Making A Living In The Woods?

[Evolute]

I'm a nature photographer, and I make my living in the woods. Well... not always in the woods... sometimes in the deserts, in the swamps, in the high mountains, at the seashore, etc. (Keep in mind that there are also components of the job involving sales and office work.)

Here are a few examples of what I do:

There are a million ways to make a living outdoors. Field biologist, camp counselor, lumberjack, geologist, writer, park ranger, trapper, guide, photographer, surveyor, collector, etc. Not all of them will be right for you, depending on your knowledge and your skill set, your physical stamina, your artistic talent, etc.

 

[sketchbag]

A family friend is a gold prospector. I do some work for him helping clearing survey lines & cleaning them up (as they get grown in), and helping him with soil sampling. Far from a living, but a great way to make some extra money when theres work.

A friend of a friend bought a big piece of land on western manitoba and traps animals for their fur every winter. Apparently he makes some decent money doing that.

I've decided to enroll at the university for next semester, once I get the first year courses done I'm going to study entomology. The plan is to get a job in the field studying, and eventually get into forensics. As long as I can make a living doing something thats always fascinated me I think life will be great.

 

[rzwieg]

RZ,
That is also dried, cleaned and graded price. It might take 10lbs of fresh dug to get a pound of marketable seng. If you just enjoying stomping the woods, it is a great way to pick up a little cash but I would not want to count on it for a mortage payment... There are as many ways to make extra cash off the land as your interests will allow. & many are eco friendly.
2Door

My grandfather's uncle was sort of a farmer, but didn't really like it. He did his best work out in the woods. He died poor but happy.

 

[mkhop]

Is there really no way to grow ginseng?! Maybe I'll had to the bio lab, tweak the DNA a bit, and turn it into a cash crop

longbow,

Good point.

It is cultivated in many places but the cultivated Ginseng is not as prefered or valuable by far.

 

[CSG]

Lots of good choices so far but some of them really are labor oriented jobs. I studied to be a park ranger or something similar when I was in college (my degree is in Rec and Park Management with a specialty in Environmental Interpretation). I realized in my last semester I could never actually do that for a career as I don't like taking orders and the pay stunk.

If that's not a problem, being a ranger of some sort is a pretty good gig. Having the ability to work with natural materials as an artist or craftsman and actually selling enough to make a living would be cool. Personally, I ended up chasing money so I could have the resources and, ultimately, the time to pursue my interests. I made the outdoors my recreation, not vocation.

 

[Eyegor]

Many of these possibilities are appealing and the post about people who live out in the bush having multiple income streams is definitely on target. A competitive field but one that I long for is some form of natural resources law enforcement. Conservation Officer, Game Warden, etc.

 

[mckrob]

There are a million ways to make a living outdoors. Field biologist, camp counselor, lumberjack, geologist, writer, park ranger, trapper, guide, photographer, surveyor, collector, etc. Not all of them will be right for you, depending on your knowledge and your skill set, your physical stamina, your artistic talent, etc.

One thing I have found over the years is that a lot of poeple have an unrealistic "romantic notion" of what it going to be like working in the bush. For the most part it's dirty work. In my profession I've seen lots of people come and go and I deal with having the "new guys" on the crews all of the time. You can pretty much tell who is going to make it and who is not within a couple of days. Normally it isn't the work per se that "breaks" someone, but the long periods of isolation and lonliness; four or five months with little or no outside contact can "break" even the toughest guy. I've seen grown men curled up in a ball in their cot crying and screaming and wanting to go home after only a few weeks. It's not for everyone that's for sure

 

[DeadeyeLefty]

For the most part it's dirty work.

:thumbup::thumbup:
The comment about new guys is on the mark. The ones that concerned me most were the ones that turned sullen and quiet...

I'm starting a 2 year surveying program in the fall. It's a great time to be getting into a different career at the moment because there are so many vacancies coming up just from attrition alone. I figure I'll work in the resource industry (probably logging as that's where my background is strongest and I've still got some connections) until it's time to retire, then move 'into town' and hang up a shingle.

The survey field has a lot of specialization options and it's one of those occupations that isn't widely known. It's reputation based, and administered through professional (peer) associations. The guys you see in visi-vests on the highway are only a small part of the story. Check it out!

 

[Midwest Ninja]

One thing I have found over the years is that a lot of poeple have an unrealistic "romantic notion" of what it going to be like working in the bush. For the most part it's dirty work. In my profession I've seen lots of people come and go and I deal with having the "new guys" on the crews all of the time. You can pretty much tell who is going to make it and who is not within a couple of days. Normally it isn't the work per se that "breaks" someone, but the long periods of isolation and lonliness; four or five months with little or no outside contact can "break" even the toughest guy. I've seen grown men curled up in a ball in their cot crying and screaming and wanting to go home after only a few weeks. It's not for everyone that's for sure

This sounds very interesting...how much training in the field itself do you need? Like a lot of people, I'd like to travel when I'm done with my education, and if I could get involved in something like this I could do it without deepening my debt.:thumbup:

 

[Progunner]

Many of these possibilities are appealing and the post about people who live out in the bush having multiple income streams is definitely on target. A competitive field but one that I long for is some form of natural resources law enforcement. Conservation Officer, Game Warden, etc.

Just be sure that you are ready to be shot at. One aspect of conservation law enforcement some folks don't think about is the moral dilemma you might face. You're going to be paid to enforce laws, but some of those laws are going to put you at odds with folks who have little to loose. I am thinking of an area in west central IL where this is common. The people who live in the area are poor, not just food stamp poor but they have to hunt and forage for food type poor. They invariable will take game outside of the season. By statute they are criminals and your duty will be to arrest them. As a human being, you may feel a bit of compassion for them and their situation, but they have little to lose and will likely see you as a threat to their family's survival. I don't have any statistics, but I am sure that some conservation guys have come up missing over the years and no one ever heard from them again. If you live an work in an even more remote area than the place I am thinking of, you can see how it isn't going to be like any other LE job. Much of the time you can bet who ever you are coming across has a gun too. I have a good deal of respect for Conservation LEOs.

 

[mckrob]

This sounds very interesting...how much training in the field itself do you need? Like a lot of people, I'd like to travel when I'm done with my education, and if I could get involved in something like this I could do it without deepening my debt.:thumbup:

The geophysical technician, "fieldie", or "operator" can come from a very diverse background. Some of the best guys I have recruited from this programme at Sir Sandford Fleming College. Many have no formal schooling but are mechanically and technically inclined, don't mind a hard day's work, like to travel, and really have a love for the outdoors. I quite often find that good old farm boys fit the bill as they generally possess all of these traits. The work can be quite demanding, and usually involves being away from home for extended periods of time in isolation, quite often fly-in camps. Simplified, the work involves carrying some sort of geophysical instrument and taking readings on geophysical grids at regular intervals. The new recruit must enjoy hiking as one can usually count on hiking anywhere from 10 to 25km per day through the woods, tundra, swamp, jungle, desert, or snow; 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, quite often for months at a time.


A geophysicist runs the projects and supervises the operators to ensure that the survey stays on track and that the data is high quality. This job requires a university degree.


As there is nothing to spend your money on, it can be a great way to save money (I was able to pay my way through university without having any student debt when I was finished), and it's a great way to stay in shape!


a magnetometer survey in Alaska:

 

[Midwest Ninja]

Sounds like a ton of fun! I know I'm in good shape now, although I'd definitely do some conditioning before I left. Everything fits, at least for the hypothetical stage I'm in-Where would a man go to find out more? Geology department at school? How did you get your start?

 

[x39]

The people who live in the area are poor, not just food stamp poor but they have to hunt and forage for food type poor.

I live in the poorest county in Maine, which (last time I saw the stats) is the fourth poorest state in the nation. There is a fair amount of poaching that goes on, most of it is done out of spite or drunken impulse rather than need. With the social programs in place in the US today, hunger is not an excuse for poaching. BTW, I'm friends with several game wardens, and I don't know any who have been shot at, at least not by poachers.
More on topic, there are a lot of nice opportunities in guiding other than just hunting, such as fishing and eco-tourism (eg; kayaking, canoeing).

 

[Progunner]

I live in the poorest county in Maine, which (last time I saw the stats) is the fourth poorest state in the nation. There is a fair amount of poaching that goes on, most of it is done out of spite or drunken impulse rather than need. With the social programs in place in the US today, hunger is not an excuse for poaching. BTW, I'm friends with several game wardens, and I don't know any who have been shot at, at least not by poachers.
More on topic, there are a lot of nice opportunities in guiding other than just hunting, such as fishing and eco-tourism (eg; kayaking, canoeing).

I am glad none of your friends have been shot at. I am not saying it occurs every day here, just that it has been known to happen. My main point was considering the aspect of the moral dilemma some face with poaching that is not done out of spite or drunkenness and emphasizing that it is different from other LEO occupations where you can almost bet your are dealing with someone armed. I encourage folks to take up that job if they find it suits them.

 

[eastr77]

it happen here in INDIANA there are pepole as progunner said hunt to live. here if you can prove you need the food they will let it go but the hillbilly farmers sorry for that slanderis term beleive they are aloud to shoot you if your on there land.

 

[Mulder]

The geophysical technician, "fieldie", or "operator" can come from a very diverse background. Some of the best guys I have recruited from this programme at Sir Sandford Fleming College. Many have no formal schooling but are mechanically and technically inclined, don't mind a hard day's work, like to travel, and really have a love for the outdoors. I quite often find that good old farm boys fit the bill as they generally possess all of these traits. The work can be quite demanding, and usually involves being away from home for extended periods of time in isolation, quite often fly-in camps. Simplified, the work involves carrying some sort of geophysical instrument and taking readings on geophysical grids at regular intervals. The new recruit must enjoy hiking as one can usually count on hiking anywhere from 10 to 25km per day through the woods, tundra, swamp, jungle, desert, or snow; 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, quite often for months at a time.


A geophysicist runs the projects and supervises the operators to ensure that the survey stays on track and that the data is high quality. This job requires a university degree.


As there is nothing to spend your money on, it can be a great way to save money (I was able to pay my way through university without having any student debt when I was finished), and it's a great way to stay in shape!


a magnetometer survey in Alaska:

mckrob,

Your pics :thumbup: make me want to switch careers.

piglet

 

[mckrob]

Sounds like a ton of fun! I know I'm in good shape now, although I'd definitely do some conditioning before I left. Everything fits, at least for the hypothetical stage I'm in-Where would a man go to find out more? Geology department at school? How did you get your start?

The geoscience department is a good place to start and get some info. Quite often companies will recruit geoscience students right out of school for both full time work (graduates), and for seasonal summer students (grads/undergrads), especially now as this sector is booming. Jobs will more than likely be reserved for students/graduates studying in this field though, so you may be out of luck if you are not studying geoscience.

Geology work is a bit more seasonal than geophysics and usually done in the months without snow. Geophysics can be done year-round and quite often winter is the prefered time to work as it is much easier to get around and lakes are frozen so they can be surveyed as well. For geophysical work, you are best to contact geophysical contracting companies that are hired by exploration companies to perform the survey work. If you PM/email me your location I can probably send you the name of a couple of the larger contractors in your area. What have you been studying by the way?

I got my start this way as a summer student working for the Ontario Geological Survey, I did this for three summers as a student then after graduation I started working in the private sector for the exploration department of a large mining company, I then worked several years for geophysical contracting companies, and now I work as an independant consultant. As you can probably tell I love my job. For the past year I have been more or less desk-bound with my current contract, but that should be changing soon and I'll be back in the field where I belong (at least being desk-bound has allowed me to spend some time on Blade Forums, oh, and time with my wife too!).

 

[x39]

I am glad none of your friends have been shot at. I am not saying it occurs every day here, just that it has been known to happen. My main point was considering the aspect of the moral dilemma some face with poaching that is not done out of spite or drunkenness and emphasizing that it is different from other LEO occupations where you can almost bet your are dealing with someone armed. I encourage folks to take up that job if they find it suits them.

When I lived in Minnesota back in the seventies I remember hearing a story about a warden aircraft that went down killing two men. It was later found to have a single rifle bullet in the engine, so yes, it can happen, but I think it is quite rare. I've discussed the moral and ethical aspects of poaching and busting poachers with my warden friends at some length, as I am very involved with the Maine hunter safety program. To a man they stated that if they knew of a case where there were real need, they would do everything in their power to see to it that the family got food in a legal manner, including giving them game meat that had been confiscated from poachers. None of them accepted need as a legitimate reason to poach however. All of them would prosecute any poacher they encountered regardless of the excuse offered, the one exception being an immediate emergency such as a wilderness survival scenario. The law enforcement role of the warden service has expanded greatly in the past twenty years or so, adding significantly to the complexity of the job. One such area is drug enforcement, which poses some very real risks. It's definitely not for everyone.

 

[lmalterna]

As X39 just mentioned- one very high risk for wardens is stumbling on hidden cash crops or hidden meth labs. Just as with traffic stops- ordinary to extraodinary is 30 seconds or less...

2Door

 

[Midwest Ninja]

Jobs will more than likely be reserved for students/graduates studying in this field though, so you may be out of luck if you are not studying geoscience.

Geology work is a bit more seasonal than geophysics and usually done in the months without snow. Geophysics can be done year-round and quite often winter is the prefered time to work as it is much easier to get around and lakes are frozen so they can be surveyed as well. For geophysical work, you are best to contact geophysical contracting companies that are hired by exploration companies to perform the survey work. If you PM/email me your location I can probably send you the name of a couple of the larger contractors in your area. What have you been studying by the way?

Thanks for all the info! :thumbup: Unfortunately, I am not studying any sort of "earth science", nor do I want to. My main goal with going on one of these expeditions would be to get "away" and add to my outdoor experience without putting myself further in debt. The actual data gathering is secondary, although I would glady learn how to perform any tasks that would be required of me, and do them to the best of my ability. My understanding is that there are teams who gather the data in the field, but the conclusions drawn from said data come from analysis by a professional like yourself with the requisite degrees. Correct me if I'm wrong.:thumbup::thumbdn: