STATE WILDLIFE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO FAIRFIELD COUNTY

COLUMBUS, OH – State Wildlife Officer Tony Zerkle, 31, of Terre Haute, Ohio has begun active duty in Fairfield County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

"I am excited to begin serving the people of Fairfield County,” said Zerkle.  “I look forward to meeting the hunters, anglers, and wildlife enthusiasts of the area.” 

Officer Zerkle is a 1998 graduate of Hocking College where he earned an Associates Degree in both Fish and Wildlife Management and Backcountry Horsemanship.  Before attending the State Wildlife Officer Academy, Zerkle worked at Kiser Lake State Park and served as a Fish and Wildlife Technician for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.  He has served as an At-Large Wildlife Officer in central Ohio since July, 2007. 

As a state wildlife officer, Zerkle is be responsible for enforcing wildlife laws on public and private lands and providing assistance to other law enforcement agencies as needed.  He will also contact many Ohio sportsmen and women in the field, perform fish and wildlife surveys, advise on nuisance wildlife issues, and give presentations on wildlife management, hunter education, trapping, and fishing.

Zerkle will reside in the county with his wife, Deborah.