How to Become a Conservation Officer

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Officer Mike Roach. I currently work with the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and I'm a Conservation Officer for the State of Utah. And today I'd like to talk to you about becoming a Conservation Officer. Currently, you have to be a U.S. citizen to be a Conservation Officer and you have to also be twenty-one years of age. You also have to be able to have a Bachelor's of Science Degree in both wildlife or a natural resource related field. Currently they are also accepting Criminology and Sociology. A lot of what we do as a Conservation is wildlife law enforcement. And you're going to be required to become a Peace Officer for whatever state that you're working in. That requirement, you'll have to pass a background investigation. You cannot have committed any felonies or have been in too much trouble even as a juvenile. You also have to have a pretty good knowledge of wildlife resources and about hunting and fishing. These are all things that will aid you in becoming a Conservation Officer because that's what you'll be doing. You'll be out checking hunting and fishing licenses and you'll be looking for people that might be taking game illegally, which is often referred to as poaching. While at the police academy, you'll get the training you'll need in law enforcement in both using firearms and arrest control, also the training you need to work with people and take people and make those arrests. You will also, as a game warden, be required to work with a nuisance animals and other animals such as this. Occasionally wild animals end up in bad places and you'll get the chance to work with these animals and help preserve them. Our main goal as Conservation Officers is to preserve wildlife for future generations and hopefully if you decide to go become a Conservation Officer, this will be your goal as well."