Drifter -
I'm sure that Bushbear will be able to provide a better answer but I'll give it a shot.

As I said in my earlier post at one time other field folks did do law enforcement work -either with an agent or on their own. However both the world and the role of WDFW law enforcement has changed dramatically since then and for liability and training issues I doubt that is really possible today.

Back in the old Game Department days when many field folks had commissions (ability to enforce game laws) the role of game wardens was much different than today. That was prior to the time they were armed (as hard as that may be to believe in today's world), before they acquire full police powers and when they were primarily conservation officers not policemen. As conservation officers they were the face of the agency and likely the people that fishers and hunters were likely to encounter and go to folks for information by the public and media. Not only were they the point on enforcing fish and game laws they were often the folks collecting bag and creel checks, often drove fish planting trucks, back packed fish into remote waters, helped with the marking of fish marking and capture and/or tagging of wildlife, and a whole host of other wildlife work as needed. Something that is often over looked when folks look to recapture historic staffing levels is that many of the old game warden duties have been taken over by other WDFW staff while the old school conservation officers have become "fish and wildlife cops". Todays WDFW enforcement officers are now full time police officers expected to deal with the whole gamut of potential law enforcement situations where the routine activity can suddenly become something much more where having the untrained involved could be a recipe for potential trouble/liability for the individual and/or the agency

None of the above should be taken to mean that folks (either the public, other agency employees and the officers themselves) can not make better use of the agencies law enforcement presence and expertise. We all can help the enforcement officers work more efficiently through such programs as "eyes in the woods" or just be willing to pass on the information about individuals/areas with chronic or severe illegal activity.

Tight lines
Curt