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If you’ve seen movies where people are being arrested for illegally hunting, you have an insight into what a game warden does.
This position gives complete arrest power throughout the United States when necessary to protect the environment and its inhabitants.
If you love animals, want to keep the environment pure and beautiful, and love spending the majority of your time outside, becoming a game warden could be the career you are looking for.
Pros of Being a Game Warden
1. Working Outside in Nature
Many people consider it a big win to be able to spend their entire day outside and not locked away in some airless, windowless office.
As a game warden, you are tasked with patrolling our forests and game lands and making sure the animals and environment are safe.
You can’t do this from an armchair.
The game warden gets to regularly enjoy fresh air and sunshine, two things that help increase serotonin levels.
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2. Chance to Save and Protect Wildlife
Animal lovers are instinctively drawn to this profession.
A game warden can see that animals aren’t unfairly hunted.
They watch for things like illegal traps and other inhumane treatment of animals.
At the end of the day, you can feel good that you made a difference in the world.
You saved not only animals but also the environment.
Making sure there was no illegal dumping or contamination of the water.
3. Work Independently
You won’t have to worry about having a boss or other co-workers constantly looking over your shoulder.
You have the chance to make your own decisions and take care of responsibilities in the way you deem best.
This is a job where you feel that you are trusted and that people trust your intelligence and decision-making ability.
Being in control of your schedule, patrol route, and more can be a freeing experience.
4. Chance to Educate Others
Game wardens often get a chance to run educational programs that help both kids and adults learn about the marvels they can find in the outdoor world.
They have the opportunity to run workshops with several individuals, give class tours, and even talk one-on-one with people.
This is a job where you can share your knowledge and know you are benefiting nature.
Many people want to do the right thing, but they don’t have the knowledge they need.
You can remedy that.
5. Good Benefits
The benefits of a game warden position are higher than many other jobs.
You get a good health plan, retirement benefits, and paid time off.
You get paid holidays, and those game wardens having babies are given paid leave.
The pay may not be as high as you would expect, but the benefits that are provided can make everyday life easier and retirement good.
There is also a push to make this position more family-friendly.
In addition, there are pay incentives for education, longevity pay, and even geographic pay benefits.
6. High Job Satisfaction
Many people don’t like their jobs.
They tolerate the job because bills need to be paid and groceries need to be bought.
We live in a society where having a job seems to be much more important than enjoying what we do.
This doesn’t seem to be the case with game wardens.
When surveyed, those in this position scored in the top eighteen percent for job satisfaction.
Between great benefits, the chance to work independently, and being surrounded all day by nature, this explains why the position is rated so highly for satisfaction.
7. Ability to Arrest
While being able to arrest the bad guy isn’t always considered when picking an occupation, the ability to do so can be appealing.
Think about it. How often have you seen someone doing something illegal and wished there was an authority close by to arrest them?
Game wardens have authority across the country to arrest those who are violating the laws about animals and nature on our game lands.
Knowing you have the power to take care of a wrong is a powerfully good feeling.
Cons of Being a Game Warden
1. Long Hours
Game wardens theoretically have set schedules, but in reality, that isn’t the case.
Protection is needed around the clock, and violations don’t occur on a schedule.
The game warden will often have to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
They may end up working 12 or 14 hours a day when situations call for it.
They are normally on-call for disasters and such.
2. Potential Danger
Not only are there wild animals the game warden has to worry about, but there are illegal poachers and other people who don’t want to be told what to do.
They can be dangerous, especially knowing the chance they will get caught may be slim.
Animals that are scared or hurt can be dangerous.
They can’t reason and may strike out due to instinct.
Then you have things like venomous snakes that couldn’t care less who they bite if they are disturbed.
3. Isolation
We live in a society where we are constantly connected.
The job of the game warden goes completely against that.
You may spend days in isolation, never speaking to another person, let alone seeing them.
There is normally no internet connection in the woods, and phone connections may be spotty.
This is a career that isn’t meant for people who like the energy created by social interaction.
In these people, the isolation can cause depression.
4. Intense Weather Conditions
Being out in nature can be nice, except if there is a heat wave and temperatures rise above a hundred degrees.
What’s even worse is the intense snow, cold, and winds of winter.
In some areas, these intense weather conditions can be dangerous at worst and uncomfortable at their best.
When considering the position of game warden, you need to consider your tolerance for both heat and cold, and thoroughly investigate what the conditions are like in the area you are assigned to.
5. Often Need to Relocate
The park service tends to send people where they are most needed.
Just as often, you may not have the opportunity to refuse the transfer.
This could leave you without a job.
For some places, the need for game wardens is steady and the competition may be little to none, such as in Alaska, but other places may need constant replacement of wardens.
You will do well to find out how long previous game wardens stayed where you are seeking to work.
6. Limited Job Availability
There are only so many positions for game wardens, and as our game lands shrink, the need is even less.
There are often more candidates for game warden positions than there are positions to fill.
This can be remedied by seeking employment in less appealing areas.
It might help to get training that allows you to enter a related occupation and go on a position waiting list. which most government jobs have.
7. Low Pay
This is not one of the highest-paid positions you can have.
The lowest ten percent of game wardens make less than $32,000 annually, and the top ten percent make more than $86,000.
The latter game wardens are those with degrees, longevity, and willingness to work in areas others avoid.
As mentioned, if you are looking to get rich, this is not the position for you.
It isn’t a position where many can afford to support a family.
However, if money isn’t the top priority for you, the other benefits, both physically and psychologically, can outweigh this lack.
Pros and Cons of Being a Game Warden – Summary Table
| Pros of Being a Game Warden | Cons of Being a Game Warden |
|---|---|
| 1. Working Outside in Nature | 1. Long Hours |
| 2. Chance to Save and Protect Wildlife | 2. Potential Danger |
| 3. Work Independently | 3. Isolation |
| 4. Chance to Educate Others | 4. Intense Weather Conditions |
| 5. Good Benefits | 5. Often Need to Relocate |
| 6. High Job Satisfaction | 6. Limited Job Availability |
| 7. Ability to Arrest | 7. Low Pay |
Should I Become a Game Warden?
Becoming a game warden offers a great chance to mingle with the wild creatures and to spend the day outdoors.
If you are a nature or animal lover, preferably both, this is perfect.
If you are looking to make a lot of money, this isn’t where you will do that, but the benefits are a lot better than most places.
It is also a job that rewards you for education and sticking with the job.
It is a job that makes family and social time difficult, but if you enjoy solitude, you will thrive in this position.
In the end, it boils down to how much you enjoy animals, nature, and solitude.
If these three things are high on your priority list, along with the wish to protect these environments, then this is the perfect position.
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