Ty Runyan is a state game warden with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Besides being a rancher, driving instructor, former K9 handler and sometimes-snake wrangler, he may be best known for his TikTok presence. Ty’s lighthearted, interesting, and educational short videos have attracted more than 175,000 followers. In this episode, he and Wayne discuss the value of social media as an outreach and recruitment tool, and share some exciting stories from the field.
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Here’s what we discuss:
Ty gives a passerby some advice
Everyone knows where the game warden lives
A bit about Ty’s background
Social media as an outreach tool
An accidental TikTokker
Getting Departmental approval
Taking the bad with the good
Recruitment and legal questions from everywhere
Using the platform to change perceptions
Comedy helps to defuse situations
Ty’s rodeo adventures
Few game wardens employing TikTok – so far
“It’s amazing what people will put on social media”
Helping other states make cases
Conservation efforts have helped restore declining populations
Snakes!
A family of teachers
Spotlighting poachers: right place, right time
Larger platform has helped engage future game wardens
Credits
Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores
Producer: Jay Ammann
Art & Design: Ashley Hannett
Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches
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