LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Lake County game warden has received a statewide award for excellence in the line of duty.
On Wednesday night, the California Rifle & Pistol Association awarded Michael Pascoe the title of Wildlife Officer of the Year.
Pascoe is a California Department of Fish and Wildlife officer, serving Lake County.
The association reported that Pascoe has been a dedicated supporter of the Second Amendment since childhood, and an avid hunter for most of his life.
He made his first foray into hunting in 1987; as a part of his high school curriculum, he took his first Hunters Education course. Interested in this essential part of our national heritage since childhood, he was thrilled to be a “real hunter” after receiving his Hunter Safety Card.
Pascoe also began to develop an interest in firearms and archery. He purchased his Life Membership to the NRA at 16, using earnings from his job.
He has fond memories of weekend shoots with his friends, where they practiced their marksmanship with the then-cheap, and readily available, 22LR ammunition. Always endeavoring to improve himself, he sought the wisdom of the great masters: Keith, O’Connor, Kelton, Cooper, Jordan and many more.
Pascoe will tell you that he wasn’t born a perfect shooter, but with hard work and dedication, his shooting and hunting skills rapidly improved.
Upon taking a job with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pascoe became a Hunter’s Education instructor. Since then, he has taught several classes every year in Lake County, and assists the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Hunter Education staff whenever, and wherever, he can.
He has more than 350 teaching hours and has instructed nearly 400 students. His dedication to Hunter’s Education and the Second Amendment reaches even further, as he regularly assists in youth hunts, helps with local law enforcement shoots and participates in his local NRA events.
His support for the Lake County community goes far beyond Hunter’s Education; Officer Pascoe continually gives back.
He annually participates in the “Shop with a Cop” event, where underprivileged children are provided with a $200 credit at the local Walmart and are escorted by local law enforcement officers to purchase a new coat, a pair of pants, new shoes, and any additional items they would like for Christmas gifts with the remaining balance.
With 21 years in law enforcement, Pascoe has a wealth of experience and knowledge. Throughout his career, he has been a firearms instructor and armorer for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, Glock, Remington, and the CADWF Academy.
His skill certifications are numerous, and as an instructor, he has taught everything from self-defense tactics, to terrorism and IED awareness and response.
“Warden Michael Pascoe is truly one of the most talented, and equally dedicated, training officers there is; Californians, especially those fortunate enough to learn from him, are lucky to have him,” the association said in its award announcement.