Bruce Butler

A man in sunglasses wearing a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform standing in a green field with a helicopter overhead
Federal Wildlife Officer
Florida Ecological Services Office
National Wildlife Refuge System
Address

7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200
Jacksonville, FL 32256
United States

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About Bruce Butler

A law enforcement officer on a raised boardwalk with two visitors pointing toward a large tree branch
Image Details
Bruce Butler helping visitors at Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.

Bruce Butler is a patrol caption supervisor overseeing law enforcement at national wildlife refuges in north Florida and Georgia. Before that he was a zone officer and field officer in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has been with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2004.

What he loves about the job:

“I have the opportunity to go places for work that many others pay to visit on vacation or recreation. I help to provide a safe place for refuge staff, visitors and wildlife.”

What’s most interesting and rewarding about it:

“No two encounters are the same. We have to be ready at a moment’s notice to respond anywhere in the country to perform law enforcement functions. Most rewarding is when a visitor tells me about a successful hunt, fishing trip or seeing a wildlife species. It really warms my heart, especially when a young person is experiencing it for the first time.”

  

What’s most challenging about it:

“At times, you are working alone in remote areas with little backup. You have to constantly think about doing your job safely.”



Skills you must have to succeed at it:

“The ability to work independently and quickly adapt to various situations. One summer I was at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas/Mexico border, apprehending individuals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. Two weeks later, I was in Washington, DC, for the Independence Day Celebration, standing shoulder to shoulder with U.S. Park Police officers in front of protesters.”    



Animal he identifies with:

"Wolf."

To find available federal wildlife officer jobs and education requirements, go to the Refuge Law Enforcement get-involved page. Or search “GL 1801” and/or “GS 1801” at USAJobs.gov; filter by “U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service” or “Department of the Interior.”