Any Game Wardens on Here for Advice?

[Grumman]

I had a good friend that retired as a game warden. He said the worst part of the job was the late night phone calls from concerned citizens about a raccoon being hit by a car.


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[Coldtrail]

I just pulled the pin on a 30yr career in the biz, research every state because they are all different and right now lots of them are seeing high turnover for a variety of reasons. The issue I saw with people coming into the profession was that they did not fully understand the job & once they got their boots on the ground felt they were worth way more than they were getting and got discouraged. I had the opportunity to retire early or work another few years, I chose to retire and here are my reasons why:
1. My family time & personal life suffered immensely, if I would have simply gone to a normal m-f, 9-5 job it would have gotten me just under 100...yes 100 more days a year where my wife and I could do something together.
2. The politics of hunting and game management become taxing, you do the job because you believe in "the misson" but a fat cat at your capitol can set back 100yrs of good work with the stroke of a pen. It happens alot, and if you are in the job long enough you will witness the results.
3. Many agencies want their wardens to be more like cops & more reactive than proactive, expect to see many fat game wardens in 10yrs.
4. Pulling all nighters & 20hr days gets far less fun with age
5. Personal liability will be huge going forward

Things I liked?
1. When I started it was field work every single day, i covered about 1000sq mi of national forest and ran my own show for the most part, mud on the tires, mud on the boots...dream job.
2. 99% of the people you deal with are good people, even many of the law breakers are good people deep down.
3. Its hard to describe, but when you do the job correctly the community will back you 110% and its very rewarding.
4. I loved being able to explore the countryside and water, used to call them job appreciation days, fire up a snowmobile, boat or pack a backpack and just go explore.

Again, the best advice I could give is to figure out the states you want to work & make sure you have an accurate understanding of scheduling, training, staffing, are you going to be gone from home X days a year, do you have to take calls at home? Will people be stopping by your house? Is you family going to be cool with that? What caliber of people will you work with? These days LE is not the sought after profession it once was & some real interesting people are slipping through the cracks, if you end up working alongside an army of dimwits plan on being micromanged to death.

I can go on & on.....PM if you have questions.

 

[mtwarden]

Just seeking some advice and info about the aspects of becoming a game warden. I understand there is a shortage across the country and I have somewhat of an understanding of what the job entails, definitely not all great from the little research I’ve done.

In the current climate of LEO’s getting a lot of negative attention, what has work been like?

-Do you get any time to hunt for yourself during hunting season?
-Does “on call” happen all the time or are you rotating night/day shifts with other wardens?
-How is pay, raises, benefits and bonuses?
-How often are you experiencing dangerous situations?

I have a degree in Wildlife Management & Conservation and have been working as a field biologist for the last decade for many different organizations from private timber companies to Federal and State agencies. Due to this job taking me away from my family all summer, I’m looking to pivot into something within my field that will keep me home and on a regular work schedule, and thought going the game warden route could be a good career change.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, wether you’re a warden yourself or have friends or family who are.

Thanks


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re: negativity-can't speak for all wardens, but I haven't noticed anything in the way of negativity towards wardens, might be more of a urban vs rural thing?

re: hunting- not a lot of time, BUT with the time you have you can usually make the most of it due to being out all the time; also if a guy was lucky enough to draw a goat/sheep/etc tag, most supervisors will work with you getting time off (one of my wardens drew a sheep AND goat tag the same year!)

re: on call- most districts (talking Montana, could be very different elsewhere) are one man districts, so on call is usually on call; the flip side is you usually dictate your own schedule (within reason), so if your wife has a doctor's appointment on a Tuesday- you take Tuesday off

re: pay, benefits- you won't be rich, but the pay isn't too bad; again talking Montana, but you get a good pension and the medical while you're working is very good; most agencies have room to move up if a person wants too- investigators, sergeants, captains, etc

re: danger- it is a more dangerous job than many- not just the obvious of dealing with violators that happen to be armed, but running snow machines, 4 wheelers, boats, etc in all kinds of weather can be dangerous. training and being always on the ball mitigates that danger significantly

I don't know many wardens that have any regrets in choosing this line of work, I certainly don't

 

[Newtosavage]

I had a good friend that retired as a game warden. He said the worst part of the job was the late night phone calls from concerned citizens about a raccoon being hit by a car.


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He had a pretty easy go of it if that was the worst part. I suspect he left out a lot of details.

 

[Newtosavage]

re: negativity-can't speak for all wardens, but I haven't noticed anything in the way of negativity towards wardens, might be more of a urban vs rural thing?

re: hunting- not a lot of time, BUT with the time you have you can usually make the most of it due to being out all the time; also if a guy was lucky enough to draw a goat/sheep/etc tag, most supervisors will work with you getting time off (one of my wardens drew a sheep AND goat tag the same year!)

re: on call- most districts (talking Montana, could be very different elsewhere) are one man districts, so on call is usually on call; the flip side is you usually dictate your own schedule (within reason), so if your wife has a doctor's appointment on a Tuesday- you take Tuesday off

re: pay, benefits- you won't be rich, but the pay isn't too bad; again talking Montana, but you get a good pension and the medical while you're working is very good; most agencies have room to move up if a person wants too- investigators, sergeants, captains, etc

re: danger- it is a more dangerous job than many- not just the obvious of dealing with violators that happen to be armed, but running snow machines, 4 wheelers, boats, etc in all kinds of weather can be dangerous. training and being always on the ball mitigates that danger significantly

I don't know many wardens that have any regrets in choosing this line of work, I certainly don't

Spend a little time in the Southeast.

I agree with your last statement. But the ones who do it long term are all-in. It's their vocation. Like teaching, it's not for everyone. And like you, I have zero regrets. Ask my wife and you'll get a different story completely.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

My brother is an environmental police officer, fancy term for Game Warden in MA. He has the identical package as MA state troopers which has to be one of the top paying state Law Enforcement jobs. He doesn’t have kids yet and his days off rotate every week he typically hunts 2 days a week and might squeak one in the morning or afternoon around work. Here you have to do the civil service test to get in, he scored well and was 260th on the list with veteran status, shortly after he got disabled veteran and got bumped to the top ten and made the next wave of hiring. He did a six+ month state police academy and six months of training on the job. Hes been on full time for a couple years and picks up details here and there and does pretty well. The senior guys with some time and rank do very well. Hes on the coast so much of what he does is with commercial fishing and when that slows down it’s hunting season. I would strongly consider it myself but without the veteran status it’s impossible here the last civilian that was hired was in the 90’s.

 

[Grumman]

He had a pretty easy go of it if that was the worst part. I suspect he left out a lot of details.

Yeah you’re right poor phrasing on my part. Maybe the most aggravating and useless part of the job would be a better way to say it. He did have some other great stories! He actually talked me out of that profession years ago. Our state pays in peanuts.


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[Coldtrail]

To answer some the OP's questions I'd say that if you are in the fish/game enforcement business that you WILL encounter people that are anti govt, and have zero respect for what you do, sadly you can find these types circulating among your base of local elected officials too. I saw a pretty big increase of authority challengers in the last 5 yrs or so, they are always there.

The safety issue is big, and as others have said many times we can be more of a danger to ourselves than the public is. That being said, my career is no more noteworthy than anyone else & I've had my share of wrestling matches and yelling commands to somebody at gun point. A few chases, both foot and car, threats to me and my family, and even a few attempted ambushes that got foiled. It's the nature of the job and working alone. I've also crashed trucks & snowmobiles, fallen through the ice, and not been good at practicing good "wellness" dealing with the stressors of the job.

The family thing is a big deal, most spouses grow to hate your job and some cases your employer. In a small town, your family will take as much grief as you. I started in a town of 380 people, there was nothing I did that was a secret for many years. People driving past your house or calling and hanging up to see if you are home etc.

I would do it all over again, but I also loved being in the field and never had any aspiration to move up. I feel it's truly a job where the people on the bottom have the best gig, however these days I see more people getting hired to be warden's because they only want to be supervisors......the lifelong field types are a dying breed.

I wish you well, the job needs good people & the future is going to put more people on a smaller landscape....it will be challenging for sure.

 

[Zappaman]

I would think that if you're into the wilderness and love hunting-- AND can manage people of ALL types, that you'd make a good warden.

People skills are definite must-have to avoid the "local" BS. But if you're just looking for a job in the outdoors and don't have the empathy do deal with "colorful" situations and people- I'd guess being a warden would not be the job for you. A LOT of "wannabee" cops DO go into law inforcement because (back in the 80s especially) it was easy- not so much today (thankfully). But it's those types that ARE the assholes (and some are managers today).

The whole point of the job is to deal with ALL types of people, and when necessary... stand your ground. That is a talent I do NOT possess as much as I'd LOVE to be a warden... I don't think I could deal with the 10% of people I'd just want to shoot- especially the "anti-authority" (opinionated) types.

I worked with our BLM ranger for years when I was a wilderness tech in college. Netting big horns and setting up "guzzlers" (dropped out of helicopters) was a friggin' blast! Driving out with THREE spare tires for a week long survey was AWESOME! (and I once DID go through three spares- my bad-ass boss came 3 hours out at 2AM with a fourth to get me home that week). I still hunt with him to this day BTW (35 years later)

But when I encountered pot hunters (digging for pottery in the NM desert), I called in our ranger and he was a tough-ass, no BS dude when he went out to confront those types. Never heard of Jeff needing to draw on anyone, but he had PLENTY of stories of DUMB-ASS people-- the liars who go busted and tried to talk their way out of it. Jeff was well "packed" and thankfully nobody ever took him on.

It only takes one 22 bullet from a thug to end your career (and life) and so IF you take the job, you need to be "cool" until it's time to (maybe) take that liability decision to make a very hard call.

Think it through... well.

 

[Gamehearse]

PM sent

 

[Cowbell]

Some great guys out there 100% can’t say enough good things about the one in Jackson. Those who know, know

I know. Great guy

 

[Peaks&Creeks]

Thank you everyone for the great replies and PMs, it’s given me some things to consider and has opened up the conversation at home even more.

Cheers


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[ZMax62]

I had a similar experience with a warden in Arizona . Great guy had us go out to our car and get our maps and gave us some areas to try. great experience.

 

[Lelder]

Met a great warden in the Idaho backcountry. He was riding out from spike camping to check on an outfitters hunters. He tied up both of his horses (we were on the side of the trail eating lunch) asked if he could join us, he talked to us like old friends, made sure we were legal and then put us on some elk! Great guy. I’ve never had a negative experience with a warden, I guess not breaking the law helps lol

 

[gwl79902]

I did it for 21 years and prior to that I had 7 years more in fisheries. I am one of the most blessed people ever to have been able to live a little boys dream. There was a lot of years that if they stopped paying me I still would have gone to work. Now it is all over I hope I made a difference. Lots of stories an memories. The job is not for everyone but if it is your calling do it.

I was in Oregon and here the pay is great and after time I could take time off for hunting. But to be honest in the beginning I did not want the time off I wanted to work. There were many openers that I went off duty on the radio and keep working then came back on later in the day. You can not or should not do that anymore and if is for the best. I always had the freedom to adjust my time to be there for my family. I worked most weekend and most holidays but I made my family my priority and made it work.

Never had to much trouble with call outs but when I did get calls they were for interesting stuff so I thought that was good.

 

[Felix40]

I quit a few months ago but here’s some of my thoughts.
Negatives
1. The phone never stops ringing and I was always expected to answer. Doesn’t matter if you are eating Christmas dinner with your family, you better have your phone on you. I was averaging probably 10-12 calls a day every day.

2. I was scheduled to work 52 weekends a year unless I asked for time off. That gets pretty old if you have a family. You count on never going to church or Saturday soccer games etc.

3. The pay in my state is not very good at all.

Positives
1. Freedom to dig in and work how you want. There were times when I would start work at 4am or work until past midnight. There’s nothing like getting paid to babysit a rutting elk herd in the dark while watching for spotlighters.

2. Occasionally you make a good case on someone who is a habitual poacher. That’s a really good feeling and provides a lot of self worth.

3. I never got denied leave to go hunting but I also always tried to apply for hunts at slow times. It was understood that taking time off during rifle deer hunts is just not an option.

4. You get to be the example that people think of when they talk about game wardens. If you do your job professionally, you build relationships in your community.

I transferred to a different LE agency but I do miss the work and satisfaction of the job. I just had to decide if that was more important than making a comfortable living and seeing my family on the weekends. (There was also a lot of Covid mandates from the state that were a factor)

 

[DuckDogDr]

Need some people with common sense for sure here in Alabama.
Had a co-worker almost get a ticket for “hiding the 3rd and 4th shell” while using an over and under… by a new trainee warden.. supervisor had to step in…. I wish I was kidding

 

[Mojave]

I have been a federal agent in Kentucky and a police officer in Alaska. Did it after I got out of the military both times. First time I quit and went back in the military, 2nd time I did it after I retired. The problem is that unlike the military when shit goes down you don't get to call in a spectre gunship to kill everyone.

The brown shirts in my Alaska State Trooper class were also Troopers first.

In Wyoming there are troopers who are game warden certified, but I would venture to say that 99% of the wardens in Wyoming are not state trooper certified. I don't know this, but I know that unlike Alaska there is a huge separation of duties.

This is what I was told by one of my federal agent classmates, who had been a WY State Police for 10 years before switching to the feds. He was game warden qualified.

For my own personallity I don't think it really worked to be a police officer. There are better and more opportunities in the world for people who are driven.

My father retired from Wyoming county and city law enforcement to become a federal agent and eventually a BLM Ranger. He got in when you could count military time against your age and get it back. He was almost 50 when he went to his federal agent academy. Got injured during a training event and has been medically retired since 2010.

He said being a cop is what good people do when they can't find a real job because of the economy, and what idiots do when the economy is good and it is hard to find LEO recruits.

He echos my own anti-police job sentiment. The job can go from absolute boredom to terror in the drop of a hat.

Love cops, support what they do, but damn it just isn't for me. If you can make it work for you, you know going into it what kind of BS it will be.

I remember walking down the street in down town Seattle like 25 years ago with one of my police officer tough guy shirts on

 

[ClearCreek]

In Wyoming there are troopers who are game warden certified, but I would venture to say that 99% of the wardens in Wyoming are not state trooper certified. I don't know this, but I know that unlike Alaska there is a huge separation of duties.

Not exactly correct on the Wyoming situation.

There is no game warden certification or state trooper certification. They all go to the same law enforcement academy and graduate in the same class, etc. which gives them peace officer certification.

There is a huge separation of duties because they are employed by septate state agencies that have different law enforcement missions and responsibilities. Wyoming State Troopers are mainly responsible for motor vehicle traffic enforcement and Wyoming Game Wardens are primarily responsible for enforcement of Fish and Wildlife laws.

ClearCreek

 

[Mojave]

Not exactly correct on the Wyoming situation.

There is no game warden certification or state trooper certification. They all go to the same law enforcement academy and graduate in the same class, etc. which gives them peace officer certification.

There is a huge separation of duties because they are employed by septate state agencies that have different law enforcement missions and responsibilities. Wyoming State Troopers are mainly responsible for motor vehicle traffic enforcement and Wyoming Game Wardens are primarily responsible for enforcement of Fish and Wildlife laws.

ClearCreek

I don't know this is what I was told by a guy in my academy class.

I get that everyones goes to the same academy. The FTO time is what builds your LEO career, the academy is just the first step.

I had to know every street in my burough in Alaska and how they connected, and learn it at night as I went to a spring academy and then they moved me to a different village for FTO in August.

The equivillent version of FTO for a federal agent was the same. I knew zero about building a case, but I knew the law.

He said that everyone was not equal in certifications, and that most troopers were not allowed to do wildlife violations, and most wardens were not allowed to write common trooper things like speeding tickets.

I felt like the separation in Wyoming between the wardens and troopers was a lot farther than it is in most states.

I might have stayed in LE if I'd had been hired to be a brown shirt in Alaska instead of a burough PD guy. I was the only non-trooper in my academy class, I was also the only one making $80,000 a year in the academy.