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Edition 2026Active Merit Badge
Fish and Wildlife Management
Official Requirements & Fillable Workbook · 2026 Edition
Fish and Wildlife Management explores the science of conserving animal populations and preserving aquatic and terrestrial habitats. You will study state conservation practices and ecological threats, build nest boxes, bird feeders, or wildlife blinds, observe and catalog 25 native species, conduct a fishery survey or set up a native aquarium, and research career paths in wildlife biology and natural resources management.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Ecology & Population Carrying Capacity
- Aquatic Habitat Surveying & Hatcheries
- Game Management & Wildlife Refuges
- Conservation Law & Wildlife Biology Careers
6Printable Pages
8Requirements
2025Reqs Revised
What is on the worksheet: Fish and Wildlife Management Requirements
Every requirement for the Fish and Wildlife Management merit badge, word for word as published, with room to write under each one on the printed worksheet.
1Conservation and Management Purposes
Describe the meaning and purposes of fish and wildlife conservation and management.
2Major Threats to Wildlife
List and discuss at least three major problems that continue to threaten your state's fish and wildlife resources.
3Citizen Conservation Actions
Describe some ways in which everyone can help with fish and wildlife conservation.
4State Management Practices
List and describe five major fish and wildlife management practices used by managers in your state.
5Hands-On Habitat or Observation Project
Do ONE of the following:
- a Construct, erect, and check regularly at least two artificial nest boxes (wood duck, bluebird, squirrel, etc.) and keep written records for one nesting season.
- b Construct, erect, and check regularly bird feeders and keep written records daily over a two-week period of the kinds of birds visiting the feeders.
- c Develop and implement a fishery improvement project or a backyard wildlife habitat improvement project. Share the results with your counselor.
- d Design and construct a wildlife blind near a game trail, water hole, salt lick, bird feeder, or birdbath and take good photographs or make sketches from the blind of any combination of 10 wild birds, mammals, reptiles, or amphibians.
6Species Observation, State Classifications, or Scrapbook
Do ONE of the following:
- a Observe and record 25 species of wildlife. Your list may include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Write down when and where each animal was seen.
- b List the wildlife species in your state that are classified as endangered, threatened, exotic, non-native, game species, furbearers, or migratory game birds. Discuss with your counselor management practices in place or being developed for at least three of these species.
- c Start a scrapbook of North American fish and wildlife. Insert markers to divide the book into separate parts for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Collect articles on such subjects as life histories, habitat, behavior, and feeding habits on all of the five categories and place them in your notebook accordingly. Articles and pictures may be taken from newspapers or science, nature, and outdoor magazines, or from other sources including the internet (with your parent or guardian's permission). Enter at least five articles on mammals, five on birds, five on reptiles, five on amphibians, and five on fish. Put each animal on a separate sheet in alphabetical order. Include pictures whenever possible.
7Fisheries Biology and Aquatic Systems
Do ONE of the following:
- a Determine the age of five species of fish from scale samples or identify various age classes of one species in a lake and report the results.
- b Conduct a creel census on a small lake to estimate catch per unit effort and report the results to your counselor.
- c Examine the stomach contents of three fish and record the findings. It is not necessary to catch any fish for this option.
- d Make a freshwater aquarium. Include at least four species of native plants and four species of animal life, such as whirligig beetles, freshwater shrimp, tadpoles, water snails, and golden shiners. After 60 days of observation, discuss with your counselor the life cycles, food chains, and management needs you have recognized. Before completing this requirement, check local laws on releasing these organisms back into the wild, and follow your counselor's direction in disposing of these organisms humanely and safely.
8Careers
Identify three career opportunities that would use skills and knowledge by fish and wildlife professionals. Pick one and research the training, education, certification requirements, experience, and expenses associated with entering the field. Research the prospects for employment, starting salary, advancement opportunities and career goals associated with this career. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and whether you might be interested in this career.
Two dates, two different things
Requirements Revision vs. Worksheet Date
Scouting America last revised the Fish and Wildlife Management requirements in 2025. That is the badge, not this sheet — an older year does not mean the worksheet is out of date.
Verbatim Fidelity & Verification
This worksheet was checked against https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/fish-wildlife-management/ in Aug 2026 and reproduces the requirements word for word. Both dates are printed on the sheet, so a copy in a binder can always be placed in time.
Requirement text is © Scouting America, reproduced verbatim. The worksheet layout and design are original to this project.
Spotted a discrepancy on this sheet? Tell us and we will re-check it against the official requirements.
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