Research relating to police stress has typically focused on officers working in urban areas, neglecting their rural counterparts. This is especially true of conservation officers, who are tasked with enforcing laws in state parks and other recreational areas. To date, only a handful of studies have sought to better understand their experiences and perceptions. The current study seeks to further our understanding of conservation officer stress in three unique ways: (1) via applying McCreary and Thompson’s (2006) operational police stress scale (PSQ-Op) to the population, (2) determining whether officer characteristics (e.g., age, education, length of service) affect perceived stress, and (3) exploring the influence of various job duties on these perceptions. Survey data are gathered from officers located in several states, with results serving to improve our understanding of conservation officer stress.

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of poaching within the Southern Appalachian Region. To date, little research has been conducted on the general topic of poaching and no studies have focused on this Region. Several research questions were pursued, including perceptions of poacher motivations, methods and concern regarding apprehension and punishment. The study gathered data through qualitative interviews with 27 conservation officers and outdoorsmen located in Southern Appalachia to address these questions. Results provided useful information regarding the unique characteristics of the poaching problem within the Region, which are discussed in detail. Implications and directions for future research are also covered.

Research relating to police stress has typically focused on officers working in urban areas, neglecting their rural counterparts. This is especially true of conservation officers, who are tasked with enforcing laws in state parks and other recreational areas. To date, only a handful of studies have sought to better understand their experiences and perceptions. This is problematic due to the fact that these officers face unique duty-related stressors and are increasingly tasked with performing more general law enforcement duties (e.g., drug enforcement, serving warrants). The current study seeks to further our understanding of the topic using survey data gathered from 346 conservation officers spread across six states. Specifically, it assesses whether officer characteristics (e.g., age, education, length of service) and frequency of performing traditional law enforcement duties influence perceived stress. Results of the multivariate analyses indicate that higher levels of education, longer tenures in the field, and a higher frequency of performing traditional duties all serve to increase officer stress. The implications of these finding for conservation agencies and their officers are discussed.