In 2021, Tall Timbers launched a new service to help address a growing shortfall in qualified candidates for jobs on wild quail hunting properties. The Quail Lands Job Board has now grown into a popular site for employers and job seekers. As the service approaches its five-year birthday this fall, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on its origins and review performance data.
Job Board origin
“It’s really part of a larger look at the workforce development needs for the land management, hunting, and hospitality jobs that keep these large private quail lands running,” explained Clay Sisson, Director of Tall Timbers’ Albany Quail Project, in 2021, outlining his idea for a job board dedicated to wild quail properties. “Landowners and managers have recognized the need to treat this as an industry. The job board is just one part that Tall Timbers was in a position to set up and help out.”
In addition to making job opportunities more visible and centrally accessible to job seekers, the job board collects data on the types of jobs offered and the qualifications. This data is periodically shared with technical colleges as they evaluate and update their programs to ensure students are ready for available jobs. Southern Regional Technical College, Albany Tech, and Ogeechee Technical College have all participated in efforts to address workforce development needs and have helped promote the job board to their students.
Providing a dedicated location for these unique job openings helps attract qualified candidates and further highlights the economic opportunities created by wild quail hunting. Past economic studies by Tall Timbers show that quail lands in the Albany and Red Hills regions alone generate more than $377 million in economic impact, including 2,000 direct jobs.
The Job Board posting service is available to properties managed for wild quail throughout the Southeast. To post a job, simply use the “Post a Job” button to complete a short form, which is sent to Tall Timbers staff for review and posting. The “Close a Job” button removes a job from the board and includes a few short questions to help us evaluate the service. No passwords or account numbers are needed.
Performance over the past five years
The Quail Lands Job Board has become a reliable source for job seekers to scout new opportunities. Page views grew over the first two years and now average about 2,500 per month.
Since the Job Board opened, we have posted 311 jobs, with a distinct seasonal pattern in posting activity. The third quarter (July-September) consistently sees the highest volume of listings as property managers fill openings before quail hunting season starts in the fall. As you might expect, hiring is lowest in the first and fourth quarters, when properties are busy hosting guests and hunts. There is a smaller bump of activity in the second quarter, when quail season is over, and properties focus on prescribed fire and other land management tasks.
Land management technician-type jobs accounted for almost half of the job postings, reflecting the skilled labor required to run these world-class hunting properties. Management-level positions, including property managers and assistant managers, accounted for almost 20% of postings. These high-level roles oversee staff, operations, budgets, and wildlife management strategies. The remaining 30% of postings were a mix of positions related to hospitality and running a hunting property. These included dog training, landscaping, housekeeping, handyman, and cooks or chefs.
70% of employers who submitted job closing requests reported that their open position was successfully filled and that the Job Board was helpful in doing so. Around 12% reported their position was not filled, but the Job Board was still helpful in their search for candidates. The remaining 18% indicated their job was filled, but didn’t believe the Job Board contributed to the hire.
Overall, the Job Board appears to be a useful tool that connects job seekers with unique employment opportunities on wild quail hunting properties. In addition to the high page views we can see on the website, employers report an average of 7.8 applicants (median: 6) per job posting, with some receiving 20 to 30 applicants. This appears to be a strong response rate for such a niche industry.
Continued use and support
Tall Timbers intends to continue supporting the Quail Lands Job Board, and we are making improvements to the system to help shorten the time it takes for job posting requests to appear on the website. We look forward to future workforce development efforts with our partners in education, as well as promoting the board to those interested in land management, hunting, or hospitality jobs.
If you are a landowner or land manager, please consider using the Job Board to attract applicants for your next job opening. Demonstrating the quality job opportunities available in this field helps attract the next generation of employees to support wild quail hunting properties and the economic and conservation benefits that flow from them.
If you have questions about the Job Board, please contact us at Jobs@TallTimbers.org.
