Illini_Sportsman

Do we have any game wardens or conservation officers here? For the longest time, I've wanted to become a conservation officer so that I could be doing something I would actually halfway enjoy seeing as I would mostly deal with deer hunting, hunting education and what not. However, I just got to thinking the other day that I've overlooked the obvious: I don't want to detract from my own time in the woods! So my question to anyone that knows, do you still get a good amount of hunting time if you need it or do you pretty much have to work when they tell you? Can you cash in vacation time for the rut? I only whitetail hunt and would be happy to work ANY other time of the year except bow season.

TeeJay

My sister is a co here in MN she loves it...she just has to move her huning to during the week or out of state

Allseasonhunter7

yupp i was going to go to college for that then i looked it up and then i saw .... when you work mostly now i dontnknow what im going to go college for 2 yrs is closer than you think

Illini_Sportsman

[quote]ORIGINAL: TeeJay

My sister is a co here in MN she loves it...she just has to move her huning to during the week or out of state
[/quote

Move itto during the week? So she usually hunts during the weekends or what exactly are you saying?

lou-lou

Count on not being able to hunt as much, hunting season is your busy time of the year, but by all means if you want it go for it, you'll find the time to go. PS, if you do go make sure you stock up on some KIWI shoe polish for the acedemy. Good luck!!!!

TeeJay

She has to work the weekends and the opening dates...so she hunts and fishes mon-thur.. or hunts the opening dates out of state

uncle matt

Well good thing you got to thinking first. I mean if your really into just hunting whitetails here in IL, being a CO would reduce your season probobly 95% for bow season and 99.9% for shotgunning/muzzy/handgun seasons.

I teach hunter safety ed here in IL and all our classes have a LE section in them where different CO's come in to do their presentations. I speak with plenty of them and they all tell me that the deer seasons are their most demanding times. Call after call, for trespassers, hunting too close to roads, from roads, over roads, before light, after light, etc., etc., etc..

Funny thing is, I get some offers at class to hunt various properties and get to stay in touch with some fine people I meet. The CO's tell me they get lots of offers, very few of which they get to exercise during deer season.

Illinois just had a pretty nice size class graduate and get placed into the force. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers are in fact sworn Illinois State Police Officers.

Well I think it's a good career choice as you are helping to protect something you hold dear. Maybe you can get your fix on other endeavours like turkey, pheasant, coyote, etc...

Check out the Illinois Dept of Nat Resources website and click on like 1. offices, 2. Law, 3. Career Opportunities.

longrifle1000

When I was in college, I had a class that was taught my a Master Seargent in the Illinois conservation police. You will need either a 4 year bachelors degree in criminal justice, or work at least two years for the Illinois State police. And, after you have worked for the Conservation police for two years, you are a federal officer. It is a very interesting job, I just pursued a different career. I would also imagine that your hunting time would be cut down. Like other people have said, that will be the busiest time of the year. But I'm not positive of that. Best thing you could do, is go and talk with them. They will be honest and forthcomeing with you. Good luck.

SPIKEHORN11

I also considered it but not hunting as much would literally kill me. Here in NY you are always on call any time of day or night. I still wanna work in Law Enforcement and hopefully will be a corrections officer in a couple of months. It is a job with good pay with plenty of overtime and after one year two weeks of vacation plus full benifits.

IL-Cornfed

Illinois is the last state you'd probably be able to be a CO for. Remember the serious down size we had last year, something like 175 IL employees lost their jobs. Also, here in IL a Warden has to cover a very large area and this means that YOU are forced tpo cover YOUR area during the hunting season. Our area Warden has said he get very little woods time in the fall.