Introduction
What does it mean to be a fish and game warden? Well its an extremely complicated and demanding job, but yet has a high and exciting payoff. And I'm not talking just about the money, but the feeling you get of saving and rescuing countless numbers of animals' lives. To sum it up very briefly, a fish and game warden's job is to protect the hunters and the animals they are hunting. No they they do not jump in front of guns to protect animals, but they make sure hunters are not doing anything illegal to gain an advantage over their prey. If they do however find that someone is doing something illegal, they take action.
Findings
As mentioned before, being a fish and game warden is an extremely complicated job. It consists of waking up early every morning and heading out to the hunting grounds to start a hard days work. Wardens work in outdoor environments such as lakes, national parks, near streams, and mountain areas. Always being in and working in the outdoors presents potential threats that can range from earthquakes and landslides, to hazardous swamps and marshes. Along with natural dangerous environments, threats may also come from humans themselves. This category is open to several situations such as unstable people, having to track and chase people down, coming in contact with potentially dangerous people, and dealing with injured people and having to do whatever is necessary to get them to safety (Kane 2011,
5; Flowers 2008,
1). Another right that wardens have, is the right to stop any suspicious looking vehicle that may have something to do with an illegal act. "The need to protect wildlife for future generations outweighs the minor intrusion of a vehicle stop on a participant in a regulated activity like hunting or fishing, the court said"..."in a unanimous ruling" (Egelko 2011,
1). Punishments for breaking wildlife regulatory laws can be as severe as spending years in prison (Stienstra 2011,
1).
A good and responsible warden will take on the tasks of having multiple duties at once. The basic main job that all wardens have is to protect wildlife and the environment by enforcing wild life code, fishing, hunting, and boating laws. A lot of the other jobs that some wardens will do, consist of investigating wildlife crimes, managing animal population in certain areas, tracking and chasing poachers, conducting search and rescue missions, investigating damage reports done to human property by wildlife, presenting educational programs to the public, and seizing of any illegal equipment used by a hunter to aid in his or her hunting (Kane 2011,
2).
One who is interested in doing such a modest profession might ask what the requirements are to become a fish and game warden, and where to get qualified. The standard requirements for a fish and game warden are for the most part the same all around the U.S. Some of these qualifications are physical and some mental. Things such as being fit, able to swim, able to defend yourself (and others if necessary) against any type of threat, being comfortable and remaining calm in any situation, and the ability to deal with emotional people are all physical skills. Things such as basic knowledge in mathematics, reading, writing, grammar, ability to gather information by questioning people, knowledge on how to safely operate a motor vehicle, ability to take orders and work well under stress, ability to use reasoning, logic, and judgement are all mental requirements (McKay 2009,
4).
Schooling and experience requirements very a lot more then then the physical and mental requirements. It is mainly up to the company that is hiring what the requirements are and if the person applying for the job meets them. Depending on who is hiring, the usual requirements are a high school education (or a GED with some other stuff to go along with it), some sort of biology related major such as zoology or biology, two years as a certified law enforcement officer, or two years in the military with honorable discharge, or two years of experience in a natural resources field. Some states might have different requirements and standards than others, but once you complete the requirements and get certified, you are ready to start your career as an official fish and game warden (Morway 2011,
3). Also, get as much as experience you can in law enforcement. It will increase your chances of getting hired as a fish and game warden (McKay 2009,
4).
As far as where to get qualified and your education, there are a countless number of places to get certified. Most places are state managed, like Washington Fish and Game Association. Places like this will have people sign up and take certain classes or whatever they need them to take, and then start them with their training (Anonymous 2011c,
1). Other places such as Butte Collage offer an actual class that you can take as part of schooling. According to the website, they offer classes that people can sign up for as long as they meet the requirements, which include "
High school diploma from an accredited high school or GED, no felony convictions, a valid drivers license, and a passed entrance exam with a score of 42 or higher, a pass of the Pre-Law Enforcement Academy Physical Training Test 1.5 mile run in 15 minutes or less (Anonymous 2011d, 1)." As long as you meet these requirements, you can sign up for the class and get certified to become a fish and game warden.
Depending on where you go to get your training, costs of classes may very. Places like Butte Collage usually coast anywhere from $4,000-$5,500 dollars, based on how many units the person takes and how much each individual unit costs. At Butte Collage, these fees will cover all the necessary things to pass the class such as enrollment, material, textbooks, uniforms, driving, and weapon and equipment rental. Exams be will approximately two and a half hours long. "
Each applicant must complete a P.O.S.T. Entry-Level Examination consisting of basic language skills (Anonymous 2011d, 2)."
Just like the price of becoming a fish and game warden fluctuates greatly, so does the amount of money one earns for being a working fish and game warden. Depending on where you work, starting wages for a beginner are usually around $35,000. The general mean annual wage is roughly about $56,030 and the mean hourly wage is about $26.94. Having said this, annual wages can range anywhere from $30,400-$81,710 (Kane 2011,
6). Besides getting decent pay, the job of a fish and game warden comes with many benefits. Some of these benefits include a good medical and dental plan, flexible hours, a decent retirement plan, and state issued equipment (such as snow mobiles, trucks, boats, all terrain vehicles), and career advancement possibilities (Morway 2011,
1).
There has been much research done to see if we could better conserve and protect wildlife and their population. Scientists in Vermont have come up with several strategies to make this wish come true. Their tactics include protecting and designating certain areas of towns for "deer wintering areas". These areas are not to be harmed by any means. They are there to protect and offer the support deer and other wildlife need. Another one of their strategies includes mapping out where deer are located and where they are to be in a designated protected area. New technology is also being built to help wardens and rangers with their jobs, making it easier to communicate with each other and have a better understanding of wildlife information, keeping them up to date (Anonymous 2011e,
1)
Conclusion
Being a fish and game warden is a lot of responsibility, and has many joys and pains. If you like getting paid decently and having great benefits for running around outside all day protecting wildlife and the environment, then this is the job for you. This job has lots of pluses to it, but remember, it is serious work. Your job is to protect wildlife, hunters, and the environment. You must always do this correctly no matter what the circumstances are, and in the worst of conditions. You must be willing to put your life on the line at any given moment to protect not only wildlife, but large numbers of people too.
In my eyes, being a fish and game warden would definitely have its perks, but I would have to say it is a big trade off. Yes i get to be outside and enjoy the fruits of nature, but a lot of times, especially during hunting season, the weather can be quite hazardous. Also there are many natural disasters that happen that I would have to overcome in order to do my job. But if I could manage to get through that, I would be looking at a steady pay check, great benefits, flexible hours, and getting to help save the wilderness.