WDFW is looking for contracted range riders

[jackelope]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/species-recovery/gray-wolf/updates/contracted-range-rider-rfq-2022-now

Contracted Range Rider RFQ for 2022 now available
Publish date
Apr 8, 2022
We are excited to announce that the new Contracted Range Rider Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the 2022 season is now available.

Over the last few months, WDFW Wildlife Conflict Section employees have spent 30+ hours working to enhance the RFQ. These changes include an extended proposal period, updates to rates of overall reimbursement as well as mode of transportation, improved language in the description and performance of duties sections to reflect the highest standards of professionalism, and several minor adjustments throughout the RFQ.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a contracted range rider for WDFW, please see the posting of the RFQ at the following website. Please note you will need to register with Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) as a vendor in order to download it.

Link to RFQ: Please click here to sign into WEBS.
https://pr-webs-vendor.des.wa.gov/home.html

Please see below for a detailed list of major changes to the RFQ.

New Reimbursement of Costs:

Reimbursement rates will not be dependent on the mode of transportation.
Reimbursement for time worked between 1-7 hours will be an hourly rate of $26.25.
Time worked for 8 or more hours will be reimbursed at a full day flat rate of $250.00.
Additional $26.25 hourly rate for:
Attending a meeting or training when required by WDFW. Attendance of regularly scheduled meetings requested by WDFW will be reimbursed. Brief communications less than 30 minutes (quick check-ins, phone calls) or optional informational meetings will not be considered for reimbursement. If a meeting goes beyond 30 minutes, the contractor will be reimbursed at the hourly rate.
Miscellaneous Changes:

The proposal due date has been extended to December 31, 2022.
Description of duties has been modified emphasize proficiency and accuracy when submitting invoicing documents.
Performance of duties has been modified to clarify the relationship between contractors and supervising WDFW Wildlife Conflict Specialist.
Minimum qualifications have been updated to emphasize the procurement of the insurance requirement. Contractors will be notified of their selection but must provide proof of insurance prior to contract approval.
To be eligible to apply for this RFQ, contractors, their employees, or subcontractors may not be under any contractual agreement for range rider services through any other party.
A personal cell phone number field has been added to the proposer profile.
Forthcoming Changes:

An updated Range Rider/Livestock Monitoring Activity Log converted to a fillable PDF format to streamline invoicing.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Curious if the jab is required?

[Cougartail]

Curious if the jab is required?

Only if you plan on becoming intimate with the sheep and cows.

Coming in contact with WDFW employees. I'm betting yes.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Curious if the jab is required?

Only if you plan on becoming intimate with the sheep and cows.

Coming in contact with WDFW employees. I'm betting yes.

Already very intimate with my cows...we AI.   

When WDFW chit canned me over the mandate I was working remotely.  Wondering if they changed the requirement yet.  Would be a cool gig.

[Widgeondeke]

$26.25/hr seems pretty low to me as a contractor.

as a contractor you get no benefits and are responsible for paying all your taxes. I know in this state that used to mean a tax liability over 30%
not reimbursed for quick meeting, etc.  Call a professional that bill you hourly, I bet it isn't free 

[pd]

$26.25/hr seems pretty low to me as a contractor.

as a contractor you get no benefits and are responsible for paying all your taxes. I know in this state that used to mean a tax liability over 30%
not reimbursed for quick meeting, etc.  Call a professional that bill you hourly, I bet it isn't free 

Is there no sense of awareness in this Agency?  Why are they patting themselves for "30+ hours spent by staff to improve the RFI?"

Seriously?  That's your job!  You are salaried.  And, 30 hours (spread across several people) is absolutely nothing, especially when it comes to program management.

Not impressed.

[timberfaller]

Hummmm, "Range Riders"??  What happened, lose all their "Wardens"??   If their biologist won't listen to the "field-men"(AKA Wardens) I don't think they are going to listen to anything a "range rider" will tell them!!  Its been going on for decades all ready!

[Jake Dogfish]

Sign me up!
I’m sure wdfw will supply the horse right?

[Twispriver]

I'd have been all in on this when I was in college - would have been a great way to spend the summer and earn some cash and back then I liked my horses more than I liked most people

[KFhunter]

I don't know anything about contracting, but wouldn't be a bad gig for a rancher kid that's doing it anyways.  Double dipping so to say. .

[KFhunter]

I did call up the Diamond M few years back to see if they wanted a WDFW range rider 

Another wedge rancher did sign up for the services, said a scrungy dude showed up a couple times, worked maybe 30 minutes and never left the road.  Prolly billed them for a lot more hours than worked.  And no,   it wasn't the same guys that were charged with defrauding WDWF that was on the news.

[KFhunter]

I do know another range rider that does spend a lot of time range riding, he drives around in a SXS regardless of being paid or not, so this pays for his toys, tires and maintenance and maybe a few spare bux.   WDFW doesn't cut his checks though, I think Stevens County Cattlemen do but not certian.

[Ridgeratt]

I do know another range rider that does spend a lot of time range riding, he drives around in a SXS regardless of being paid or not, so this pays for his toys, tires and maintenance and maybe a few spare bux.   WDFW doesn't cut his checks though, I think Stevens County Cattlemen do but not certian.

I think I might know of one also. But said he put over 10k miles on his Ranger in 2 years.

[KFhunter]

He gets around 

[KFhunter]

You should put the new Honda to work Ridgeratt 

[jackelope]

Hummmm, "Range Riders"??  What happened, lose all their "Wardens"??   If their biologist won't listen to the "field-men"(AKA Wardens) I don't think they are going to listen to anything a "range rider" will tell them!!  Its been going on for decades all ready!

Pretty sure a WDFW game warden and a range rider are 2 different roles....and we all already know there's a shortage of game wardens as it is.

[Ridgeratt]

You should put the new Honda to work Ridgeratt 

I might not be the best choice.     With WDFW current management ideas.

I like to follow the teachings of the great environmentalist.

[Iveexcaped3]

Sign me up!
I’m sure wdfw will supply the horse right?

Your forget the wdfw and state is ran by the left. This is the only horse you’ll be permitted and provided. As long as you stay on open green dot roads.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

They will be looking for very diverse candidates.  Probably the brokeback mountain types.

[fishngamereaper]

They probably should require the use of ebikes since horse's damage the eco systems.

[Skyvalhunter]

I would do it for free if SSS was involved.

[ctwiggs1]

I don't have time to register for WEBs but it seems like $26.25 isn't much to offer unless they are covering a mileage fee on equipment/horses. 

[rainshadow1]

What is the actual job description? Does anybody have a link or something? My son, Alex, is planning to go the Wildlife Biologist route, and is looking for summer and part time school year work in a related field. I just wondered if it'd be something he could fit into at some point. (I've been self-employed/private contracting my whole life, so it'd be easy to teach him that side of it.)

He's graduating HS, and doing the first half to 2/3 of this summer flying an RC plane to scare birds off organic blueberries! But he needs other leads...

[Ridgeratt]

https://conservationnw.org/our-work/wildlife/range-rider-pilot-project/?msclkid=6746978ed07511ecb4c2f5f8954ea984

Here is Conservation Northwest info.
The Northeast district you would have the pleasure of working for Jay Shepherd. Who just happens to be the head of their wolf program.

https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/mitch-friedman/
https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/jay-shepherd/

[Elkaholic daWg]

https://conservationnw.org/our-work/wildlife/range-rider-pilot-project/?msclkid=6746978ed07511ecb4c2f5f8954ea984

Here is Conservation Northwest info.
The Northeast district you would have the pleasure of working for Jay Shepard. Who just happens to be the head of their wolf program.

https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/mitch-friedman/
https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/jay-shepherd/

Precisely why I cut in half my  WDFW donations (H/F License tags SP) this year and you all might consider it too' That is your money they are spending on this chit! I'd do it W/O CNW involved

[highcountry_hunter]

What is the actual job description? Does anybody have a link or something? My son, Alex, is planning to go the Wildlife Biologist route, and is looking for summer and part time school year work in a related field. I just wondered if it'd be something he could fit into at some point. (I've been self-employed/private contracting my whole life, so it'd be easy to teach him that side of it.)

He's graduating HS, and doing the first half to 2/3 of this summer flying an RC plane to scare birds off organic blueberries! But he needs other leads...

I’ve got a few buddies that range ride for the cattlemens association. You’ve gotta have a horse, truck and trailer. From my understanding they give the riders a general area they want “patrolled.”  The riders document where they rode, hours and what they saw to get paid. But that’s for a private organization; since this is government related my guess is it will be a full of red tape, pay significantly less and be highly ineffective.

[KFhunter]

https://conservationnw.org/our-work/wildlife/range-rider-pilot-project/?msclkid=6746978ed07511ecb4c2f5f8954ea984

Here is Conservation Northwest info.
The Northeast district you would have the pleasure of working for Jay Shepard. Who just happens to be the head of their wolf program.

https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/mitch-friedman/
https://conservationnw.org/meet-our-staff/jay-shepherd/

Precisely why I cut in half my  WDFW donations (H/F License tags SP) this year and you all might consider it too' That is your money they are spending on this chit! I'd do it W/O CNW involved

Ya, I haven't bought anything yet but I think I'll just get a bear tag, 2 if I get a bear.   Maybe fishing

Cutting out all my other tags and draws

[highcountry_hunter]

Also, $250 flat rate for an 8 hour day is ridiculous. First of all, you’ve gotta drive from town to where you’re going to unload your pony, saddle up then ride till you find some cows, ride around and check up on em, ride back to the trailer, load up and drive back home. The price of diesel for your pickup, hay for your horses, the tires you’re bound to blow driving around on forest service roads, not to mention the price of a good horse that isn’t going to dump you on your head and leave you stranded means this ain’t a profitable operation for the rider.

[Elkaholic daWg]

Well those CNW types would just tow their horses with their motor homes and screw up the area for weeks at a time That way the first day is covered

[timberfaller]

Hummmm, "Range Riders"??  What happened, lose all their "Wardens"??   If their biologist won't listen to the "field-men"(AKA Wardens) I don't think they are going to listen to anything a "range rider" will tell them!!  Its been going on for decades all ready!

Pretty sure a WDFW game warden and a range rider are 2 different roles....and we all already know there's a shortage of game wardens as it is.

I had a great discussion with a warden in the Methow years ago before he retired.  What he told me was his "experience" with the "biologist" then employed by WDFW.  They were not interested in the least with what any "LEO's" had to say!  The one person who see's the most out in the "field" is not allowed to have an opinion with "them"! Sight interferes with their college upbringing!  Their ego's are way to strong for them to admit they don't know half of what they think they know!!  This was from our talk about the three point or better screw up!  I can't post on here of what HIS solution was to the "problem" was, but it was a good one!

Yes "rolls" are different, but what one see's in my book(66 years and counting), trumps any "book learning".  Just like the years of massive doe hunts,  show me one cattleman who kills of his producer's to increase his herd!!   Reality beats book material no matter its author/author's.

Case in point, my best man at my wedding married a gal who's dad wrote a book on how to repair some of John Deere's heavy equipment.  Colleges paid him big money.  Yet the old school mechanic's had to "teach" the newbies to ignore what they had been taught in college.  Some of the "procedures" they had been taught were four hours longer then what in real life took to accomplish!   I came across almost the same thing when I was sent back to college.  A student ask the instructor, "Why are we using this book(expensive)for this class?" his answer was, "students, pick up your book, turn and look on its binding.  See those names?  Those are all Alumni of this college. That is why you are using this book, YOU will never use it once to leave here.  But you do need to know the basics.  You will find once you are employed, the basics are needed but this book is no longer used in the real world of business."   Oh well, glad the state paid for my book, felt sorry for those who had to buy it outright.  Rant over

[rainshadow1]

Hummmm, "Range Riders"??  What happened, lose all their "Wardens"??   If their biologist won't listen to the "field-men"(AKA Wardens) I don't think they are going to listen to anything a "range rider" will tell them!!  Its been going on for decades all ready!

Pretty sure a WDFW game warden and a range rider are 2 different roles....and we all already know there's a shortage of game wardens as it is.

I had a great discussion with a warden in the Methow years ago before he retired.  What he told me was his "experience" with the "biologist" then employed by WDFW.  They were not interested in the least with what any "LEO's" had to say!  The one person who see's the most out in the "field" is not allowed to have an opinion with "them"! Sight interferes with their college upbringing!  Their ego's are way to strong for them to admit they don't know half of what they think they know!!  This was from our talk about the three point or better screw up!  I can't post on here of what HIS solution was to the "problem" was, but it was a good one!

Yes "rolls" are different, but what one see's in my book(66 years and counting), trumps any "book learning".  Just like the years of massive doe hunts,  show me one cattleman who kills of his producer's to increase his herd!!   Reality beats book material no matter its author/author's.

Case in point, my best man at my wedding married a gal who's dad wrote a book on how to repair some of John Deere's heavy equipment.  Colleges paid him big money.  Yet the old school mechanic's had to "teach" the newbies to ignore what they had been taught in college.  Some of the "procedures" they had been taught were four hours longer then what in real life took to accomplish!   I came across almost the same thing when I was sent back to college.  A student ask the instructor, "Why are we using this book(expensive)for this class?" his answer was, "students, pick up your book, turn and look on its binding.  See those names?  Those are all Alumni of this college. That is why you are using this book, YOU will never use it once to leave here.  But you do need to know the basics.  You will find once you are employed, the basics are needed but this book is no longer used in the real world of business."   Oh well, glad the state paid for my book, felt sorry for those who had to buy it outright.  Rant over

That's how all of academia operates. All fields, and for decades. My Dad graduated UW College of Fisheries before I was born, the stroking and nepotism was already firmly in place. You see it in every intellectual discipline, from biology, to psychology, to astro physics to anything else. It's about getting your name recognized and moving up in the aristocracy... has ALMOST nothing to do with doing the job effectively.

[timberfaller]

 

[jackelope]

I understand where you guys are coming from and I agree with sometimes the old school way being the best way, buuuuuut if the wardens should be babysitting range cattle, who should be responsible for law enforcement while the wardens are babysitting? 

[KFhunter]

They babysit wolves, not cattle

You want to find a gamie head for the nearest wolf herd a pop off a shot or two, they'll find you quick.

[highcountry_hunter]

I understand where you guys are coming from and I agree with sometimes the old school way being the best way, buuuuuut if the wardens should be babysitting range cattle, who should be responsible for law enforcement while the wardens are babysitting?

In no way, shape, or form are game wardens responsible for anything to do with cattle. Game wardens work for dept of fish and wildlife. Cattle are the cattle owners responsibility and graze on leased ground from the forest service or state.

[KFhunter]

Babysitting wolves is the same thing as baby sitting cattle, when the threat is wolves