Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

The Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Department expands the frontiers of knowledge through our broad-based expertise in applied ecology, quantitative methods, and human dimensions in the conservation and management of fish and wildlife.

We teach students to think critically about environmental issues, and become ecologically literate citizens with the training to be successful in graduate school and in careers with natural resources agencies, firms, and non-government organizations.

Our outreach efforts contribute significantly to life-long learning by assisting individuals and agencies to solve complex environmental problems and to be good stewards of our nation’s natural resources.

This position will assist a graduate student in studying the transmission dynamics of various diseases in both mule deer and whitetail deer in northern Colorado. The individual will assist in capturing deer via clover traps, drop nets, and darting. The individual will be responsible for the collection and processing of biological samples, ear tags, collar placement, and other aspects of capture workups. This study has a large recapture component; thus, the individual must have extensive experience locating and darting collared deer.

The individual will also be responsible for other tasks, including landowner relations, trap and equipment maintenance, supplies management, volunteer coordination and supervision, mortality investigation/collar retrieval. The individual will be organized, meticulous, and confident working alone and in groups.

Work hours can be irregular and vary by season. During winter and early spring, the individual will be responsible for checking traps for deer in the morning daily. The individual will also dart and drop net deer depending on trap success and deer movement. In late spring and summer, trapping will discontinue due to heat exhaustion for deer, and does will not be captured due to fawning. Thus, the individual will focus on capturing and recapturing bucks in early mornings and cool evenings. Summer will be slowest and capture efforts will be lowest and mortalities likely highest. During this period, the individual will spend more time on trap maintenance, gaining access to new properties, planning for next captures, mortalities, and other tasks. There may be a chance to assist other grad students with other projects. In fall, the individual will focus again on capturing and recapturing both bucks and does. The individual will not work more than an average of 40 hours/week, although workloads will be higher in winter and lower in the summer.

Trap and work up deer

Mortality Investigation/Collar retrieval

Process samples

Work with landowners
Equipment maintenance

Assist grad students with miscellaneous tasks

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.
References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.