recognized by others outside of Monroe County.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
The criteria for the Waterfowl Enforcement Officer of the Year award include an officer’s enforcement activities, efforts in protecting waterfowl resources and community involvement. Award winners from each state in the Mississippi Flyway – comprised of 14 states and two Canadian provinces – are then considered for the Mississippi Flyway Officer of the Year award.
Col. Jeff Crow (left) and Michael W. Neal are photographed here holding the plaque honoring Neal as the Law Enforcement Committee Waterfowl Officer of the Year.
Officer of the year
WEO Michael W. Neal talks about his job and his love of duck hunting By Janie Ginocchio It’s been a year of professional distinction for Wildlife Enforcement Officer Michael W. Neal, 52, of Brinkley, but the three awards he’s won – Waterfowl Enforcement Officer of the Year, Mississippi Flyway Council Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and the Campbell award – are just icing on the cake of what he called his dream job. “I’ve always enjoyed law enforcement and being outdoors, hunting and fishing,” he said. “Now, the two things I enjoy doing, I get to do every day.” Before joining the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGCF) as an enforcement officer five years ago, Neal had a career in civilian law enforcement, both as a sergeant in the Monroe County Sheriff’s 26 | Arkansas Wild Fall 2012
Department and as Clarendon’s chief of police. But when the opportunity came to combine his two interests, he jumped at the chance. “I love being out with the duck hunters, getting to meet sportsmen from around the world” who come to take advantage of flocks who stop in the area, which is between the White and Cache River Wildlife Refuges, he said. Neal -- not to be confused with Wildlife Enforcement Officer Michael Neal, who in May 2010 stopped two gunmen who killed two West Memphis police officers and wounded two Crittenden County Sheriff’s deputies – is a man of few words. But his love of the job and the community he serves is evident in his actions, and has been
“Each state has a representative on the council,” Neal said of the flyway award. “It was very special to be selected by my peers.” The Campbell award, founded by former Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner Craig Campbell to honor his grandfather, also a former AGFC commissioner, and his father, a great outdoorsman, is awarded to three AGFC employees in honor of their outstanding leadership; community service; promotion of hunting, fishing, watchable wildlife and conservation to all AGFC constituents; and their service within the scope of their positions at the AGFC. Depending on the season, Neal’s working days can start at 1 a.m. and finish up well after dark, making sure hunters are adhering to bag limits and other hunting regulations, while also keeping an eye out for poachers and investigating complaints. “No two days are alike,” he said. When asked about memorable moments during his tenure, Neal replied, “I always tell my wife, ‘When you think you’ve seen it all, go check on the next sportsman.’” A lifelong duck hunter Neal went on his first duck hunt at the age of 8, and from then on, he was hooked. He and his father and older brother went out regularly, and it is a time in his life that he treasures.