Plot Synopsis

NORTHWEST LAW, formerly known as RUGGED JUSTICE, is a one-hour reality series that follows the officers of Washington State's Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Law Enforcement Program as they police the Evergreen State's unforgiving mountain terrains, twisted back roads and densely populated coastal areas. From the city, to the coast, to the desert, these elite WDFW officers protects both wildlife and people. Patrolling more than 42 million acres of rugged terrain -- half of it heavily forested and filled with wild animals and dangerous people -- WDFW police officers handle more than 225,000 calls annually. Each day brings new challenges and extreme danger. Whether tracking and capturing bears and cougars with the one-of-a-kind Karelian Bear-Dog (KBD) Unit, busting poachers along the USA-Canada border or going undercover to take down traffickers in the illegal animal parts trade. In the series premiere, officers hunt down a fugitive, the KBD Unit deals with three bear cubs on the loose, covert operations uncover illegal poachers and a junkie is found with a surprising stash. On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT, Animal Planet premiered the 10-part second season of RUGGED JUSTICE. This season, the WDFW officers encounter poachers, vehicles ravaged by hungry bears and fishermen with outstanding drug-related warrants, including the following: an aggressive fisherman with an outstanding warrant for malicious mischief; WDFW officers relocate a menacing bear after it wanders dangerously close to a campsite and a chicken coop in search of a snack; the WDFW officers rush to the scene when a young elk is poached; and much more. This series returned for its third season on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT, immediately following a 13-hour marathon (9am-10pm) of encore episodes. In Season 3, the WDFW officers tackle cases both on land and sea, encountering everything from illegal fish harvesting, serial poachers and wild cougar cubs on the loose. The new season opens with the "Cougars on the Run" episode, as Washington's Fish and Wildlife Police search for stranded cougar cubs. In the Seattle harbor, an unsuspecting rock fish poacher is arrested. A hunter driving with a loaded weapon is caught and an officer confronts a family harvesting undersized crabs. In a July 27, 2016 press release, Animal Planet announced that for Season 3 the series would change its name to NORTH WOODS LAW: WASHINGTON STATE, but all consumer and press sites, as well as all listings services, continued to use RUGGED JUSTICE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Planet premiered a new season of this series on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT, airing with a new title: NORTHWEST LAW. In the season opener, "Poacher Pursuit," the fish and wildlife officers of Washington state hunt for a set of poachers: a repeat offender targeting crabs and a poacher caught attempting to reel in an endangered species.