Texas Parks and Wildlife looking to hire Game Wardens

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Parks & Wildlife are looking to hire more Game Wardens as hunting season is set to get underway in Texas.

TPWD parked a trailer in front of the Texas State Capitol on Friday. The rolling exhibit contained a display of animals illegally killed in Texas, including a turkey shot by three men in Lampasas County and a largemouth bass filled with lead shot from a failed attempt to win a North Texas fishing tournament.

"I can stand up here and talk all day long to folks, but they spend an hour looking at those animals in there and learning and reading the stories about how they came here, really helps us complete better outreach," said Assistant Commander Stormy King with TPWD's Law Enforcement Division.

Friday's exhibit and gathering was not just about following rules, it was also a recruiting opportunity. The Game Warden division, like other law enforcement agencies, is having a tough time finding qualified candidates.

"We require a four-year degree. Well, people with a four-year degree want to make more money than, unfortunately, we're offering right now," said Scott Blackburn, president of the Game Warden Peace Officers Association.

Currently, there are only about 550 game wardens in Texas, a small force to cover a big state with more ground being added. TPWD recently announced the purchase of 630 acres around the Enchanted Rock-State Natural Area. As the territory grows, the ranks have shrunk. Lately, some Game Wardens have left to take jobs with DPS, filling its shortage of troopers.

"Well, the biggest thing that we have is, you know, being on schedule C with DPS is trying to be in what we call true parity with DPS, because right now, with what they're getting paid, we are not competitive with them. So, it's hurting our recruitment and retention," said Blackburn.

A new academy class starts up for Game Wardens on Oct. 1, but there are less than 40 cadets and it takes about nine months to complete the training.

Recruiting support is also one of the reasons why Friday's stop was done here at the State Capitol. Last week, members of the Senate Border Committee heard testimony on how state law enforcement agencies are responding to Operation Lone Star. The number of TPWD Game Wardens deployed ranges from 20 to 65 at a time, according to testimony from Lt. Col. Ron Vanderroest.

'We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 580,000 hours patrolled for Operation Lone Star," said Vanderroest.

Extra work not only happens in south Texas. A TPWD team is currently in Florida helping with hurricane recovery.

"Yeah. It's, we get stretched thin. There's not enough of us to go around, and we know that, we know we're 40, 50, 60, 70 game wardens short, that kind of police and work in the conservation law enforcement niche that we have. And so, we're constantly trying to strive to recruit and keep people, and also increase the numbers that we have out there," said Vanderroest.

When state lawmakers return in January, the focus will not only be on compensation and benefits. There is also a need for technology, as items like drones have proven successful with search and rescue operations. 

To help supplement the agency's budget, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation created a special fundraising program seven years ago. Last month, the Gear up for Game Wardens program announced it surpassed a $5 million fundraising milestone. 

Starting Oct. 1, the foundation will host a three-day online auction. The items up for bid will raise funds to purchase more specialty gear for Game Wardens.