Wildlife Biologist career

PlainsRedneckOK

PlainsRedneckOK

New member
This is mainly directed towards the wildlife biologists of this site, and those who have any familiarity with animal sciences. However, if you have any info for me it would be greatly appreciated.

I am currently in high school and have been thinking about what I really truly want to be when I grow up. For quite some time I've thought I wanted to be a wildlife biologist. I still do, but I have some questions. My cousin is a wildlife biologist in Wyoming and he's told me some stuff, but I wanted to get some of you all's input as well. I know I want to work in the outdoors, especially since our world is constantly being built up and "developed." I like the idea of going out and studying things I'm interested in. I'm just wondering what skills and requirements it takes to become/ be a biologist. What kind of classes did you have to take? What goes on during the average day. How much are you inside and how much are you outside? Do you wish you would have chosen a different career? Why? What school(s) did you go to(I hope I'm not getting too personal). What school(s) do you recommend? My cousin told me that there is starting to become an overflow of people wanting to get into this profession, so you had better separate yourself from the others and stand out. What's your take on this? Thanks for reading. Any and all input is appreciated.

P.S. If you're not comfortable replying to some of these questions, no problem. I'm just curious. Thanks again for reading.
 
I'm not a wildlife biologist but my son is currenlty finishing his junior year at the University of Wyoming and is majoring is wildlife biology. He loves the program and his classes. I teach science and made sure he took all the math he could in High School and all the advanced science courses he could get to prepare him for what he would face in college. I had him take his first class of college biology while still in highschool in a dual credit course situation. He has thanked me for making him take the harder classes in high school. One thing that we ran into in selecting a college was that many of the smaller schools may offer a program similar to Wildlife biology but didn't offer a chance to get a profesional endorsement or a true Wildlife biology degree. He was an athlete and several smaller colleges offered scholarships for football but couldn't offer the degree program he was interested in. In the end he chose a larger University that did offer a wildlife biology degree (Generally in the Zoology Dept) and decided not to pursue athletics. It was a good decision his course work has been very demanding but he loves it. His professors tell him that in order to get a job as a wildlife biologist for an agency he should get at least a Masters degree and he would need to do a research project. He recently attended a job fair as part of a class requirement and was amazed at the job openings for wildlife biologist in the private sector here in Wyoming. Many of the coal mines, oil, and gas companies are hiring biologists. So I believe there are opportunities for people with that degree. He has worked as a fire fighter for the last three summers with the BLM and Park Service during the summer. Since he was majoring in Wildlife biology they used him for habitat work when he wasn't chasing fire and got some real world experience in the field. He is sold on it even though he knows its not a job that one gets rich at. I tell him its the quality of your life that matters not your pay check. But it took me a while to figure that out. Hope this helps to answer a few questions. Good Luck with your future. We can always use another wildlife professional in my opinion.
 
There are pros and cons to being a wildlife biologist just like every thing else. I will try to point out a few of the ones I encounter most often:

Pros -

1. You get to do something you enjoy.
2. You do get to do stuff that many people think they would like to do, and be outside quite a bit.
3. The daily job tends to be seasonal so you don't get bored doing the same old thing.
4. You get to meet a lot of different people.


Cons.

1. Generally low pay. Not many biologist making a $100 grand a year.

2. Half the people you come in contact with think they know as much about the wildlife or habitat in question as you do. Just because they "grew up hunting" or whatever. How many times to you think a doctor or plumber has this problem?

3. Low pay.

4. Fairly limited job market. A teacher or nurse can get a job almost anywhere. A biologist, not so much. You will likely have to move somewhere unless you get lucky.

5. Sometimes you have to work when other people are hunting (like opening day of deer season).

6. Low pay....did I say that already? Sometimes you find yourself wishing you could hunt on some of the type places you manage, but you know you will never be able to afford it.

7. Politics often trumps sound biology.



If it is something you really want to do, go for it. I would suggest getting your degree in "Wildlife Managment". This is a lot different that "biology". You can know an ameba inside and out, and grow all kinds of fungus, and not have a clue about how to manage a piece of property and the wildlife that live on it.

Enviromental Science degrees tend you get you jobs working for companies testing water samples or monitoring pollution levels or some job like that. That may be your thing, but it won't help you get a wildlife biology job.

A lot of biologist jobs are more about working with people than working with wildlife. If you don't like working with people, do something else.

If you get to looking, most states biologist will come from one or two main schools. In Texas, it seems to be Texas A&M and Stephen F. Austin State.



hmmmm.....after reading that, the list of cons ended up longer than the pros. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
I'm sure it is the same in other states.
 
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Wildlife Degrees also qualify you for Wildlife Law Enforcement. That is a great job and is almost totally out in the boondocks. Not nearly as much paperwork and it give you the ability to escape into the wilderness at oportune times. Just something else to consider.
 
Yellowhammer, I know two guys with Bachelors Degrees in Wildlife Biology and they ended up becoming game wardens because the jobs for full-blown biologists are so hard to come by. Both guys said getting your Phd is pretty much necessary now. They both wanted to work in Western mountain states and said competition was VERY high for jobs, in some cases 2-300 applicants for one opening. They said almost the exact same thing as you and working well with people is key.

Is more than a 4-year degree needed to land a bio job in a western state? Just curious, Thanks.
 
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They both wanted to work in Western mountain states and said competition was VERY high for jobs, in some cases 2-300 applicants for one opening. They said almost the exact same thing as you and working well with people is key.

Is more than a 4-year degree needed to land a bio job in a western state? Just curious, Thanks.






They told me the same thing when I started college. As far as hundreds of applicants for a single job, that used to be the case in Texas. No longer, though. Did I mention the low pay? I think that is why it has changed. Texas is about 15 out of the 16 states in the southeast. Now we are lucky to get a dozen good applicants, and I know of several times that the job was reposted because they got so few applicants, that they didn't feel like they could hire from that pool.

I have sat on several interview panels where we hired an entry level biologist with only a bachelor's degree.
 
I am graduating in May with a BS in Biology, minor in Chemistry. My first choice is Pharmacy, but screwing around my first 2 years of college might have ruined those dreams, so if I don't end up doing that, then I will be taking more classes to get my second degree in Criminal Justice to become a Conservation Officer/biologist. My passion has always been the outdoors, but money is more tempting sometimes. Go with your gut, work hard, don't screw around, go to classes (even though no one makes you anymore), and have a great time. College has been the best time of my life, and I can't believe it is almost over.
 
PlainsRedneck, I am not a biologist but I am a game warden here in Oklahoma and can give you a little insight as to how things work here in Oklahoma. OSU, NSU and SEOSU are the three main schools where you can get a wildlife degree and a masters is a definite plus in any field. A lot of our biologists (not all) started out as technicians. These are the guys that work under the biologists. After they prove themselves they will apply for open biologists positions. The biologists are assigned to one or more of our wildlife management areas and are responsible for the operations of that area including everything from budgeting, grazing leases, prescribed burning, food plots, organizing and conducting the controlled hunts on the area, maintaining roads, wildlife surveys, hunter surveys....and the list goes on and on. Some of our biologists are also reserve game wardens. You should be prepared to move anywhere in the state. Not many of these jobs come open. I would also suggest summer internships to help you get your foot in the door. This allows ODWC to get to know you and if they like you then you have an advantage over the rest of the competition. Keep your grades up in college because they will be looking at your college transcripts. Like the others said, you aren't going to get wealthy but you will enjoy a quality of life that a lot of other careers won't give you. If I were you I would look up the biologists in your area and introduce yourself. Tell them what you are interested in and ask them lots of questions. Good luck!
 
Thanks guys. This is helping more than you might think. I'd rather know everything now than later so as to get a jump start on everything. I still have plenty of time to think though. Thanks again.
 
What YH said is pretty applicable. I have a M.S. in Wildlife Biology, B.S. in Wildlife Science. Worked for 12 years as a raptor biologist. I quit and went to work on our family ranch and have been here for 14 years. I quit because of 1) low pay, 2) job insecurity, 3) politics.

As for recommendations, the more you know before you go to school, the better. When I hit college, I was already extremely experienced in raptor ID and had a lot of field experience via hunting and such. I left the M.S. program with a published study that I did in my free time, field experience with peregrines, 4 years of falconry (and therefore trapping, banding, handling) experience, and so on. As a pro, you'll be doing a lot of writing, so I recommend you get good at that. Learn to type. The more computer stuff the better- after my M.S., ALL my jobs were due to my computer and data analysis skills.

Just like any job, there'll be a point when it becomes work. We used to sit for 7 hours (that's 7 hours in the field, not counting the 2 hrs there and the 2 hrs back) in the blowing dust/rain/snow/hail listening to radio transmitters go "beep! beep!" I've sat from sunup to sundown watching peregrine aeries where I saw the adults for about 15 minutes total as they popped in and out- the rest of the time, these huge bluebottle flies pestered me mercilessly. I've sat thru week-long meetings where nothing got accomplished except everyone bickering about everyone else's study. About that time I realized "This ain't Wild Kingdom."

On the upside, I got to see a lot of country, and do a lot of neat field work like radio tracking eagles and prairie falcons and releasing peregrines. I'm glad I did it, but I now have 3 kids from 4-13 and I wouldn't want to do it with kids. Too much travel, too much time away from home, etc.

Main thing- have fun.
 
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Just like any job, there'll be a point when it becomes work. We used to sit for 7 hours (that's 7 hours in the field, not counting the 2 hrs there and the 2 hrs back) in the blowing dust/rain/snow/hail listening to radio transmitters go "beep! beep!" I've sat from sunup to sundown watching peregrine aeries where I saw the adults for about 15 minutes total as they popped in and out- the rest of the time, these huge bluebottle flies pestered me mercilessly. I've sat thru week-long meetings where nothing got accomplished except everyone bickering about everyone else's study. About that time I realized "This ain't Wild Kingdom."




Ain't that the truth.
 
PlainsRedneck,

Where are you in Oklahoma?

In my office, there are 6 of us with Masters Degrees, one with a PHD and one with a Bachelors Degree. I hire 10-15 people each summer who are getting degrees in the natural resources fields. Probably going to hire a young man from Weatherford next Monday. All will have to learn how to fight fire. Anymore, firefighting is one of the best ways to get a foot in the door. Each year one or two employees really shine. It's the "shiny" ones who finish their degrees and make a career in Natural Resources. As some have already mentioned, know what you want to do, set goals and be determined. I too was told that 90% of us with Wildlife Management Degrees would not get a job in our chosen field. The second the Prof said those words I told myself to be one of the 10%! It's not easy and one must be prepared to do everything possible to get a job. For me, it was going on to get a Master's Degree and a willingness to go wherever there was a job. As a young man, I thought Oklahoma was where I wanted to be. Somewhere along the journey I discovered the West and have never looked back! Don't put yourself in a box, be open to moving around and finding jobs where the applicant pool isn't too deep. In the Federal Government, you must first get a job that has been opened up to all applicants, once hired into such a position, you have "status" and can then apply to the multitude of jobs only advertised to current Government Employees. Here's the good part, it doesn't matter what branch of the government you work for as long as you have status and qualify for the job. Many biologist started out working for US Customs at border crossings, just long enough to get status, then they applied for jobs more of their liking. As for enjoyment, there's nothing like it. I've radio collared and tracked polar bears, black bears, wolves, moose, coyotes, fox, deer, ferrets, and turkeys. Traveled from one tip of the country to the other, fought fires in more places I can name. Just got back from prescribed burning 3000 acres in Utah. Will burn another 8000 acres over the next month. The job is great, but like Yellowhammer said, don't expect to get rich. My first job paid less with a Masters Degree than my wife's job as a Respritory Therapist, which only required one year of schooling! But, I wouldn't trade my job for anyone's! That, my friend, is called job satisfaction, and is priceless! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Mike, I'm in the Edmond area.

The more I think about it the more I become unsure. I still have 2 years to decide, but I eventually will need to know for sure what I want to do. I know I want to work outdoors and with animals in some way or another. I'd rather love my job with average pay than hate my job and get really good pay. I guess I just need to research all the opportunities out there and see what I like.

Do any of you all recommend any specific job areas to try to pursue perhaps, where competition may not be too stiff and pay is good?

Does job shadowing and summer programs help to get one's foot in the door and possibly have a better chance of being hired. Or, is it really only for that person to see if that's what they really want to do?

Thanks.
 
PlainsRedneckOk,

You have more than two years to decide. Upon entering college, most Freshmen enroll in basic classes that are required for just about every degree (prerequisites). It's good to know what you want to do but not mandatory. As you enter the Sophmore year that knowing what field to go into is more important.

Summer jobs in the Natural Resources fields are always good. That's how you get known and become "shiny"! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I just married off my daughter in Edmond.
 
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I just married off my daughter in Edmond.


And I've got a good friend in Edmond whose son just got married!

Small world.

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Do any of you all recommend any specific job areas to try to pursue perhaps, where competition may not be too stiff and pay is good?



If we did, we'd all be over there.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 
"Do any of you all recommend any specific job areas to try to pursue perhaps, where competition may not be too stiff and pay is good?"

The only thing that springs to mind is mining in the West. A high school graduate can start at about 50K. With a Bachelor degree about 100K. Plenty of open jobs. The big companies are advertising nationwide because mining is really booming and a large percentage of people are retiring now. And where most of the mines are located the cost of living is the lowest in the US.

Jack
 
But in mining would you get any time off, would you be pulling 12hr days? heard it payed good, drilling does too, but 70hrs a week, I had too many of them in past. I like owning my own carpet cleaning business, I can scedule 2-3 weeks off, if I have the money. We went from two incomes down to one, two years ago, things are not good right now.T.20
 
My son attended a job fair at the University of Wyoming and the mines around Gillette were looking for Natural Resource advisors. Not sure of the hours but the pay sounded good. A buddy (with wildlife degree) of my son's that worked on his hotshot fire crew landed a job with an oil company inspecting work sites this year at the end of the fire season. Called my son and told him they would be hiring people in the near future and to put his name in. Money sounded pretty tempting and the hours according to my son were pretty good. But he has always wanted to do the law enforcement end of Wildlife management. So one more summer on fire then temp with an agency untill or if a full time position opens.
 
Thank you redfrog for the information on the scholarship. My son has one more year of college. When the application comes available I will have him submit one. I wasn't sure if its for first year students or for any student. But what ever way it goes its a great offer. What a great site!!
 
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