You Won't Believe This One

[K22]

Was at the range this morning preparing for white tail season which starts in PA on November 26 when this guy pulls up in a white pickup with a US Government Plate. Door inscribed with USDA - Wild Life Management.

He sets up on the 100 yards range, post a target then proceeds to start shooting with two heavy barrelled rifles (remington 700's) equipped with suppressors. My curiousity got the best of me since he appeared to be a Gov employee and suppressors are illegal to hunt with in PA so I wondered over and struck up a conversation.

Turns out he is indeed US Gov employee that works to clear airstrips and other government property of problem wildlife, mostly deer. Very nice fellow and outstanding shot. Rifles had custom barrels - calibers 22 250 and 243. He said that he takes nothing but head or neck shots to drop the animal in place and also shoots off a sand bag front (those large kind with a fold at the top and bottom) and a rear owl type rest. Rifles were scoped with a Nikon 24X scope.

I had no idea that these kind of jobs existed - Wow, double Wow - what I wouldn't have given to have this kind of job when I was a younger fellow.

 

[T 700]

I will take one of those jobs!!! just give me a call, I am ready to go!!

Some people have all the luck

 

[dtucker]

Yes i agree, lucky guy. Gets to be outside, shoot guns and get paid for it. The best of the best.

 

[jonbearman]

I once had a thompson percusion rifle.Anyways I get a hit on gunsamerica,the guy gets in contact with me and we shoot the breeze for about an hour.I get it ready to ship and call him to confirm its heading his way.So in conversation I ask what he does. He hesitated and it turns out he was an fbi agent,sooooo the flags went up,am I breaking any laws and I think no its a muzzleloader. So I ship it and expect the fbi to roll up on me .Well nothing happened and he called when he got it thanking me for such a good deal and he loved it.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Dan: Gets to be outside, shoot guns and get paid for it?
The Marine Corps is looking for a "Few Good Men". 8)
Be outdoors and get in all the shooting you could hope for. Might want to jump on it. ;D

 

[bricktop]

Suppressors are legal to hunt with in PA, as long as it is legally owned.

 

[KMart]

Mikie
You left out hiking, backpacking, camping, ocean cruises and extended foreign vacations.

 

[Steve Blair]

Mikie
You left out hiking, backpacking, camping, ocean cruises and extended foreign vacations.

[br]
And meeting new people in exotic locations.

 

[madmixerman]

There used to be a small airport near me & they used to shoot deer that were near the landing strip. They used to leave them lay & rot. You should have asked the guy what they do with the deer they shoot.

 

[madmixerman]

Fred,as I said this was a small airport near me & I saw the carcasses where they dumped them.

 

[aftCG]

I did a stretch for an airline, "throwing bags". Even though it was a very noisy environment (ear plugs or extreme pain) I occasionally heard a rifle bark from the top of a nearby building. I asked around.

Not well known to the public, but there would be a huge issue if a stray dog got out on a runway.

 

[Glenn Powell]

Department of Agriculture dose the bird control for the airport and here at the land fill. They don't get paid squat. Those guys get lots and lots of shotgun time, and it shows. Had a guy come through doing the bird controls here at the fill, worked here for the winter then would go up to Barrow to trap fox to help the goose population. Sounded like a need gig till I found out he made half of what I do. He also was involved in the extermination of rats on Rat Island, and fox on another island out side of Kodiak. 5 months living in a tent, Bering Sea weather, forget it! Department of Agriculture dose more then look at crops and sheep,they do lots and lots of critter control.

 

[timeout]

Glenninjuneau is spot on. I know guys that have those jobs in ADC. Not all roses, pay is not great, and the Feds are eliminating the older, more highly paid guys, to hire younger men at lower pay with no benefits. One guy I know is having to go about 2000 miles from home to keep his job. Helluva way to spend Christmas.

 

[MrMajestic]

Suppressors are legal to hunt with in PA, as long as it is legally owned.

This is true, just wish they could speed up the process of the paperwork!

 

[xdeano]

I know several WS guys. They're all good guys and they know what they're doing around a weapon and traps. The US Gov is exempt from local laws if theyre in a state that doesn't allow syppressors. Most of the deer that ws removes from airports tend to go to disease sampling and then off to a butch where the meat goes to a local food pantry. Its a good deal.

The job sounds like a lot of fun. But what guys have said, the pay sucks. But that is the trade off.

Xdeano