Behind the Badge - To Be a Game Warden

To Be a Game Warden

District Game Warden Zane Manhart

Last spring I was asked by the Golden Valley County FFA Chapter to participate in a career fair at Beach High School. Having been a FFA chapter president when I was in high school and being a huge fan of FFA ever since, I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. The FFA advisor, Marty Campbell, sent me a list of questions that I should be prepared to answer and advised me that the students would also be allowed to ask their own questions.

When I arrived, I was grouped with Golden Valley County sheriff, Dey Muckle, and Hettinger County chief deputy, Kennedy Pippenger, into a law enforcement career panel. Members of the FFA chapter then lead the discussion as students took turns asking questions and finding out about what our careers entail. The groups rotated throughout the day until we had met with nearly every student in the high school. It was a great experience. I felt like the students asked great questions and it was fun to see how each of us on the panel had similar but different answers to their questions.

Here are the questions that were sent to me followed by my responses.

What does a day look like?

As a game warden, no two days are exactly the same. In fact, the things I do each day change vastly with the seasons. I could be patrolling by boat in summer, checking all types of hunters in fall or driving across the ice to visit with ice fishermen in winter. These changes are one of the best parts of my job.

Explain about your company or business.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has the responsibility of managing fish and wildlife for the citizens of North Dakota. There are several divisions within the Game and Fish with different focuses. For example, the fisheries division, the wildlife division and the enforcement division.

How did you get started with your current job? Have you always had the

me job? I got started as a game warden by applying for the job, testing and interviewing to be a game warden. I have not always been a game warden. I was a sergeant for the Golden Valley County Sheriff’s Office prior to working as a game warden. I have also been a city police "?:>,mofficer, and a school resource officer. I enjoyed each of those jobs, especially being a school resource officer and teaching the DARE program. However, becoming a game warden has been a good fit for me.

What are your Responsibilities?

The North Dakota Game and Fish enforcement division is responsible for enforcing all state wildlife and fishing laws. Game wardens are also responsible for boating enforcement throughout the state, as well as enforcement of all state laws on Game and Fish owned properties.

What is your work environment like?

This might be my favorite question. My work environment is awesome: the badlands of western North Dakota. I can’t think of a better place to be a game warden in North Dakota. My office (pickup) views are extraordinary. On occasion, I have been sent to work in other areas of North Dakota and none of those places have been bad either. I just like my area best.

What are the pros and cons of your current career?

One of the pros of my current career is the variety of things that I get to do daily. I am grateful that my job changes throughout the year. Another pro would be the autonomy of my job. Most of the time I work alone, which allows me to have a lot of say in how I spend my time throughout each day. This can also be a con at times. Not all game and fish calls are one-man jobs. There are parts of my job that can be hard physically especially as I age.

What training/education is necessary for those positions?

When I was hired as a game warden it was required that wardens have a bachelor’s degree. It has now changed and people with a two-year degree and two years of experience in a related field can apply to be a game warden. Game wardens are licensed peace officers and must attend the peace officer academy. Game wardens also go through an extensive field training program that teaches them how to do the regular duties of a warden.

What advice do you have for high school students?

My advice would be to learn how to talk to others with respect. There are many opportunities in high school that can give you practice speaking. I recommend taking advantage of those opportunities. FFA was one of those opportunities for me. I participated in livestock judging with the FFA. I learned to speak to strangers and how to stand up for my choices through livestock judging. Another piece of advice that I would give high school students is to stay out of trouble the best that you can. Decisions that you make in high school really do have consequences.

What top three skills are needed for a high school graduate?

The top three skills that I would recommend for a high school graduate are public speaking, ability to work alone and with others, and living with integrity.

What motivates you? Why do you do what you do?

The thing that motivates me to do my job is my love for the outdoors. I have enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout my entire life. Some of my best memories involve hunting and fishing with family members and friends. It is important to me that the opportunities that I have had are available to my children. That is why I do what I do.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The best part of being a game warden for me is the freedom and variety that this career offers. I enjoy getting to patrol a large area and getting to meet with hunters, fishermen and boaters from all over the state and sometimes from all over the country.

What about your job you dislike?

I think the part of my job that I dislike the most is dealing with people who have no regard for wildlife or the outdoors. It can be very frustrating to work cases when poachers are killing wildlife just to kill and leaving the dead animals behind. As a sportsman and a game warden, this can be very frustrating.

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