Description

Title – Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Recruit

(In-Training to Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Officer)

Classification- Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer

Job Status – Full-Time / Permanent

WDFW Program – Enforcement Program
Duty Station – Statewide Locations, Washington State

Testing Cycle Deadline - Monitor the Public Safety Testing WA State Department of Fish and Wildlife Police page for testing deadlines.

This is an open continuous announcement as testing/application is completed through Public Safety Testing.

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

WDFW Enforcement Truck – Photo Credit: Devin Van Zanten

Picture yourself as a Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer, commonly known as a Game Warden, enforcing numerous laws and regulations related to health and public safety, dangerous wildlife/human conflicts, fish and wildlife protection, hunting and fishing license regulations, habitat protection, and commercial/recreational fish and shellfish harvest.

These are opportunities to patrol various parts of Washington state using motor vehicles, vessels, ATVs, ROVs, snowmobiles and on foot while investigating complaints and deterring criminal activities.

We are seeking team playerswith demonstrated talent representing WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy.

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer:

Entry Level Base Pay (In-Training) = $7,141.00
Base Pay (upon training completion & lateral officer) = $7,713.00 to $10,104.00
Education Incentive
- Associate degree 2%
- Bachelor’s degree 4%
Assignment Pay (upon training completion) 10%
Geographic Pay (upon training completion) Pierce 2%, King 5%, Snohomish 3%
Longevity Premium Pay starts at five years of DFW Commission

Training:

Onboarding – 2 to 3 Weeks
Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) – 4.5 Months
- Entry Level Applicants
Basic Law Enforcement Equivalency Academy (BLEEA) – 2 Weeks
- Out-of-state Lateral Applicants
Fish and Wildlife Police In-House Academy – 2 Months
Field Training – 3.5 Months

Duties

What to Expect:

A prospective candidate should understand that this role demands a high level of commitment and resilience. Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers work most weekends, some holidays, and frequently outside of standard hours...day or night, and in every type of weather. The job often requires operating independently in remote areas with little chance of immediate backup.

Officers routinely confront, cite, or arrest violators and may serve or execute search and arrest warrants involving individuals who are likely armed and potentially hostile toward law enforcement. The position also involves operating vehicles and watercraft in hazardous conditions.

Candidates must be prepared to handle injured or dangerous wildlife, including situations where euthanizing animals with firearms is necessary. At times, the work includes dealing with decomposing animals.

Daily interaction with the public is a core part of the job, and officers must be skilled at resolving conflict. Although the primary focus is wildlife and natural resource enforcement, officers also respond to a wide range of emergency calls, including serious motor vehicle collisions, domestic violence incidents, disturbances, search and rescue operations, and the recovery of deceased individuals.

Washington State Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers are fully commissioned peace officers. As such, public safety law enforcement is a significant and essential component of the job.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Officer will,

Conduct Law Enforcement and Provide Public Safety:

Enforces all fish, wildlife, food fish and shellfish laws, department rules/regulations, all laws of the state and specific federal and tribal laws, including hydraulic codes, the Forest Practices Act, the Model Litter Control Act, sanitary shellfish laws, and boating safety regulations.
Patrols fresh and saltwater ways and adjacent lands by vessels, auto, foot, ORV, etc. Monitors commercial and recreational harvest of food fish, game fish, shellfish, game animals and birds.
Checks commercial and recreational licenses, monitors buyers and processors of food fish and shellfish; checks special license holders and permittee to ensure compliance.
Contacts resource users to ensure species, season, bag-limit, and gear compliance.
Inspects taxidermists, fur-dealers, and commercial fishing/shell fishing/aquaculture operations to ensure licensing and record-keeping compliance.
Operates and maintains patrol equipment, i.e., boats with standard or jet propulsion, canoes, drift boats, off-road vehicles, horses, snowmobiles, etc.
Responds to violation reports, gathers evidence, makes arrests, organizes, and coordinates investigations of suspected violations, conducts surveillance, participates in searches, interviews witnesses and suspects, secures and serves search warrants, and prepares case reports.
Seizes equipment used in fish and game law violations and arranges for disposition of fish and game illegally taken or possessed.
Maintains liaison with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
Responds to natural disasters and catastrophic incidents in support of the state comprehensive emergency management plan.

Dangerous Wildlife Conflict:

Resolves human/dangerous wildlife conflicts.
Assist Wildlife Conflict Specialists in response to dangerous wildlife conflict issues as needed.
Recommends, designs and/or implements control measures to prevent or deter human/dangerous wildlife incidents.

Provides Outreach and Education:

Makes presentations to local sport clubs, schools, and civic groups, etc.
Monitors and provides instruction to hunter and trapper education programs.
Assists in promoting hunter safety training.
Increase program profile and better connect with the public they serve.

Working Conditions:

Work Setting:

Work from Program offices, homes, or in the field.

Work in an outdoor environment to enforce fish, wildlife, and criminal state laws.

Patrols are conducted on land and/or water and take place at all hours of the day or night; may be required to work in a hostile environment, adversarial situations, be exposed to hazardous work environments and inclement weather conditions.

Work the majority of the time alone, with limited backup and support.

Schedule:

In-training schedule: 160 hours within 28 days.

Training completed schedule: 171 hours within 28 days – Overtime Eligible.

Must be able to work weekends, holidays, rotating shifts, and be on call 24-hours a day.

Travel Requirements:

Travel will be required throughout the State to attend training and meetings. This will include overnight travel of a short to long duration depending on the activity.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications (Entry Level Recruits):

Two (2) years college coursework (60 semester or 90 quarter credits).

Three (3) years paid, full time natural resource experience.

Three (3) years active-duty military service.

Three (3) years paid, full time law enforcement experience.

Required Qualifications (Lateral Recruits):

Three (3) years of full-time, fully commissioned law enforcement experience, with a current Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) peace officer certification or equivalent.

Successful completion of the CJTC Basic Law Enforcement Academy or a Washington CJTC recognized basic law enforcement certificate from another state.

Certifications/Licenses:

Must have, or be able to obtain, a valid Washington Driver’s License.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment (Entry Level & Lateral):

Must be 21 years of age upon employment/hire.

Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Must have NO felony convictions.

Must be able to communicate effectively in the English language at a level necessary for efficient job performance (speak, read, and write).

Must have at least 20/40 vision (corrected or uncorrected).

Must be able to physically perform the duties of a Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer.

Must pass a background investigation, polygraph, psychological assessment, and a medical examination to include drug testing.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Biology, Fisheries Science/Management, Wildlife Science/Management, Animal Science, Forestry, Forestry Management, Range Science/Management, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Wildlife Law Enforcement, Resource Economics, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Zoology or Criminal Justice.

Experience in hunting and fishing.

Experience performing recreational or commercial outdoors activities.

Experience interpreting, explaining, and enforcing laws, rules, and regulations.

Resourcefulness in problem solving.

Your application will be completed through Public Safety Testing (PST) and should include the following:

Complete the written Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) exam with a 75% or better passing score.
Complete the LEO physical ability test (PAT), which is pass or fail.
Completed personal history statement (PHS) before or immediately after completing your initial testing – making sure it is thorough with honest responses.
Complete a one (1) page cover letter within your PST profile (documents) answering the following:
- Why do you want to pursue a career as a WDFW Fish and Wildlife Officer, and what specific life, work, or school experiences have prepared you for the unique work ethic required to patrol alone in remote areas?
- In what capacity have you participated in a team environment (i.e. sports, work, etc.)?
Complete the Outdoor Experience questionnaire within your PST profile (documents).

Note: Prior to applying/testing, please thoroughly review the Fish and Wildlife Officer minimum qualifications and disqualifiers.

A candidate is not applying for a particular duty station at the time the application (Public Safety Testing scores, Personal History Statement, Cover Letter, and Outdoor Experience Questionnaire) is submitted. As the hiring authority, WDFW Police Chief, assigns duty stations based on mission need. Therefore, a candidate must be prepared for any statewide assignment. However, there are occasions where a duty assignment can accommodate both current mission needs and personal location desires. Duty stations are typically discussed during the Chief’s interview.

Officers must live within twenty (20) miles of the legal boundary of the city assigned, and within Detachment boundaries consistent with the current bargaining agreement.

Supplemental Information

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Important Note:

The hiring process begins at Public Safety Testing www.publicsafetytesting.com. DO NOT apply for this position through this site (www.careers.wa.gov). If you have any questions, please contact the WDFW Enforcement Recruiting and Hiring Specialist at OfficerRecruitment@dfw.wa.gov.

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

FWOG: These positions are in the bargaining unit represented by the Fish and Wildlife Officer's Guild (FWOG) and are subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Coalition.

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following:

Veterans and Military Spouses only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter within your PST profile (documents).
- Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications. Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome and are treated fairly and respectfully. All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact PST https://www.publicsafetytesting.com/contact-us.

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to OfficerRecruitment@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2026-01421.

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State of Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife jobs

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer - 2026-01421

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