Game & Parks conservation officer oversees Southwest Nebraska

A love of the outdoors and law enforcement led Sophie Gobber to her new job as a conservation officer with  Nebraska Game and Parks. She has been supervising the counties of Chase, Dundy, Hitchcock and Hayes for over a month now.
Gobber, who is a native of Syracuse in the southeast corner of Nebraska, was offered the job by the G&P before she graduated from the University of Nebraska last November.
“I was very lucky,” she said. “Not a lot of people are able to get this job.”
“A Southeastern girl put in the Southwest part of the state,” she laughed.
Conservation officers have a lot of criteria to meet, Gobber noted. She credits her volunteer and work experiences to her job offer.
She graduated from UN-L with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife with a focus on Law Enforcement and a minor in Criminal Justice.
Enforcing the laws and regulations, providing education programs, taking care of water and parks, the wildlife and the general safety of the public are some of her responsibilities.
“What don’t we do” she asked. “Every day is different. It keeps you on your toes, exploring new things and meeting new people.”
Gobber has always been in the outdoors field concerning her education. She studied biology and research and enjoyed them, but
“not every day. I like law enforcement.”
Prior to locating in Imperial, Gobber went through nine months of training. That included four months at the Law Enforcement Academy in Grand Island, followed by five weeks of wildlife academy, then 12-14 weeks with different law enforcement agencies around the state.
One aspect of Gobber’s job is empathy with duck and deer hunters. In the job description a conservation officer needs to have experience in hunting fishing, first aid, kayaking and more.
“You’re on your own 24/7,” she noted. “Backup may be a long way away.”
Gobber enjoys hunting and fishing. She helped people learn about kayaking during the Enders Lake Recreation Area 100th Anniversary celebration in June.
Gobber’s supervisor, Roger Thompson of North Platte, said she will “be a good liaison to the public and hunting and fishing community.”
“She’ll be a real asset, and has a very outgoing personality,” he added.
She replaces John Lee as the conservation officer for this area. Lee was promoted to the Lincoln G&P office.
Gobber and her fiance, Connor Cameron, have purchased a house in Imperial. The couple has been dating since high school