New trooper settles into Wrangell

Hunters, anglers and others predisposed toward outdoor activities will soon be getting to know a new face around Wrangell.

Trooper David Bozman with the Alaska Wildlife Troopers was assigned to the A Detachment post earlier last month. Originally hailing from Illinois, he had previously been assigned to the post in Soldotna.

Coming up on his third year with AWT, Bozman explained an interest in law enforcement and a love of the outdoors are what drew him to the state service.

"I wanted a challenge and I wanted to work outside. This met both," he said. At first he started as a blue-shirt with the Alaska State Troopers. "Then I moved over to Wildlife. We had the Kenai-Kasilof River, which took up a lot of our time, moose hunting in the fall, ice fishing in the winter."

Wrangell will be his first solo post, an opportunity which arose after the retirement of the community's previously assigned trooper last October.

"I've been down to Southeast a few other times, temporary duties. Wrangell came open, and it seemed like a good opportunity at the right time," Bozman explained.

The local police department helped him locate a house and settle in, and the trooper has already begun introducing himself to resident subsistence users and sportsmen, sitting in on the Fish and Game boards Advisory Committee meeting last week.

The primary purpose of AWT is to protect the state's fish and game resources, and to ensure safe and lawful harvest by residents and visitors. "It doesn't matter which user group, if that's commercial fish, sport fish, subsistence, hunting, trapping – for all the user groups that need to protect the fish and wildlife, that's my main purpose," said Bozman. "If they're out, they can expect to see me."

Most of his training for the position has been on the job. However, Bozman left over the weekend to attend a federal boat course down in Georgia, and should return in a week.

For questions or concerns, Bozman can be contacted at his office at 874-3215.