Texas Game Warden Essay

Becoming a Texas fish and game warden is a lengthy process. The schooling is a drag, once the schooling is over there is more schooling and physical work. Once one has graduated the Texas Fish and Game Warden Academy, they would be entering the world of danger, sacrifice, and all kinds of dangers. The responsibilities are endless with the high jurisdiction a game warden has. Being able to work in the environment and with animals could be fun, but there is much experience needed. Texas game wardens are very important to protecting the environment and citizens. The Texas Game Warden has various special teams to join and can be very dangerous, they take their job seriously when protecting the environment, the Pros of this job are great and beneficial,

and pays well in Texas!
Having an education for a well-paying job or a career someone may be wanting is an absolute need.

In Texas, the level of education one must have to qualify to be a Texas Game warden is a Bachelor’s degree from a credited college or university (Texas Parks and Wildlife). Once one has gotten their Bachelor’s Degree they could enter the Texas Game Warden Academy. After graduating the Academy, they get their county and assigned to one (Texas Game Edu). The Texas Game Warden has a number of special teams someone can join. One is the “Texas Navy”, which is the team of Game Wardens that protect the Texas waters and specialize in any water borne situation (TWPD). The K-9 team helps the main core in high-risk missions which is a needed group state wide. The SCOUT Team is a team of specially trained tactical Game Warden officers. This team is used in special situations and are also a high-risk response team that even helps with border patrolling. There are approximately 25 members state wide (TWPD). The Texas Search and Rescue (SAR) team is a law enforcement division that specializes in response capabilities during natural or man-made disasters. One more big team is the Underwater search and Recovery Dive Team. Comprised of skilled and technologically proficient members that go to carry out underwater search and recovery missions statewide. This team is drawn from all over Texas

(TWPD).
While Texas Game Warden officers carry out their missions and protect the state’s environment and natural resources, they encounter dangerous and life threatening situations. With the human population rising, the more people, the less wild, our earth is becoming more polluted, crowded, civilized, and less wild (Game Warden Museum). Game Wardens all across the states and North America are helping protect the great outdoors for our future generations. Game wardens usually work alone on the front lines of natural resource protection (Texas). Game wardens often risk or even sacrifice their lives for conservation. Natural resources are being pushed to a limit with the huge population. 90 percent of the natural wetlands of North America have disappeared (Game Warden Museum)! Game wardens have had to protect the land from poachers, black market animal parts trade, polluted eco-systems, encroachment, invasive species, and habitat explosion (Game Warden Museum). To have more animals, plants, natural resources, and wildlife, we must be courteous to the environment and preserve it for our future generations.
Game wardens receive many of the benefits afforded workers in all industries, plus a few more that are slowly disappearing or costing large amounts in other workplaces. However, the specifics vary by jurisdiction. They receive paid holidays, vacation time, sick leave and overtime allowances. The state may pay for part or all of health, dental and vision benefits for game wardens and their families. Most agencies pay for a college degree related to the profession, and assign the warden several pieces of equipment, including a 4x4 vehicle, watercraft, computer, phone, digital camera and global positioning system. After working for a certain period of time and then retiring from the profession, wardens receive a pension that may combine both government-granted and contributory income (Game Wardens). Also for those who value the outdoors find being a fish or game warden an ideal job. Those who like the rugged terrain, working in fresh air, and being around the natural environment is an even better reason for one to become a fish or game warden.
Fish and game wardens get paid well in their annual chunk of change. As of May 2011, they earned a mean $55,670 per year, or $26.77 per hour (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The best-paid 10 percent made more than $81,080 yearly, or $38.98 hourly. These wages were higher than the average annual $42,730, or $20.54 per hour more than the average wages for all workers, which ran $45,230 per year, or $21.74 per hour (Bureau of Labor Statistics). As for Texas fish and game warden, the average salary is $53,000 annually. This annual pay is 9.3 percent higher than the nationwide average of 48,070 as of 2015 (Game Warden EDU). Of course, the higher rank, the more pay there is. Annually, a game warden makes a minimum of $49,581; and a maximum of $68,688 (Game Warden EDU) A game warden sergeant makes a minimum of $64,084; a maximum of $76,521 annually (Game Warden EDU). Game warden lieutenants make $71,377 minimum, $84,598 maximum (Game Warden EDU). Game warden captains make minimum of $83,574 and a maximum of $91,017 annually (Game Warden EDU). Finally, a Texas Game Warden major makes a minimum of $102,357 annually and a maximum of $103,014 annually (Game Warden EDU).
“This job is not so much a job when you love being in the outdoors and doing what I do.

It’s my career and I love it. When I retire, I’ll retire as a Texas game warden.” –Brendan Shoars. This is a quote from the Ector County Game Warden that was interviewed for this assignment. He also talked about the dangers and all the responsibilities that come with his career. Texas game warden have a great amount of jurisdiction, just under a Texas Ranger, which has most jurisdiction in Texas. So that should say a lot about a game warden’s responsibilities as far as jurisdiction goes. Here in Ector County, there are not much dangers to avoid, not like someone would drown out here or if there’s much to hunt! Brendan also says that no matter where a game warden is patrolling, they have to be alert of their surroundings and know what dangers come with their surrounding patrolling areas. This is critical to protecting the environment, citizens, and even one’s self. The different special teams that the Texas Game Warden have are helpful for doing so, if it’s for search and rescue, or using K-9 to carry out a drug bust. Protecting the environment, citizens, and wildlife is something that is very important, especially the environment and wildlife. If anyone is interested in doing such activities listed and mentioned in this paper then they could have a career in being a game warden, especially in

Texas.