Conservation officers work for federal and provincial government departments to preserve our natural resources. Their major task is to enforce fish and game laws but they are also involved in other enforcement and resource management duties ranging from patrolling parks to fighting forest fires.
As a conservation officer, you enforce fish and game laws to ensure that hunters and fishermen/fisherwomen abide by the restrictions of the seasons and their limits, have proper licences, and use the proper equipment. You investigate complaints, arrest violators, prepare briefs, and present evidence in court. Some investigations are completed in a day while others require extensive detective work and modern technology.
You spend much of your time outdoors patrolling on foot, skis and snowshoes or travelling by truck, aircraft, canoe, boat or snowmobile. As you become more knowledgeable of the outdoors, scientists and research workers may call on you for information and assistance. You may get involved in wildlife management projects such as counting moose or tagging ducks, or you may work with biologists to protect an endangered species.
Hunters, trappers and fishermen/fisherwomen call on you to interpret the law, assess the age of an animal, discuss animal characteristics or suggest a good fishing spot. You may be asked to speak about safe hunting practices or responsible use of the environment. If you work near an urban area, you can receive calls to tranquillize and remove animals that have wandered into town.
Wildlife officers may advance to senior positions in which they are responsible for the supervision of programs and staff in a particular area. They are paid salaries.
This job requires a deep commitment to the environment. You must be adaptable and at ease working by yourself in the outdoors in all types of weather, at all hours and often on holidays and weekends. There is always mor work to do than time available so it is important to maintain a healthy perspective.
The work can be dangerous since it involves dealing with armed people in remote areas. You need tact and good judgement. Since an important part of the job involves bringing violators to justice, good conservation officers are as confident in the courtroom as they are in the bush.
Mechanical aptitude is useful, especially when your boat or four wheel drive vehicle breaks down in the wilderness.
Competition for this job is fierce. Typically, graduates get contracts with the provincial or federal government in a related field and hope to be chosen when a conservation officer's position opens up. This can often take five to ten years. Many people increase their chances by doing extensive volunteer work with conservation authorities.