ATHENS — State Wildlife Officer Roy Rucker has begun active duty in Gallia County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

“I am excited to begin my service in Gallia County and work with the hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts here,” said Rucker.

Officer Rucker is originally from Chillicothe, Ohio and is a graduate of Huntington High School.

He earned associate degrees in both Wildlife Management and Forest Management from Hocking College.

Before attending the State Wildlife Officer Academy in 2005, Rucker served as a private forestry consultant. He comes to Gallia County after being assigned to Fayette County for the past four years.

Rucker’s duties as county wildlife officer include wildlife law enforcement tasks along with educational outreach.

Other tasks include enforcing Ohio’s stream litter law and state criminal laws on property owned or controlled by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Rucker will also contact many Ohio sportsmen and women in the field, perform fish and wildlife surveys, work with nuisance wildlife, and give presentations on wildlife management, hunter education, trapping, and fishing.

Officer Rucker replaces Officer Mike McConnell who retired this year from the Division of Wildlife with 27 years of service.