Game Warden Job Requirements – Selected States

[Martin Nowak]

Game Warden Job Requirements – Selected States

This seemed like an appropriate forum for the topic.

I am providing a few links to job requirements for fish and game wardens in several states. Each state varies somewhat in requirements and readers interested will need to Google their states’ job requirements. Reptile keepers (and anyone participating in outdoor activities) needs to reflect on the job qualifications considering that game wardens are sworn LEOs, carry weapons, and generally have arrest powers. Note that many states require a psychological evaluation. Educational standards also vary for job entry. These links do not address what may be required for maintaining the job such as physical, psychological, educational, infractions, complaints, behavioral, and other requirements.

When examining game warden job qualifications, one should also review the “Mission, Vision, Values” of each state’s Game and Fish Commission or Department of Conservation. These “characteristics” of the agency should guide actions and behaviors of employees. An example here would be Alabama. Alabama’s government entity is titled “Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources”. Alabama’s State Insect is the Monarch Butterfly. Monarchs are IUCN Red List as Endangered and will be so designated by the U.S. in 2024. Virtually every state that contains monarchs (either native or migratory) has funding and activity to protect this magnificent insect. Despite Alabama’s “Conservation” title, the state has no budget and no activities to protect the monarch butterfly even though the insect migrates through Alabama twice annually. Finally, when examining factors related to boots on the ground game wardens, one should also look at leadership of the state's department. Examine leadership qualifications and actual credentials of the leaders. The top position is usually termed “Commissioner”.

Florida: https://www.gamewardenedu.org/florida/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent:
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FW-1010-Special-Agent.pdf
https://www.gamewardenedu.org/us-fish-and-wildlife-special-agent-jobs/

Alabama: https://www.gamewardenedu.org/alabama/

Arizona: https://www.gamewardenedu.org/arizona/

California: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Enforcement/Career/Qualifications

Georgia: https://www.gamewardenedu.org/georgia/

Tennessee: https://www.gamewardenedu.org/tennessee/

Texas: https://tpwd.texas.gov/warden/recruiting-careers/requirements

 

[bcr229]

Info for WV
https://dwr.virginia.gov/conservation-police/recruiting/

 

[croakin]

The leadership of these organizations sets the tone. The Florida Wildlife Commission is run by 7 commissioners. One would think them to be scientists, biologists, forestry managers, etc, BUT…… it’s 6 real estate developers and 1 VP of the dirtiest, most fined power plant in FL. One owns & operates oil wells in the Everglades.

 

[Martin Nowak]

Link to the Florida Wildlife Commission members.
https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commissioners/

One must note that there is an infrastructure of employees as well.
In Florida, there is an executive director and central office support staff. There is an organization with many layers to "manage" all the employees, divisions, and geography.
Thomas Eason, PhD is the Acting Executive Director in Florida.
https://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/senior-staff/

As several have noted, the commissioners / advisory boards are actually shills for big business, particularly those that harm the environment. And most are self serving in terms of their day jobs and financial colleagues.

Most states have similar organization structures. Paid state employee staff - your tax dollars. Plus, an "advisory" committee of "Commissioners" (FL) or "Advisory Board" (AL).
Some states like Alabama have very direct little tax support and rely on revenue from fishing license, hunting license, fines, and grants. As hunting has been declining and fishing of less interest to younger generations, many of the states' game and fish departments do not have enough revenue "to do what they want to do" ... much less "what they need to do". A response therefore is to simply outlaw activities or make permitting very costly. And, every state game and fish department relies heavily on a university - usually a single favored university - to provide opinions and often draft regulations. Now these universities also do a lot positive in terms of research - but as the group knows all too well - university biologists generally do not seek or accept friendship of reptile keepers.

 

[JimM]

Most applying to become F & G officers are doing so because they don't have the balls to try and become real cops and deal with real criminals.

 

[croakin]

That would be an interesting statistic to see how many got rejected or canned from a real PD.

 

[AlvinsFangs]

I don’t think you’ll find many here interested in showing authority to mom and dads, or the kids.
Might want to head over to officer.com and see if it gets their jolly’s off.

 

[Martin Nowak]

While not directly related to reptiles, this is yet another story (Virginia) about game warden overreach. It seems a culture of unfettered power, or such belief, exists among the ranks. The story notes that local police would not get involved even though trespassing and theft of property was formally reported. The citizen land owner has filed a suit. It may be worth following the case for the elements, merits and outcome.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia...-mans-land-stole-trail-camera-lawsuit-alleges

 

[Socratic Monologue]

Here's WI: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WardenRecruitment

60 college credits are required either at hiring or within five years on the job. They require Hunter, Boating, All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Snowmobile safety certificates; makes sense since around here a lot of issues are certainly with those groups of public lands users.

They have a 'ride-along' opportunity to hang out with a warden for a day; that sounds like fun to me.

I'm willing to bet that many people who consider such a position just like being in the woods and interacting with others who do too, and when they have to deal with real criminals (wildlife crimes are real crimes) that those interactions are pretty stressful.

I know a state trooper here in WI and talking to him makes me very sympathetic to what he does to keep me and mine safe. We're rural, so we interact with county deputies from time to time and they always take great care of us. My wife interacts with police on a very regular basis at work and seems to have the same impression. The stuff in the news is bad, but so is the stuff in the news about reptile keepers, which we all know is somewhat less than an accurate representation of the entire community.

 

[AlvinsFangs]

Here's WI: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WardenRecruitment

60 college credits are required either at hiring or within five years on the job. They require Hunter, Boating, All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Snowmobile safety certificates; makes sense since around here a lot of issues are certainly with those groups of public lands users.

They have a 'ride-along' opportunity to hang out with a warden for a day; that sounds like fun to me.

I'm willing to bet that many people who consider such a position just like being in the woods and interacting with others who do too, and when they have to deal with real criminals (wildlife crimes are real crimes) that those interactions are pretty stressful.

I know a state trooper here in WI and talking to him makes me very sympathetic to what he does to keep me and mine safe. We're rural, so we interact with county deputies from time to time and they always take great care of us. My wife interacts with police on a very regular basis at work and seems to have the same impression. The stuff in the news is bad, but so is the stuff in the news about reptile keepers, which we all know is somewhat less than an accurate representation of the entire community.

To me the entire issue with police in general, is the nepotism which comes with the culture. Unless you spend 3-4 years in a county jail and become buddy, buddy with the sheriff it's hard to get on to patrol. Been there and done that. Becoming a warden is even worse, because there's usually only a handful, and they are all gate keepers. I knew one person who successfully was selected to become a game warden, and including his bachelor's degree in wildlife management... he also had 15 years of POST certified experience, and left a high ranked LEO position for it.
Being a Game Warden is the cream of the crop, because they do a lot of sitting. Being a Trooper is much the same and a trooper will never respond to a domestic call, they are meter maids only. It's very rare that you'll have someone selected as a trooper without at minimum 4 years of military experience and a bachelors, but most are selected after X amount of years in a POST certified position with the city or county. It's okay to dream about it, but most people who want to join are barking up the wrong tree and it just isn't going to happen for them. Telling anyone they can become a game warden on an animal classifieds site is laughable, and it sounds like nobody has ever had any type of experience in applying just to see how fierce it really is. You can run a mile in 8 minutes? Johnny can do it in 7, and so on.

You'd have a good chance working seasonal with NPS if you got a bachelors, and went to one of the few NPS certified academies. It doesn't POST certify you for an actual patrol position for other LEO, and most of those men are stuck doing seasonal making no money for upwards of 7 years before someone retires. No life for a man with a family, and a long journey for a kid fresh out of college.

Making a post about game warden positions open, is like making a post about the FBI positions open. Very, very few are selected, and most have spent years, and years working towards and training for the slot. They aren't going to need a post on some animal website lol.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

There are a couple implicit points being made in this thread, but I'm pretty sure advertising for recruitment isn't one of them.

 

[Martin Nowak]

I started this thread and Mr. Zillmer is absolutely correct. The intent of the thread has its genesis in the killing of a boa by Florida wildlife officers who could not identify the animal. The thread has nothing to do with recruitment. I provided some state's job qualifications and other readers added to the list. Not surprising, the states' requirements vary - in some cases considerably. The thread also contemplates the culture and leadership of states' game and fish commissions including the agencies' mission, vision, values, goals, continuing education of wardens, behavior of wardens, and so forth. A number of readers have responded accordingly and with insight. The thread is "wrapped" in the notion that game and fish are not trained or knowledgeable about herpetoculture and generally do not avail themselves of herptile keepers expertise and experience.

 

[AlvinsFangs]

Ah, I apologize. I misunderstood the thread. The Game wardens in Washington don’t even go to a special academy, they go to a regular police academy and then are expected to learn the job duties by shadowing a field training officer for 2-6 months. That’s neither here nor there, but yes I agree that there’s no way they’d have much knowledge past possibly visually identifying within that small time frame, and they’d have to personally be compassionate to understand it at another level. Their main duty is to generate revenue for the state through ticket enforcement of violations, and to prevent camping/littering. They do have a lot of power, including warrant less searches if they believe a wildlife crime has been committed. I’ve had them just hop on our boat, flip open my live well, start pulling large mouth and measuring them. They can be pricks, which goes without saying.

It’s a lose, lose for us. To turn the agency around you’d need multiple people to get on the inside and work their way up through administration to really see a change and it’s nearly impossible when everyone’s brother, nephew, cousin and uncle are already in there. Police get flack, but most of the stories you hear are true. The local sheriff about 3,000 miles east from my home town was up for Re-election, when he won I watched him walk through the department and fire on the spot 7 members who didn’t vote for him. If that isn’t corruption or malice, I don’t know what is.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

"To turn the agency around you’d need multiple people to get on the inside and work their way up through administration to really see a change and it’s nearly impossible when everyone’s brother, nephew, cousin and uncle are already in there."

Yes, that's a tough mountain to climb.

I'm guessing at least part of the situation is funding, too. Admittedly, funding is a tool that can be misused (hence the absurd but somewhat understandable movement to "defund the police"), but appropriate resources in conjunction with a public demand for science-based policies and for fair enforcement tactics would be a move in the right direction for this and many other societal complaints.

Sufficient funds, science over politics, and a comprehensive understanding of justice is a lot to ask from a society that has a dead serious "us vs them, and my group is getting the shaft" problem, though. This thread is a very thought provoking way to consider the details of the system, and as such is a great start on the problem.