Gary Young Oral History Transcript

Gary talks about Boy Scouts, his love of fishing and being outdoors in Texas as a kid with his twin brother. He knew from his high school days that he wanted to be a game warden, and after college and a position with the Travis County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office, he was fortunate to get a position with Texas Parks and Wildlife as a boat operator. Gary then became a game warden working in very different environments in two counties. At the age of 35, Gary was hired by the FWS as a Special Agent. His first duty station was in Kansas. Gary talks about his responsibilities and the highlights of his career as he advances through the ranks and works in 4 different regions, ending up as the SAC in Region 1. He worked on endangered species, subsistence harvest, oil pit, import/export work and was the SAC when the Malheur NWR was occupied. Gary highlights the international wildlife officer training he conducted while employed and continues to conduct with conservation officers from around the world.