How to Apply to Become a Warden Cadet

September 21, 2017

Question: I spoke to a lieutenant in 2015 at Sacramento Police Department’s “Links to Law Enforcement” job fair. I kept his business card with the informational pamphlet since I am still very interested in a career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). I am reaching out to you now because I will be graduating from a California State University in December with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. I have done some research on the Fish and Wildlife Academy through the CDFW and Butte College websites. Could you help describe the application and background process? (Jacqueline C., Sacramento)

Answer: The good news is your timing is excellent! CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division (LED) is accepting applications for Wildlife Officer (Warden) Cadet through Sept. 30 for the class that begins in January 2019. We are particularly interested in recruiting applicants with a love of the outdoors and a passion for fish and wildlife conservation.

All prospective candidates are encouraged to extensively review materials on the LED website (www.wildlife.ca.gov/enforcement/career). The application and background process is described there.

If you are interested in becoming a Wildlife Officer Cadet, please apply online at https://jobs.ca.gov/JOBSGEN/7FG13.PDF by Sept. 30, 2017. These two links describe the application and background process.

CDFW wildlife officers are fully sworn California peace officers with a fundamental duty to serve and protect the public. They have the authority to enforce all California laws, including the Vehicle Code, Penal Code, Health and Safety drug laws and more. The primary mission of a wildlife officer is to enforce wildlife resource laws; to protect California waterways and habitat from destruction, pollution and litter; provide the public with hunting and fishing information; and to promote and coordinate hunter education and safe weapons handling.

Wildlife officers patrol the mountains, valleys, deserts, creeks, streams, rivers and ocean. They frequently work alone and cover both rural and urban areas. California’s diverse ecosystem spans 159,000 square miles divided into 58 counties, with a human population in excess of 39 million. The state has 1,100 miles of coastline, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, 4,800 lakes and reservoirs and 80 major rivers. Wildlife officers patrol utilizing trucks, ATVs, personal watercraft, boats, snowmobiles and airplanes, making contact with Californians in the great outdoors. Wildlife officers work undercover, conduct surveillances and complete in-depth investigations, including writing and serving search warrants. CDFW LED has numerous specialized teams and assignments including K-9, wildlife trafficking, marijuana eradication, marine patrol and oil spill prevention and response.

Annually, wildlife officers make contact with more than 295,000 people and issue more than 15,000 citations for violations of the law.

Successful applicants for Warden Cadet will attend a Peace Officer Standards of Training (POST) certified law enforcement training academy, conducted by CDFW at Butte College, near Chico. Following the academy, probationary wildlife officers will work with a seasoned field training officer for several weeks, where they learn to apply their training in practical circumstances.

Hojoman, I wish you well in your endeavors. If I were 25 years old again and knowing what I know now, instead of being 62, I would pursue this in a heartbeat. I thought of this line of work in my younger years but life got in the way. Best wishes.

Hojoman, I wish you well in your endeavors. If I were 25 years old again and knowing what I know now, instead of being 62, I would pursue this in a heartbeat. I thought of this line of work in my younger years but life got in the way. Best wishes.

I wish I had a do over too, but Hojoman posts things from CFW's question and answer section.

I almost went this route, but this is a tough lifestyle best suited for single people. The hardest part is spending your first couple of years at the needs of the department. After getting out of the military and getting married, the last thing I wanted to do was pack my bride up and move her to Barstow or some such shithole. It's a tough, thankless life, my hat is off to the men and women who do more and make less than any other police force in CA.