluga whale from a bus in Saskatchewan.

Nelson’s entertaining stories also shed light on the important work of fish and wildlife officers, and the often messy, sometimes dangerous situations they must face, as well as how important the public can be in solving wildlife crime.

Randy Nelson was born and raised in Saskatchewan and moved to the BC coast for a job as a fishery officer without ever having seen a salmon. He has since become the most decorated fishery officer in the history of the province, having received multiple awards, such as the international Pogue-Elms Award and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, in his thirty-five year career. Randy is an accomplished athlete, having raced in over two hundred competitions including ten marathons. He used that running ability to literally run down and catch hundreds of poachers. He has also curled over four thousand games and played in numerous national championships including the Brier, Seniors, Masters and Canadian Police Nationals. Randy is also the author of Poachers, Polluters and Politics (Harbour Publishing, 2014). He lives in Kamloops, BC.

Randy Nelson's profile page

"Poaching never paints a pretty picture. In this wide-ranging and entertaining volume, Randy Nelson provides experienced insight into a world very few of us see, that of illegal wildlife takings and the heroic efforts of enforcement officers and their families to curb this corrosive and frequently violent activity. With its short, crisp chapters and accessible writing style, the book takes the reader into a massive corruption culture that has a startling range of players and an extraordinary diversity of wildlife species. For the general reader and the seasoned wildlife professional alike, this book is a disturbing reminder of why poaching should matter to us all."

Shane Mahoney, president and CEO of Conservation Visions

"I was immediately sucked in by The Wildest Hunt. Randy Nelson has presented us with snapshots of wildlife crimes from all over North America, highlighting the threats of poaching, while also pointing out the humor and irony in many of these cases. As an officer in the field of wildlife law enforcement for 29 years, this book has made me even more appreciative of the job our wildlife officers do every day."

Rick Langley, president of North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association

"Randy Nelson’s book is required reading for all conservationists and hunters. It portrays our passion for everything that walks, swims and flies. Focused on real stories from all over North America, all future writing regarding game wardens and poachers will pale in comparison. The “Hunting for Dummies” vignettes sparkle with humour and relevance. I highly recommend this book."

Chuck Zuckerman, president of BC Wildlife Federation

"Poachers beware! Randy Nelson takes us on a storyteller’s rollercoaster ride, up, down and around the ofttimes humorous, sometimes sad, but always poignant tales from the poacher’s underworld. Fun to read, entertaining and brilliantly told, there are serious messages underlying Nelson’s narrative: “Poaching would be worse if observant, honest hunters weren’t out there.”

Jim Shockey, producer and host of <i>Uncharted</i>