Deputy Conservation Officers

What does a Deputy Conservation Officer do?

The role of the Deputy Conservation Officer (DCO) is to assist Conservation Officers (COs) in carrying out enforcement activities.

While a DCO has the same authority as a CO under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act the deputy does not enforce the Act independently. Enforcement is always done in the immediate presence of a Conservation Officer.

The Deputy Conservation Officer Program allows the individual to gain practical enforcement experience in order to pursue a career as a Conservation Officer through apprenticeship.

The long-standing Deputy Conservation Officer Program has recently been updated in order to better meet the needs of a changing Ministry of Natural Resources. Because DCOs are involved in many of the same enforcement activities as a Conservation Officer, and are therefore exposed to the same amount of risk and liability, changes to upgrade both training and equipment have been necessary.

When and where should you expect to see a Deputy Conservation Officer? 

You could see a Deputy Conservation Officer:

• checking fishing and hunting licences or bag limits
• doing investigations of illegal kills or other poaching activities
• engaged in public relations and education at schools, parks and club meetings

As a rule, Deputy Conservation Officers do not work independently, but in partnership with Conservation Officers who are performing their enforcement duties.

How are Deputy Conservation Officers appointed?

A DCO is an MNR staff member or volunteer who has successfully completed the Ministry's four-week "Introduction to Law Enforcement" course or an approved equivalent. This allows the DCO to become actively involved in MNR's enforcement program.

DCOs are appointed under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act by a Ministry of Natural Resources' District Manager or Great Lakes Unit Manager. It is up to the District to determine how many DCOs are needed to assist COs in the delivery of their compliance program. In many districts there are waiting lists for potential DCOs.

For more information on the Deputy Conservation Officer Program or other fish and wildlife conservation programs, get in touch with your local Ministry of Natural Resources office or contact:

Ministry of Natural Resources Information Centre
300 Water Street, Box 7000
Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8M5
1-800-667-1940