Conservation officer Joe Deppen honored as Shikar Safari Michigan Wildlife Officer of the Year

Lansing — Michigan DNR conservation officer Joe Deppen was recognized as the 2023 Shikar Safari Michigan Wildlife Officer of the Year. The award, the highest state honor for conservation officers, is given annually.

“Joe Deppen naturally embodies the character traits of a true game warden,” said Chief Jason Haines, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “His work ethic seamlessly supports our mission to protect the state’s natural resources and people who enjoy them. Deppen is ready and willing to help every day with a positive attitude, is well-respected and valued by those within and outside of the DNR and is often requested by the public to assist at community events.”

Assigned to Macomb County, Deppen has spent his entire CO career patrolling southeast Michigan, which is populated with historic waterfowl areas, including Lake St. Clair, Harsens Island and St. Clair Flats.

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He leads his nine-county area in addressing fish and game violations, a result of spending many hours conducting marine and waterfowl patrols and responding to wildlife complaints on both private and public land. He is well known for successfully conducting large-scale investigations that require collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and local courts.

Deppen applies his waterfowl expertise to teach new officers species identification and enforcement skills at a weeklong waterfowl training academy. He is also a water safety instructor who instructs new officers on important survival skills and rescue techniques.

His accomplishments include selection as the 2019 Mississippi Flyway Waterfowl Protection Officer of the Year for Michigan and the 2022 Michigan Officer of the Year by the Association of Midwest Fish and Game Law Enforcement Officers. He has also earned two DNR Lifesaving Awards.

Deppen has been a Michigan DNR conservation officer since 2016. He earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology with a concentration in biology from Michigan State University and was previously a salvage diver in Florida and Mexico.