The Path to Game Warden: NREM provides curriculum to prepare graduates to protect wildlife

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu

An Oklahoma game warden’s primary job is to enforce the fish and wildlife laws of the state, but becoming one takes more than a love for the outdoors.

“One thing I don’t think people realize about game wardens is that a lot of time and education goes into preparing them to be in the public eye,” said Sue Fairbanks, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

Potential game wardens must complete two phases of specialized training to be able to hired. Both phases of the process give candidates a biological understanding of wildlife as well as law enforcement knowledge, Fairbanks said.

The first phase is education-based.

Candidates must earn a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and ecology management or any bachelor’s degree that includes 16 required credit hours in wildlife-related courses.

The NREM department offers the required courses and supports potential game wardens in either path, Fairbanks said.

“OSU gave me the biological knowledge to understand why laws are the way that they are today,” said Stephen Paul, Noble County game warden.

The second phase is law enforcement and field training.

When the potential game wardens begin the second phase, they must pass several screenings as well as background checks.

After the checks, candidates must complete 576 hours of Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, or CLEET, as well as six months of on-the-job field training.

“I really fell in love with the conservation side of becoming an Oklahoma game warden,” said Brooklyn Shaw, natural resources ecology and management senior. “I want to protect that and want to help people better understand why it is important to conserve wildlife and natural resources for future generations.”

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation employs as many as 120 game wardens across the state’s 77 counties.

A game warden’s day-to-day responsibilities can depend on multiple factors, said Josey Branch, Payne County game warden.

The factors vary based on which county the warden patrols, the current hunting season, seasonal weather patterns and what events are taking place each day.

In addition to enforcing laws, game wardens offer educational programs for all ages.

They often speak to youth to share what game wardens do and various aspects of the ODWC. They also help teach hunter education, archery, shotgun training, fishing, and recruitment, retention, and reactivation.

Game wardens must stay up-to-date on the ever-changing environmental laws and regulations.

“We understand why we have certain rules and regulations,” said Spencer Grace, Kay County game warden. “But, our day-to-day job is to understand people and try to enforce the laws without leaving them with a bitter taste in their mouths about hunting or fishing.”

Laws and regulations are often adapted, added, changed and removed.

“You have to be on your toes,” Branch said. “Everything has changed since I have been in school.”

A game warden’s job is to ensure they know these changes and can convey them to hunters, fishers, hikers, and anyone else who needs the information, Grace said.

“Being a game warden is more than a career, more than an occupation,” Grace said. “It is a lifestyle choice."

“We could easily walk away tomorrow and double our salaries,” Grace added, “but once you start, it is really hard to walk away from a passion for the outdoors and wildlife.”

Story by: Chandler Trantham | Cowboy Journal