Game Wardens Needed

By Kale O’Leary

With openings in virtually every corner of the State of Maine, I encourage anyone who has ever thought of pursuing this career to reach out to your local Warden, inquire about meeting to have a coffee or even ride along for a day to learn more about the job.

The Maine Warden Service is hiring. And when I say hiring, I don’t mean we are looking to fill one or two positions. Currently, over a dozen openings are looking to be filled with more positions set to open over the next several years as more and more Wardens reach retirement age and hang up the legendary red coat. If you have ever thought about being a Game Warden, now could very well be your time to pursue your dream, work for one of the finest law enforcement agencies anywhere in the country and give back to the resources and the people of the “Pine Tree State”.

 Warden Shortage
Some may be asking why is there such a shortage of Wardens all of a sudden? There are several reasons that I see that explain this. First and foremost, the overall landscape and environment of law enforcement today is not one that is particularly bright and cheery. Riots and demonstrations have raged across every corner of our country over the last several years and young men and women no longer are choosing a career path in law enforcement. Who can really blame them? I won’t get too deep on this topic as it is a deeply political talking point unfortunately, with many people on each side of the party line on this issue. What it boils down to however, is no one hates bad cops more than good cops and trust, integrity and respect needs to return to the American law enforcement officer.

Other issues facing the Maine Warden Service are that 25 years ago, the Warden Service faced similar challenges with many openings within the Department. However, they had thousands of applicants applying for these positions and hired large “classes” of Wardens who have now put in there 25 years and are eligible to retire. In 2021 however, we are having trouble finding a hundred applicants during each hiring cycle!

With openings in virtually every corner of the State of Maine, I encourage anyone who has ever thought of pursuing this career to reach out to your local Warden, inquire about meeting to have a coffee or even ride along for a day to learn more about the job.

It is not easy to be hired, and unfortunately this discourages many quality people. Many active and past Wardens have tried multiple times to get hired before finally making the cut. There is a saying that nothing worthwhile in life comes easy, and that is true about becoming a Maine Game Warden. A Warden completes nearly 50 weeks of training prior to becoming a Warden on his or her own. This is more training than any other law enforcement agency in the State. The Maine Warden Service has always prided itself on hiring the best candidates and will sacrifice having openings in the field, because having the finest group of Wardens possible is always the number one goal.

Rich History
The Maine Warden Service is rich in history and tradition and I feel strongly that Wardens working in the field today strive to uphold those values and traditions. I have found this career to be more than a job, it is a lifestyle that is more rewarding, demanding, challenging and fulfilling then I could have ever imagined.

A great annual salary with room for advancement, retirement, benefits package, and more are just some of the “perks” of the job. The one thing that I view as an incredible part of the job is working everyday in the Maine outdoors to protect the wildlife while being provided every piece of equipment I need to be as effective as possible at achieving that mission. Check out the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website for more information regarding the Warden Service along with information about reaching out to a Warden recruiter in your area.

Kale O’Leary is a Maine Game Warden that lives in the Ashland area. He covers the Masardis/Oxbow District.

For more articles about hunting, fishing and the outdoors, be sure to subscribe to the Northwoods Sporting Journal.

For free access to past digital issues of the Northwoods Sporting Journal, click here.