Jason Jones, Wildlife Biologist
Asst. Manager, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area
Photo by Charles Uibel
I became an outdoors lover at a young age. When I was ten years old I went on a backpacking trip to
the Uinta Mountains with my best friend and his dad. Backpacking, hiking, and fishing became a serious hobby
of mine and still is to this day. This love for the outdoors led me to a career in wildlife management. I graduated
from Weber State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology.
My first real job in wildlife management was with the USGS in the summer of 2003. We spent the summer traveling around
the western U.S. surveying songbirds and living in tents. After my summer with the USGS, I took a seasonal job with
the Utah Division of Wildlife on the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem project (GSLEP). While with the GSLEP I worked on
brine shrimp surveys, shorebird surveys, and waterfowl surveys. I am currently the assistant manager of Farmington Bay
Waterfowl Management Area (FBWMA). I enjoy working hard and working at FBWMA provides that opportunity.
I am also lucky to have co-workers I respect and enjoy being around. At FBWMA, we spend significant time
and effort managing water and habitat for the benefit of waterfowl and other birds. I feel a great deal of satisfaction
when I can see that waterfowl have benefited from our efforts. I am responsible for the census data taken at FBWMA,
and also complete census duties in a fixed wing aircraft around the Wasatch front and other areas of the state.
I enjoy being able to put my skill at bird identification to good use and feel extremely lucky
to be included in waterfowl census flights.
We also put a great deal of effort into banding various waterfowl species. I love capturing and handling
live birds and banding birds always reminds me of why I wanted to work in wildlife management. At FBWMA
we spend a great deal of time preparing for and managing the public waterfowl hunt.
I enjoy working with waterfowl hunters and other groups that enjoy FBWMA.
