COWCH Questions

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Use these questions for guidance. The subject does not have to answer all of them.

Personal Information

• What is your birth place and date?
• What are your parents' names?
• Where did you grow up?

Education

• What university did you attend? When? What is your degree? When and where did you get your master's degree? When and where did you get your PhD?
• How did you decide to pursue a career in wildlife management/conservation?
• What hobbies, books, or events influenced your career choice? Did you hunt or fish?
• Who were some of your mentors? How did they influence you?
• What aspect of your formal education was the most useful in your career?

Military Service

• In what branch of the armed services did you serve?
• What years did you serve? What was your duty?
• Did you serve oversees? Did you earn any decorations?
• Did military service relate in any way to your wildlife professional career?

Family

• Tell us about your spouse. When/how did you meet? When did you marry?
• Do you have any children? If yes, how many?
• Did any member of the family pursue a wildlife-related profession?
• How did your career affect your family?

Career/Professional Experience

• How did you get your first job? Describe your first professional position-state, federal, other? Where did you go from there?
• What were the pay and benefits like? Were there promotion opportunities?
• Briefly describe the wildlife profession of the day and the changes you observed over time.
• What would be your best (professional) advice for a young conservationist today?
• What were the most useful tools or instruments you used over the course of your career?
• What is the most interesting project you were involved in?
• What was the most pressing issue you had to deal with? How was that issued resolved? Has your perspective or opinion on that issue changed with time?
• What do you think was the most difficult thing you had to over come in your career?
• What was the high point of your career? What was the low point of your career?
• What was your most dangerous or frightening experience? What was your most humorous experience?
• What would you consider your three most significant contributions to the field?

Reflections on the Profession

• Who are three people you believe are the most influential in developing the field of wildlife management? Why?
• What do you think makes a great wildlife manager? Name three skills that a good wildlife professional should have.
• Why become a wildlife professional today?
• How did your membership in The Wildlife Society help your career?
• What are your thoughts on the future of the profession?
• Is there anything else you’d like to tell others about your career?