Join us for the 2025 NAWEOA Conference in Erie, Pennsylvania!
The conference will run from July 14 - 19th, 2025 (Opening ceremonies on July 15 and the closing banquet will be the night of July 18th), at the Bayfront Convention Center.
North American Game Warden Museum
The North American Game Warden Museum, has two missions: to HONOR these heroes that protect our resource and to EDUCATE the public about their work and the natural resources they protect.
On October 2, 2024, Arizona lost another Game Ranger as a long fight with cancer took Kurt Bahti from us. Kurt battled bravely, defying the odds for years, and remained involved in AGRL through the end.
As an Arizona Game Ranger, Kurt participated in the creation of the Arizona Game Ranger Association in 1983, and fought alongside Association members to get all Arizona Game Rangers into the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. The Association grew into the Arizona Game Ranger Lodge in its current form and throughout the years Kurt remained active as a beloved member, president (four terms), vice president, and unofficial historian.
Kurt started out with the Department in 1979. His first district was GMU 30B, he stayed there for two years. Kurt then took GMUs 34A/B, where he was the district wildlife manager for eleven years. Along with thirteen other game rangers, Kurt became one of the first field supervisors for the Department in 1992. Kurt retired as GF 508 on May 1, 2009. Kurt also served a term as president of the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officer Association.
His passion for the Game Ranger life never ended. Even in retirement Kurt remained active in youth hunting camps, outreach events, habitat projects, access agreements, wildlife surveys and captures, and general mentorship of new Game Rangers.
Kurt leaves behind a loving family, including his wife Karen and his son and daughter, Ben and Heather.
IGW Fall 2024 Issue
Wardens Notes
By Kirk Kiefer
