Wildlife Damage Specialist

Job Description

Job ID: 32442
Agency: Game Fish & Parks
Location:Chamberlain, SD - Other Locations within District may be consideredSalary: $22.98-$25.85 Hourly, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: H
Closing Date: 09/03/25

We currently are seeking a Wildlife Damage Management Specialist for the following Wildlife Damage Management District: Southern Brule, Charles Mix, and Douglas Counties
This position will be primarily based at the Chamberlain GFP Regional Office. Consideration to other locations within the district may be considered. Recipient of this position MUST live within the assigned work district. Wildlife Damage Specialists identify problem wildlife that cause damage to livestock, crops, and property or are a threat to human health and safety; and remove the animals or reduce their ability to cause damage by the most efficient and cost-effective means available to provide a reliable and consistent source of wildlife damage control throughout an assigned geographical area. The position is supervised by the Regional Wildlife Damage Management Program Manager.

This is a Full-Time position with the Game Fish & Parks. For more information on the Game Fish & Parks, please visit https://gfp.sd.gov/ .

Why the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks?
Working for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is not just a job. It is a life passion. It is about working together as a team with colleagues, customers, landowners, and partner organizations to ensure that our state's outdoor heritage lives on for the next generation. Providing exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities for people to enjoy is one of the best jobs in state government. Our atmosphere empowers professional success and team building, while fostering relationships to build a culture focused on our four strategic plan goals.

• Provide outdoor recreational opportunities
• Serve as stewards of our state's natural resources
• Inspire confidence
• Foster professional excellence

All we need is you to join our team! Sound like a good fit so far? As a South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks employee, here is what you will experience:

• Innovation - the GFP team is consistently revolutionizing enhancements to outdoor recreation in terms of technology and customer experience. We invite new ideas and interaction from our employees.
• Collaboration and Communication - our employees work with various teams, programs and divisions within the agency, outside state and federal agencies and public stakeholders. We want all employees to know that their voice will be heard as we continuously work towards our future goals.
• Professional Development - We provide training and support for you to become an expert in the field and obtain the skills necessary to be successful in your position.
• Task Diversity - the work duties are never boring. Your duties may include meetings with coworkers, collaborating with other government representatives, representing the Department at Commission meetings and national conferences, visiting one of our state parks and recreation areas or working to enhance habitat on a game production area. The outdoors provides for a pretty nice corner office!

Who We're Looking For?

• Do you have experience with coyote or beaver trapping?
• Do you have experience dealing with ungulate depredation?
• Do you enjoy working with South Dakota Ranchers and Producers?
• Do you have a high degree of professional ethics and integrity?
• Are you excellent at organizing and prioritizing multiple tasks and projects while maintaining a positive attitude?
• Do you welcome the opportunity to tackle problems and think quickly to find innovative solutions?
• Are you an effective, outgoing communicator who enjoys providing superior service to customers, leadership, and other employees?

What You Will Do
Duties of a Wildlife Damage Specialist involve traveling extensively, often on bad roads and in inclement weather and in remote, rural areas; walking long distances in rough country while carrying packs, traps, and animals and while tracking and hunting animals; operating all-terrain vehicles in rough country or around sloughs and in remote areas; working on flood-stage rivers and creeks in boats; setting and checking traps in deep water; climbing on river banks; handling wildlife, dead and alive, and being exposed to disease and injury; working around domestic livestock in a panic because of predators; working with all of the hazards associated with aerial depredation work; working in the dark during early morning and late night hours while predators are out; answering and returning phone calls at all times of the day or night; and routinely handling firearms, explosives, sharps, poisons and chemicals.

Licenses and Certifications:
The successful candidate will be required to obtain:

• South Dakota driver's license
• South Dakota Department of Agriculture Commercial Applicators license with certifications in categories 12 (rodenticide) and 13 (M-44 device)

What You Need
The ideal candidate will have knowledge or experience with:

• trapping predators in year-round conditions in a prairie and agricultural environment;
• using foothold traps, snares, live traps, M-44 devices and all suitable baits and lures;
• calling techniques and shooting centerfire rifles to remove predators;
• cooperating with fixed wing aircraft to remove predators;
• reading 'sign' of predators and furbearing animals and therefore able to predict their movement patterns and act quickly to remove them;
• resolving wildlife depredation conflicts to agricultural crops and feed supplies;
• candidates should have above average organizational skills in order to track and document work progress on several projects at one time;
• exceptional communication skills as a significant portion of their time will be spent communicating with private landowners, other staff and providing educational programing on request.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
Knowledge of:

• animal behavior, wildlife identification, habitat, and types of damage typically related to a species;
• animal diseases and safe-handling practices, disease sampling, collection and preservation methods;
• wildlife damage control methods; trapping equipment and the proper methods of location, bedding, staking, set construction, baiting, and luring; how the environment such as terrain and wind currents affect the work at hand; and erection of fencing and placement of hazing devices;
• firearms including rifles, shotguns, and pistols; ammunition and reloading tools and methods; and safe-storage practices;
• wildlife management practices and survey techniques.

Skill to:

• trap predators year round
• use calling techniques and firearms safely and appropriately;
• work effectively with landowners to deliver wildlife and wildlife damage management programs;
• read, interpret, and comprehend technical material;
• write clearly and concisely and in logical sequence;
• prepare and present information to peers and general public;
• use and manipulate Excel and other statistical programs for data entry and analysis;
• properly and safely operate and maintain a variety of vehicles and specialty/scientific equipment.

Ability to:

• favorably present and promote department priorities, services, and programs;
• plan and effectively organize work priorities and requests for services;
• establish and maintain working relationships with individuals, the general public, local government officials, other state agencies, federal and tribal government officials;
• read and identify animals quickly and efficiently from tracks, scat, hair, kill sights, and other signs;
• read, interpret, and implement applicable department, state, and federal laws and regulations;
• act as an intermediary among adjoining landowners who are unwilling to cooperate with each other for the purpose of securing a large enough area on which to practice predatory control effectively;
• balance landowners' expectations for predatory control with the public's expectations for sport and for humane treatment of animals with factual information and education;
• educate and inform people at all levels of knowledge about predators and the objectives of predatory control;
• navigate in rural and remote areas and adapt to changing weather;
• shoot a variety of firearms proficiently in mostly unfavorable conditions;
• use a computer and Microsoft Office programs such as Excel, Access, and Word;
• operate pickups, all terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, boats; and repair and service equipment in the field;
• communicate information clearly and concisely.

About the Area
Region 2 is comprised of 20 counties along the Missouri River corridor from North Dakota to Nebraska. Along the river, there are three Game, Fish and Parks Offices located in Mobridge, Fort Pierre, and Chamberlain. The Missouri River offers some of the best fishing and boating opportunities in the state. In central South Dakota, there is a diversity of wildlife, where the east meets the west, transitioning from a mixed grass prairie to short grass prairie. Waterfowl, pheasants, grouse, white-tailed deer, mule deer, and pronghorn are just a few of the wildlife species that can be found across Region 2.

For more information about this area, please visit the South Dakota Missouri River Tourism website: https://sdmissouririver.com/

If you enjoy a career that is both exciting and challenging, possess good organization and communication skills, and want to make a difference in public service, we'd like to hear from you!

This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at https://bhr.sd.gov/job-seekers/work-for-state-government/ . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=25T
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources
Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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