Black Bear Field Technicians (3) - Michigan
Agencies: Utah State University, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI DNR)
Location: Baldwin Bear Management Unit, Michigan
Compensation: $16.00/hr, field housing provided
Work Schedule: Variable hours
Start date: May 4, 2026
End date: July 31, 2026
Last date to apply: Marh 26, 2026

The Young lab at Utah State University is seeking three (3) black bear hair snare technicians to assist with the Baldwin Bear Project. The Baldwin Bear Project is a collaborative research project with the Michigan DNR, looking at the socioecological systems of black bears. The technicians will primarily assist a master’s student in her study determining the density of black bears and analyzing their movements in the Baldwin Bear Management Unit of the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This study area includes most of the landscape between Grand Rapids and Traverse City, Michigan. The technicians are expected to start on 4 May and work until 31 July 2026. Exact start and end dates are flexible, but our preferred dates are listed.

Field housing will be provided in the form of a camper trailer. Campers have cooktops and microwaves and will be stationed at a DNR office or a state park with accessible bathrooms and showers. Applicants are encouraged to bring bedding, field clothes, boots, and other gear needed to work in the summer heat. Long pants and long sleeves are encouraged. Rubber work boots and leather gloves will be provided, if needed, along with bear spray. Shared work vehicle(s) will be provided for fieldwork and essential travel. Crew members will be expected to use personal means of transportation for recreation and personal errands/travel during their time off.

Technicians will assist with repairing established hair snares using barbed wire, creating rub trees using duct tape, setting up camera traps, collecting hair samples and maintaining hair snares, tree rubs, and camera traps. Technicians will also assist with removing the hair snare sites at the end of the season. The technicians must follow specific protocols for the hair snares and hair collection. Technitians will perform solo fieldwork in remote locations with little or no cell service, drive 4x4 trucks, and problem-solve independently to ensure that fieldwork is completed safely and efficiently.

Additional fieldwork related to the study may include helping a Ph.D. student and another MS student with tasks related to research on human dimensions. This work may include interacting with strangers to complete social science surveys and involve door-to-door visits in pairs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Independent, hardworking, and able to safely complete the physical responsibilities required for the role.

• Possess a valid driver’s license and have a clean driving record for essential job responsibilities, such as driving university vehicles and transporting materials.

• Working towards or hold a degree in wildlife ecology/management, biology, natural resources, or a similar field; OR be able to demonstrate equivalent experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Willing to work alone without cell service, communicating via radios and satellite communication devices.

• Willing to work any day of the week and outside of normal work hours (e.g., may start or end a day outside of 8am–5pm).

• Able to navigate on and off-trail using topographic maps and a hand-held GPS or OnX.

• Have good communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with hunters, MI DNR biologists and staff, landowners, recreators, other technicians and volunteers, and the supervising graduate student.

• Must be detail-oriented, organized, and have data management skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to follow directions including strict field protocols.

• Patience, adaptability, stamina (mental and physical), respect for others, professional behavior, and a positive team-player attitude are important.

• Willing to interact with strangers for survey research and assist with door-to-door surveys.

Along with the online application, please attach:

• Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Contact Information for Professional References to be entered at the beginning of your application in the candidate profile
• Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work outside and will not be protected from weather conditions, including extreme cold and extreme heat for extended periods. Applicants should expect some long days while setting up/tearing down hair snares and be able to carry ~40 pounds of barbed wire and other gear into relatively thick brush and swampy bottomlands. This area of Michigan has mild topography, and applicants should be able to traverse several miles a day off-trail through it while carrying a heavy pack.

Technicians MUST be comfortable performing solo fieldwork in adverse conditions (such as heat, bugs, tall grass, swamps, challenging terrain, and remote locations with little or no cell service), driving 4x4 trucks, and problem-solving independently to ensure that fieldwork is completed safely and efficiently. Technicians must be aware of their surroundings and be confident hiking alone where carnivores and other wildlife species are present. Applicants must also be comfortable handling pungent lures and oil for baiting the hair snare sites.

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