How to Become a Florida Game Warden

Game wardens are peace officers in forests and fields, and on lakes and rivers. They monitor hunting and fishing activities in all seasons. They identify species of wildlife and can identify pollution where it occurs. The game warden must be trained in firearm use and police work. Only about 25 percent of all game warden applicants in Florida pass the job requirements, so be sure you are prepared to undergo all the training and pass all tests. The hiring process from initial application to actual hire takes almost a year in Florida.

Instructions

1. Possess two years (60 semester units) of college, including 18 units in biological sciences, police science or law enforcement, conservation, ecology, or related fields.

2. Pass a civil service examination and complete on the job training through a state department of environmental protection. Take classes in natural science to learn wildlife species identification.

3. You must pass all background checks, possess no record of criminal activity, have an excellent driving record, pass all reference checks. The remaining steps include a physical fitness test, drug screening, psychological test, background investigation and a medical examination.

4. Enforce fish, wildlife, and habitat protection laws, including criminal and civil statutes.

5. Be prepared to be a sworn peace officer, secure and serve search warrants, make arrests and testify in court.

6. Florida game wardens must assume new state fish and game protection responsibilities that include the Marine Life Protection Act Program and the DFG Invasives Program, which aims to prevent the spread of quagga mussels, among other activities.

Tips & Warnings

• Versatility is a key requirement to earn the job. The warden must be able to work with the public in all capacities from the law enforcer to the public educator. He must possess the ability to peacefully defuse a threatening situation whether it be on a boat with a drunken driver, or checking licenses on drunken hunters with loaded guns. The weather in Florida is wonderful in the winter, but the warden must work in the steamy heat of the summers, sharing his job with millions of hungry Florida mosquitoes or huge Everglades alligators.