Wildlife Sciences Internet Guide

For College Juniors through Wildlife Professionals

By Mark Chronister

English 202C
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Table of Contents:
I.

II.
III.
IV.

Page Number

Information about the Guide

Contents.... 3
Audience/Purpose. 3
Guide assumptions 3
Organization. 3
Tips... 3
Wildlife Science Job Resources
Texas A&M Job Board 4
USA Jobs. 5
Wildlife related Websites
Pennsylvania Game Commission 6
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 7
Wildlife Science Research Resources
BioOne e-database... 8
Wildlife Biology e-journal... 9
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications... 10
Statistical Abstract of the United States... 11

I. Information about the Guide

Contents:
In this guide, you will find information on the field of Wildlife Sciences. The guide
encompasses both job opportunities and job resources as well as resources for researching the
field. In the job resources section, you will find websites aimed at finding jobs in the field of
Wildlife Sciences. In the research resources section, the guide will cover a number of sources of
information including e-databases, scientific journals, and a couple government resources.

Audience/Purpose:
This guide was created for anyone from juniors in the Wildlife Sciences major all the way
up to new professionals in the field. College students will be able to use the guide to do research
in the early years of their careers as well as find jobs as they advance through their schooling.
They also have to opportunity to use the guide to find internships. Professionals that already have
careers in the field can use the guide to do research for their projects and studies.

Guide Assumptions:
This guide assumes that the reader has an interest in the field of Wildlife Sciences and is
pursuing a career in the field. The user should also have at least two years of college education.
The information in this guide will be presented in a more technical way and lower level college
students may not be able to understand the information.
Another assumption that we will make for this guide is that the user has sufficient
knowledge of how to use the internet. They should be able to navigate through the web and
through websites with a fair amount of ease as well as be able to fill out online applications for
job opportunities.

Organization:
This guide is organized into sections. The table of contents outlines these sections and
identifies what information will be presented and what page to find it on. The first section
contains information about the guide, the second section covers a couple different job resources,
the third identifies a couple of helpful wildlife websites, and the fourth covers research resources.
The guide is made for specific purposes, not to be read the entire way through. For
example, if you are looking for a job, the Jobs section is where you will focus. However, if you
are doing research, the Websites and Research sections will benefit users most.

Tips:
To use this internet resource guide, the first place to look is in the table of contents. The
table of contents will lead the user to any specific section that you may be interested in. Each
resource contains an abstract to provide an overview which can quickly determine which
resource will benefit the user most effectively. Once a resource is picked, read through the
provided tips to make browsing the resource as efficient as possible.
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II. Wildlife Science Job Resources

Texas A&M: Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Job
Board
Website
Availability:
http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/
Description:
This website is one of the top sites to find a variety of job opportunities in a wide range of career
paths. The website is created and maintained by the Texas A&M University. The website is being
continuously updated with new job openings from around the world. For this guide, users will
focus solely on the section dedicated to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
To find the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Job Board, users should follow the link
provided above. Once there, a list of jobs starting at the most recently added will appear. There is
a search bar at the top of the screen which can be used to narrow down the results to specific jobs
or specific regions. On the right-hand side, there is a list of job types to narrow down the type of
work that you desire.
Tips:
When using the search function, be careful about being too specific or too vague. Being
too specific will limit your results greatly and very few jobs will be shown. On the other
hand, being too vague will provide you with a surplus of unwanted jobs that will take
time to sort through.
Using the links on the right can narrow your search down much faster than the search bar.
The links on the right refer to different kinds of positions, like fulltime, seasonal,
internships, etc. If you are looking for a specific type of work but not so much in a
specific field, the links on the right can be very useful.

USA Jobs
Website
Availability:
https://www.usajobs.gov/
Description:
USA jobs is a website created by the federal government of the United States. The site lists all
available federal jobs that are currently available. Although the site encompasses all facets of the
federal government, the users of this guide will focus on a few specific areas of the site. The
areas of interest will be the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the Parks Service
if the user does not wish to work with wildlife directly.
Navigating this site can be a little tricky at first. The first thing to notice is the link under the
search bar that says students and recent graduates. For users that have recently graduated
college or are about to, this link will take you to prospective jobs that you are qualified for. For
wildlife professionals and graduates with intern experience, the search bar would be sufficient to
finding jobs in the field you desire.
Tips:
When using the search bar, it is best to search just the position first. Many positions have
openings across the country. If you are not specifically targeting a certain region to work
in, your job opportunities become much greater and you will have a better chance of
successfully being hired.
Once a job is found that you wish to apply for, be sure to read all qualifications before
applying. Many jobs require a certain amount of experience and/or a certain number of
credits earned at an accredited university. Additionally, many jobs require the completion
of first aid courses as interaction with people is common.
Be sure to create a profile on the website before you begin to search for jobs. Once a
profile is created, applying for jobs is often a quick and easy process. However, if you
find jobs before a profile is created, you will have to make a profile and may not be able
to find the job opening again.

III. Wildlife Related Websites

Pennsylvania Game Commission
Website
Availability:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pgc/9106
Description:
This is the website for the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). The PGC is the government
organization that oversees all activities pertaining to wildlife throughout the state of
Pennsylvania. The menu bar at the top of the page in yellow can direct you to wherever you need
to go to find the information you are looking for. There is also a search bar in the upper right
hand corner to easily access specific topics or articles.
This site has an abundant amount of information for all people who are interested in wildlife,
whether they are a hunter or not. For hunters, a few good links on the webpage include the
Seasons & Bag Limits, WMU map, and State Game Lands. All are found on the right side
of the page under the Quick Links section. Under that section, there are also a number of links
that would benefit non-hunters. These links include but are not limited to Fluorescent Orange
Requirements, and Lyme Disease. The articles and reports found on this site can be used for
research projects.
Tips:
The majority of the information that users will find helpful will be found under the
Quick Links section. It would be wise to bookmark the homepage as this is where
much of the important information can be located from.
I would shy away from using the search bar as much as possible unless you are looking
for very specific topics and articles. The archives are full of many complicated
documents referring to regulation changes, policy changes and other such documents that
do not pertain to the users needs. However, when used right, documents pertaining to
wildlife studies can be utilized effectively.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Website
Availability:
http://www.fws.gov/
Description:
This website is the homepage for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USFWS is a government
run organization thats goal is to protect and maintain our wildlife and fishery resources for
future generations. The site contains recent news and information pertaining to all species in the
United States. The menu bar at the top of the page has a number of useful links that can provide
valuable information as well as make the site more navigable.
If you are interested in the endangered species that are present in the United States, users would
select the Endangered Species tab on the menu bar to learn more about them. Another cool
feature is the Jobs tab. This tab takes you to USA jobs and automatically narrows all listings
down to jobs with the USFWS. On the left side of the page, there is a long list of links that will
take you to pages with more specific information than the menu bar at the top will provide. The
main purpose for the user viewing this website would be for research purposes.
Tips:
Try to use the menu bar or the links on the right to find the information that you need in
the most efficient way possible. The search bar may be utilized however with a website
like this, there is a vast quantity of information available and trying to sort through
everything can be time consuming.
Be careful as to what articles and news stories you use from the site. Although it is a
government run website, there may still be some bias represented in some articles. Stick
to scientifically based articles to ensure that the information you are receiving is genuine.

IV. Wildlife Science Research Resources

BioOne
Electronic Database
Availability:
http://www.bioone.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/action/showJournals?type=byAlphabet
Description:
BioOne is an online database that is loaded with information on a plethora of topics related to
biological science. The first thing to know about this database that it is not free. However, many
universities order a subscription to the service that allows students unlimited access to the data.
Users will follow the link above and then enter their username and password which will grant
access to the database. For users out of college, their college username and password may still
work or the company that has employed you may also have a subscription to the service.
The database is organized alphabetically and if you dont mind taking time to find relevant
articles, using the alphabetical search bar at the top of the page will suffice. However, in this
database, the search bar works marvelously. Users do not need to worry about being too specific
when searching. When users search a specific item, the database searches for every instance of
that phrase throughout the entire database. The search bar is by far the most efficient way of
searching for information and studies in the database.
Tips:
Use the search bar as much as possible to quickly find the information that you are
seeking.
Do not waste time searching with the alphabetical search bar unless you are not searching
for a specific item or topic.
Be sure to choose articles and studies that are available online and are not restricted.
Some of the items in the database may be locked and others are only available in hard
copy at the university library.

Wildlife Biology
Electronic Journal
Availability:
http://www.bioone.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/loi/wbio
Description:
Wildlife Biology is an electronic journal found within the BioOne electronic database. Although
there are twenty one volumes, only eleven of them are available in the database. With the
exception of 2014, the journal gets published four times a year. When users follow the link
above, they will once again be prompted to enter their username and password, as this journal is
found in the BioOne database. Once in, users select the volume and issue that they desire to look
at.
This journal covers a wide range of topics in each volume. Topics can range from environmental
issues to endangered species to general information on a species or sampling technique. There is
no search function in this journal so it may take a little longer to sift through each volume.
However, there are only six topics per issue and only four issues per volume so it should not be
too tedious.
Tips:
If you are from another country where English is not your first language, there is a bar at
the top of the page that prompts you to change the language as you desire. This is a useful
accommodation for foreign students.
On the left hand side, there is a small list of links next to a visual of the journal. These
links give a brief overview of the purpose of the journal and the content that lies within.
Following these links can determine whether this journal is the correct one for you and
save you time searching.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Website
Availability:
http://catalog.gpo.gov/F
Description:
The above link will direct users to the Catalog of U.S. Government publications. This catalog is a
compilation of all of the reports and studies that have been done by all government agencies. It is
an extensive database that can be very useful for a number of fields. The menu bar at the top has
a number of options that allow users to navigate the site. There are three different levels of
search ranging from basic to expert. For this user guide, the basic search feature will suffice in
finding information.
As an example of how to use this site, I searched wildlife sciences in the search bar. The search
came up with 93 results and I was able to locate an article called Farm ponds as wildlife habitat
in the Driftless Area Ecoregion. The bibliographic information for this article are as follows:
Knutson, M. (n.d.). Farm ponds as wildlife habitat in the Driftless Area Ecoregion. Retrieved
from http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20043041
This article talks about using small ponds to increase wildlife habitat in a limiting region like
prairies and large flat expanses. The ponds can create habitat for waterfowl and other mammals
that rely on water in a region where water is limited.
Tips:
Use the search function that you are most comfortable with. If you feel like you are an
expert or have used this website before, the advanced or expert searches may benefit you
more than the basic search.
If you are not completely sure of what you are looking for, the browse tool can be a good
option. Instead of searching, just look through articles until you find one that you like.
Some of the articles are not available on the site to read. However, a simple google search
of the article title will quickly find you the article that you are looking for.

Statistical Abstract of the United States

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Online Database
Availability:
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
Description:
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a database containing abstracts pertaining to
statistics and other collected data. The database has been recording and cataloging since 1878. It
is the main source and largest source of any statistical data in the United States. The website is
fairly easy to navigate although it does appear clustered at times. The most efficient way to view
this document is to us the browse links on the left hand side to narrow down your topic. You can
also use the topic link in the menu bar at the top of the page to find the topic you are looking for.
As an example of how to use this statistical database, I chose to find a wildlife based statistic. On
the left hand side, in the browse links section, I clicked on geography & environment. I then
selected threatened and endangered species. This took me to a page with two links. Selecting
pdf will open a pdf document showing you the statistics that you are looking for. In my case, it
brought up the most recent statistics on endangered species in the United States.
Tips:
Use the provided menu bars and links to narrow down your search as much as possible.
The website already has the information broken down into narrow categories so the
search may not benefit you nearly as much.
If you need to narrow the area where the data comes from, use the other resources
menu on the right hand side. This allows you to narrow the data down to state or even
smaller municipalities if the data is available.

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