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Photo caption: A group of recruits take a break while riding trails in Roscommon County. (Photo taken November 2018).
Excitement was in the air Sunday night as our class arrived for our last week of training at the Department of Natural Resources’ Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon. Returning to the RAM center was a great change of environment after spending the previous weeks of the academy in Lansing. Right away, we were greeted by the sight of conservation officer patrol off-road vehicles. Riding ORVs has always been a hobby of mine, so I was looking forward to this week for quite a while, which would consist of ORV orienteering and operation. That evening, we discussed as a class how to prepare for the week ahead.
Monday kicked off the week’s physical training with recruit-led exercises. Between exercises, each recruit shared a unique fish and game law they had learned in prior weeks. Intertwining fish and game with our morning physical training helped us memorize the lesser-known rules and regulations.
We began the curriculum for the week with an introduction to ORV operation and enforcement. By fully understanding how ORVs are utilized on Michigan’s trails, conservation officers can functionally enforce ORV laws. We spent the afternoon learning laws related to operating ORVs while intoxicated, then how to properly mount and dismount ORVs. In addition, we practiced threshold and emergency braking on the ORVs.
Photo caption: Recruits take turns practicing signaling an off-road vehicle operator to stop. (Photo taken November 2018).
Utilizing the skills we learned in emergency vehicle operation, we operated ORVs on a serpentine course. This tuned our skills in cornering, acceleration and braking. Next, we completed a similar course with side-by-side ORVs. Side-by-side ORVs have similar capabilities as four-wheelers, but have at least two seats, usually positioned next to each other, and are enclosed by roll bars. By practicing with multiple types of ORVs, we learned how they are operated, along with the pros and cons of each. We were also trained to properly load and unload various ORVs into truck beds and trailers.
Photo caption: Recruits are trained how to safely operate off-road vehicles for ascending, descending and traversing steep gradients and hill climbs. (Photo taken November 2018).
On Tuesday, we took an off-campus ORV ride to Hansen Game Refuge where we completed several hill climbs. We then practiced ascending, descending and traversing steep gradients.
Wednesday served as a confidence booster. After starting the day with recruit-led physical training, we spent the remainder of the morning learning about ORV maintenance. As conservation officers, we need to maintain our equipment regularly to effectively perform our duties. The morning was spent riding various types of ORV trails and learning how to navigate the different types of trail terrain. It served as a testament to the difficulty of some trails.
Photo caption: Recruits ride various types of ORV trails and learn how to navigate diverse trail terrain. (Photo taken November 2018).
Wednesday afternoon consisted of performing maintenance on side-by-sides and ORVs. As a part of regular maintenance, we washed all the ORVs before going to dinner. To end the night, we had a late-night, teambuilding exercise session and a brief swim in Higgins Lake.
Photo caption: A recruit navigates a bumpy path before making an evasive maneuver around staged tree debris. (Photo taken November 2018).
Thursday was a drastic change from the beginning of the week. Our class went off campus to undergo an orienteering and land navigation class. This experience compounded on my prior knowledge of orienteering. While I had practiced orienteering courses in the past, we were challenged with a much larger course. Not only was this course larger, but we also completed it wearing our issued waders and assault packs. Once again, attention to detail proved to be a necessity. After completing the land navigation course, the class cooked our own lunch over a fire.
To end the week, we were joined by two representatives from the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians for cultural training. As a class, we learned many of the misconceptions associated with tribal cultures. While living in the culturally-rich area of Sault Ste. Marie for the past few years, I established a foundation of knowledge regarding the tribal communities; however, this cultural training greatly expanded my knowledge.
Overall, week 17 was a great week to remember. Not only did we learn and experience many new skills this week, but we were also able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the RAM Center. For some recruits, this week was their first exposure to ORV operation. For others, it served as a building block to their prior experience. Regardless, each one of us left the RAM Center with more knowledge than when we’d arrived. We will undoubtedly use our newly learned skills for the rest of our careers.
