About Eric Orff

Eric Orff is a Certified Wildlife Biologist with fifty years of experience in New Hampshire. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management. He began working at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in 1976 as a fisheries technician, subsequently becoming a Fisheries Biologist before getting the position as the Department's first black bear biologist in October 1978, a position he held for over two decades. He also was assigned the Department's furbearer biologist position in 1980, a position he held until his retirement in June 2007. From 1988 until retirement, he also served as the Regional Wildlife Biologist for Region 3 in the Durham office. His specialty for the Department was capturing wildlife. He captured and tagged numerous bear, moose, deer and thousands of ducks and geese for the Department.

During the last decade of Eric's career with the Department, he wrote Public Service Announcements about fish, wildlife and environmental topics, producing three timely and pertinent topics per month in cooperation with WOKQ/WPKQ radio station. This resulted in in-kind donations of over $1 million to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Eric owned and operated Bat and Wildlife Control Specialists, a nuisance wildlife control business from 1983 to 2005. He specialized in non-lethal control of bats. But also handled lots more wildlife at this part time business. From mice to moose, he has skillfully handled them all.

Shortly after retirement from the Fish and Game Department he was recruited to work as a consultant for the National Wildlife Federation as a field biologist. His current position he has had for nearly 15 years now.

Eric was also appointed by Governor John Lynch to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission in 2008.

He has been a member of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation since 1964 starting at age 14 and was a Director for numerous decades. He currently serves as Vice President of the Federation.

Eric has received numerous awards during his nearly five-decade career. He was given Life-Time memberships to the Londonderry Fish and Game Club and the New Hampshire Trappers Association. He has received awards from the Northeast Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the Nashua Fish and Game Club and the Northeast Furbearer Association. He also received the prestigious Tudor Richards award during the Centennial celebration of New Hampshire Audubon and the Bell Ringers award from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Non-Game Division at the 25th Anniversary celebration.

Eric has spent decades as a popular writer, speaker, and now social media personality with his "What's Wild in NH" posts. He has been a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association for several decades and has received numerous awards and commendations, including the Dick Cronin award from them in 2004.

Eric has been a voice for conservation for his entire career. He continues to provide education and insight while striving to engage New Hampshire citizens to take action on climate change issues. His goal is to motivate our elected representatives to take action.