Transcript Wildlife Management

CAREERS IN
WILDLIFE
MANAGEMENT
Agriscience 381
Wildlife and Recreation Management
#8989-A
TEKS: (c)(1)(A) and (c)(1)(D)
Introduction
Careers in wildlife include a wide
range of science, research, and
development of natural resources.
There are many career opportunities
available in the field of wildlife
management.
Wildlife Management
Wildlife management ensures that
wildlife species serve the ecological,
commercial, recreational, or
scientific purposes determined by
state law or public interest.
Wildlife management techniques
include:
• manipulating wildlife habitat,
• establishing hunting seasons,
• setting regulations,
• collecting wildlife population data, and
• educating the public about wildlife
conservation.
Wildlife Manager’s Duties
Wildlife managers implement
management techniques to meet
the objectives of wildlife
management.
The challenges are complex and
require that managers have
expertise in a variety of areas.
Some require specialization.
Most entry-level wildlife management
careers fall into one of the following
three areas:
• wildlife management
and biology,
• research, and
• public relations.
Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
Wildlife managers must be able to
count animals, control populations,
recommend hunting seasons, be
public relations specialist, and educate
people.
Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Wildlife managers
like those employed
by the Texas Parks
and Wildlife
Department or
U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
must also work to
enforce the laws
and regulations.
Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
As mentioned, a wildlife manager’s
work involves some degree of public
relations.
Some wildlife jobs deal exclusively
with public relations.
Photo by David Maple courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Successful wildlife management
depends largely on facts obtained by
scientific research.
A wildlife biologist performs basic or
applied research to obtain data.
Subject areas for research include
physiology, genetics, ecology, behavior,
disease, nutrition, population dynamics,
land use change, and pollution.
Photo by Bobby Brown courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Educational Requirements
for Employment
Wildlife science is based in biological
science, but also involves many other
disciplines.
Skills needed by wildlife science
professionals include:
• understanding of biological concepts,
• oral and written communication skills,
• the ability to work well with others,
and
• understanding natural resource
conservation in relation to other
human activities.
Preparation for a career in wildlife
management can begin in high school.
Course work should include biology,
chemistry, physics, math, and
computers.
Courses in plant science, soil science,
animal science, environmental science,
and wildlife and recreation
management would also be beneficial.
College is essential for most wildlife
management occupations.
In college, areas of study vary, but should
include and not be limited to:
• population and ecosystem processes,
• sampling procedures,
• wildlife anatomy/morphology,
• plant identification,
• library research,
• communication skills,
• computer skills, and
• management.
This training should prepare a person
for an entry-level wildlife position
requiring a bachelor’s degree.
A degree program should also include
an internship opportunity, which
would provide practical experience.
A person pursuing training as a wildlife
manager should spend time outdoors
to understand wildlife and the
environment.
The job opportunities have increased
over the years due to the increase in
national policies on endangered
species, marine mammals, and
environmental quality.
Employment
Employment in the wildlife management
field will fit into one of five basic levels
of education:
• no skill (no formal education),
• high school diploma/GED,
• technical training,
• college, and
• graduate school.
Employment will fall into one of
three sectors: public, private, and
non-profit.
Employment in the public sector is
open to all levels of education.
Private sector jobs focus on
profitability and look to employ only
college-trained individuals.
The non-profit sector is open to all
levels of education and often looks
to volunteer work with no payment
for services.
Wildlife Related Jobs
Below are examples of jobs that are
related to wildlife.
• Fish and Wildlife
Technician
• Refuge Manager
• Wildlife Researcher
• Fish Culture
Technician
• Wildlife Public
Relations
• Fishery Biologist/
Hatchery Manager
• Resource Coordinator • Wildlife Biologist
• Zoologist
• Law Enforcement
Fish and Wildlife Technician
A fish and wildlife technician may work
independently or under the supervision
of a wildlife biologist.
A technician performs tasks related to
wildlife management, determines proper
regulations for improvement of wildlife
conservation and management, and
repairs and maintains equipment.
This position usually requires a high
school education or a GED.
Individuals with
mechanical skills
are usually given
preference for
this position.
Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
Wildlife Researcher
Wildlife research requires individuals
with a high degree of academic ability
and self-discipline.
The research
obtained provides
the facts in which
management
decisions are made.
Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Wildlife Public Relations
The job of wildlife public relations is to
inform and educate the public with
regards to wildlife management.
Some degree of
public relation
skills is necessary.
Photo by Debbie McCrensky courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Resource Coordinators
Resource coordinators have the
responsibility to ensure that activities on
public lands comply with state and federal
regulations.
These individuals are trained in a specific
natural or cultural resource discipline such
as archeology, botany, conservation
biology, ecology, range science, land
acquisition, data management, computer
science, history, or historic architecture.
Zoologist
A zoologist, or life
scientist, normally
works with several
animal species.
Their major tasks
are research and
development.
Photo by Ron Garrison, San Diego Zoo, courtesy of U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The Food and Drug Administration,
the Department of Agriculture, the
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Public
Health Service, the National Park
Service, zoos, and museums often
employ zoologists.
The trend toward more leisure time
for the American public is creating a
better employment outlook for
zoologists.
Refuge Manager
A refuge manager uses the best
science and technology to manage a
wildlife refuge.
Threatened or
endangered
species are particular concerns of
refuge management.
Photo by Art Sowls courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Fish Culture Technician
A fish culture
technician works
with the production
of food or game
fish species.
Photo by Robert Pos courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The three areas of employment are in
fish hatchery technology, fish wildlife
conservation technology, and
experimental biology technology.
Fishery Biologist/Hatchery Manager
A fishery biologist
manages the
habitats, spawning,
and growth of fish.
A fish biologist
should study
aquatic biology,
oceanography, and
fish culture.
Photo by Robert Pos courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A fish hatchery manager oversees fish
breeding operations.
Use of artificial propagation will
increase the production of some fish
species.
Photo by Robert Pos courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Wildlife Biologist
A wildlife biologist
designs and conducts
studies on wildlife
resources.
Photo by Jim Akaran courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This biologist may work with big game, small
game, birds, and non-game species and/or
urban wildlife.
This position requires a college degree in
wildlife science, wildlife management, or a
closely related field.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement includes jobs as a game
warden, conservation officer, water patrol
officer, or park ranger.
These professionals dedicate their lives to
protection of fish, forests, and wildlife
resources.
A post high school
education is necessary
for most law
enforcement careers.
Photo by Steve Hillebrand courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Qualifications
Careers in wildlife management
require a strong interest in wildlife.
The individual must be sensitive to
the esthetic values of natural
resources and have a sincere
interest in science.
The individual must also be in
excellent physical and mental health.
He/she should like and understand
people as well as wildlife.
A wildlife manager should be able to
assume responsibility and complete
tasks without supervision.
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Reproduction or redistribution of all, or part, of this
presentation without written permission is prohibited.
Instructional Materials Service
Texas A&M University
2588 TAMUS
College Station, Texas 77843-2588
http://www-ims.tamu.edu
2006