California game warden numbers decline to 1950s levels

**spectr17** · 04-08-2006, 11:31 PM

http://insidebayarea.com/dailyreview...ews/ci_3683757

**Sidekick** · 04-08-2006, 11:58 PM

Hey you wardens out there what do you say?

**muleyboy** · 04-09-2006, 08:59 PM

I went to college to become a Game Warden and was turned down too many times. I got tired of getting the letter saying that I didn't have enough experience for the job. They want you to have an ungodly amount of experience to become a Warden and they are passing over very good candidates like me every day. I graduated from college with a degree in criminology with honors, but since I couldn't take time off of work to gain experience, they passed me over time and time again. Why can't I get on the job experience? All of my criminology professors said that they were very surprised to here that I was getting passed over. Hell, I guess I was doing such a good job, that most of my professors thought that I was a police officer. Oh well, I guess they lost out on a good Warden.

**THE ROMAN ARCHER** · 04-09-2006, 10:28 PM

I am shocked, DFG officers hold some of the HIGHEST power in LAW ENFOCEMENT in all our LAND in this NATION. I feel it is most DISCRIMINATORY and DISRESPECTFULL that they treat you, the DFG as the lower class of law enforcement with such RIDICULES pay and poor support, you do take some of the highest RISK when it comes down to PROTECTING WILDLIFE and U.S. CITIZENS! I highly APPRECIATE what you do and you always have my SUPPORT!

............TRA
P.S. ill be damed if i ever let POACHERS take over OUR WILDLIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this state is starting to fall appart, first they take our national gaurds overseas and now our dfg is slowly diminishing, what next.......tra

**Rancho Loco** · 04-10-2006, 06:30 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (muleyboy @ Apr 9 2006, 08:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I went to college to become a Game Warden and was turned down too many times. I got tired of getting the letter saying that I didn't have enough experience for the job. They want you to have an ungodly amount of experience to become a Warden and they are passing over very good candidates like me every day. I graduated from college with a degree in criminology with honors, but since I couldn't take time off of work to gain experience, they passed me over time and time again. Why can't I get on the job experience? All of my criminology professors said that they were very surprised to here that I was getting passed over. Hell, I guess I was doing such a good job, that most of my professors thought that I was a police officer. Oh well, I guess they lost out on a good Warden.[/b]

What state were you applying to?

**scr83jp** · 04-10-2006, 07:25 AM

Muleyboy I had the same experiences after graduating with a BS in wildlife mgt everywhere I sought employment the agencies wanted people with experience and I asked how can one get experience if you can't get hired.I found employment as a deputy probation officer and gave up trying to get hired as a game biologist. None of the guys I attended college with ended up working as wildlife or fishery mgt biologists .

**muleyboy** · 04-10-2006, 08:59 PM

"Rancho Loco", I was applying in California. Everybody that knows me thought that I would make it and be a good, fair Warden. Sure would have loved to be one.

**crittergetter** · 04-11-2006, 06:23 PM

I thought about it too. I investigated and found that: I would be patroling instead of hunting on opening days etc. Most start in S. Cal and put in their rookey time there before moving. No offense but I don't like S. Cal. There is some type of conflict of interest rule between land that you patrol and hunt. Don't remember exactly what that was. And finally they don't get paid enough for the risk and job that they do. With that I decided not to persue it. Other than that I still think it would have loved busting poachers, working check stations, being sneaky, etc. I would presume that if there are less hunters and fisherman and less than there is a need for less game cops.?

**Big_C** · 04-12-2006, 11:23 AM

I dunno. On the surface it sounds like a great job - being outdoors, helping hunters & fishermen, enforcing the law, etc. But I don't think I'd be that comfortable working virtually without back-up, in remote areas, with the expectation that everyone I come into contact with will be armed. What's to stop some scum-bag from ambushing me and leaving my carcass in the bottom of a ravine for the coyotes to fight over? With that risk plus the poorer pay and benes than most other LEAs and the general lack of appreciation for doing a tough job, I can certainly understand why they don't have enough applicants to fill the budgeted positions.

Now if the job came with a "Golden Opportunity" tag every year... ;-)