Conservation officers save nature from its worst enemy — mankind

North Woods Law | Sunday, 9 p.m., Animal Planet

Coaxing a lost bear down from a tree in Manchester, NH, is one of the safer jobs for the conservation officers on “North Woods Law,” the ecologically minded Animal Planet series whose third season debuts Sunday night. The officers also perform overnight search-and-rescue missions for lost hikers in the White Mountain National Forest. Lt. Bill Boudreau has been protecting fish and wildlife in the Granite State for 14 years. Part of the job involves promoting the “wise use of natural resources,” but he also has the authority to enforce the law, arresting violators who may have expired fishing licenses or drive ATV vehicles on the wrong road. But don’t expect one of those grim-faced, square-jawed types you find week after week on any CBS procedural. Boudreau and his staff are unfailingly cordial. Maybe it’s all that time they get to spend in verdant forests in the clean air.

Boudreau spoke to The Post about his job — and the show — on his 38th birthday.

Lt. Bill BoudreauAnimal Planet

What does it take to become a conservation officer?
You need 60 college credits and two years’ full-time law-enforcement experience to take the written test. The written test is geared toward hunting and fishing so if somebody hasn’t much experience doing that, it’s going to be difficult to pass. The physical agility test is different from most law-enforcement divisions. We have to tread water, and drag a dummy that weighs 175 pounds, among other things.

Is being polite to troublemakers a special feature of your training?
I think it’s part of our training and part of what we look for when we hire. We’re not looking for the SWAT team kind of guy. Most of the people we deal with are out recreating and we’re dealing with the occasional bad apple. Another reason we seem polite is that we’re out by ourselves without backup. You’re better off being polite than getting in to a confrontation. We know how to handle ourselves.

Have you always been based in New Hampshire?
I started right after college working in Cape Cod, Mass., in commercial fishing. I went back to school part time to qualify for the Department of the Interior as a ranger and got a job at Acadia National Park in Maine for a few summers. Then I applied for the conservation-officer job in New Hampshire.

In one episode, you have some trouble with people during turkey season. What is “turkey season”?
The months of May and September and October. People drive by the woods and shoot at the birds from the windows of their cars. It’s bragging rights to their friends: I shot a big turkey. Sometimes we hear they’re just trying to feed their families. In my 14 years of doing this job, I’ve never come across anybody doing it to feed their family.

What are the advantages of showing the public the full range of the department’s duties on “North Woods Law”?
In my view, I hope the show can maybe help out with our financial issues. People in New Hampshire are getting to see life-threatening rescues. Our search-and-rescues are somewhat underfunded. The show is also a recruitment tool to hire the best officer. Some kids want to be game wardens because they’re watching the show.

And here’s what else to watch this week: Suits | Wednesday, 9 p.m., USA

Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman) assess their relationship. Donna (Sarah Rafferty) doubts Samantha’s (Katherine Heigl) motives for helping her.

The Innocents | Friday, Netflix

Series premiere. Harry (Percelle Ascott) and June (Sorcha Groundsell) run away from their families to be together and discover that June can shape-shift. A mysterious professor named Halvorson (Guy Pearce) reveals that June is not alone, and he promises to cure her. But as their journey becomes fraught with danger, Harry and June are faced with a choice: keep their dream alive, or accept that their lives have changed and risk everything.