Seasonal Animal Packer

Seasonal Animal Packer

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Estes Park, Colorado, Grand Lake, Colorado, Saint Mary, Montana, West Glacier, Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, Moose, Wyoming

Salary Range: $26.94 - $36.52 Per Hour

Job Summary: These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can be vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April-May 2026. For more park(s) information, please visit find a park.

Major Duties:

• Assembles and packages all types of cargo in neat, correct and compact arrangements and manties in a tight package that can be handled, carefully balanced, and packed aboard horses and mules. Packs a wide variety of cargo such as tandem packing lumber (up to 16' lengths), doors, bridge decking, culverts, cook stoves, refrigerators, furniture, boat motors, wheel barrows, bed springs and frames, electronic equipment, prefabricated pit toilets, roofing, explosives, hay and any other type of supplies and materials. Loads and hitches packed supplies and equipment onto pack animals, balances and adjusts side packs and insures that pack saddles and varied or modified packs are not rubbing or otherwise in a position to cause injury to the pack stock or the cargo. Provides professional grade care and handling of stock which includes grooming, shoeing, feeding, watering and caring for the medical needs such as administering shots and medication. Maintains and repairs packing equipment such as ropes, halters, pack and riding saddles, cargo boxes, mantas, harnesses, leads, pigtails, slings and cargo ropes. Splices and weaves new rope accessories, sews various leather materials, etc., needed in packing assignments. Leads strings of 6 to 9 pack animals, plus a lead horse, over the best self-chosen routes in rugged mountainous terrain, over rain or snow melt, swollen creeks and rivers, across snow pack areas up and down series of switchbacks, etc., to reach destinations without injury to self, pack stock or cargo. Hauls personnel, animals, equipment and materials to and from trail heads. When not actively engaged in packing operations, may be assigned as a working member of a trail crew performing various trail maintenance functions including but not limited to: sawing out downed trees, miscellaneous shoveling, trail grubbing, pasture fencing, and hiking. Physical Effort: These positions are required to lift and move large heavy loads over 100 pounds on a regular basis. Awkward items such as rock drills, wood stoves, concrete bags, etc. must be placed onto mules and carried to remote work sites. Incumbent must walk, bend and ride on horseback for long hours. Required to lift, carry and secure awkward loads up to 100lbs. onto the sides of animals at or above chest height and use arms to hold packs in position while hitching ropes. Incumbent must be able to adjust these loads along the trail in steep, rocky or other poor footing situations. While preparing loads, incumbent is constantly required to bend, squat, twist, lift and carry loads onto trucks for transport. Position requires that the incumbent have good physical stamina and strength in arms, back and legs to perform these required tasks safely and efficiently. Position also requires ability to walk up to 20 miles per day while carrying loads or leading multiple heads of stock. Working Conditions: These positions may work up to altitudes up to 10,000 feet in elevation, in all extremes of weather from wind, rain, snow and extreme cold, to hot, dry and dusty. Temperatures range from -40F to 95F sudden, violent changes. There is danger of cuts, burns and hypothermia; danger of strained or pulled muscles due to the movement of animals while hitching or loading, shoeing, etc.; danger from animals crushing, striking, or biting. Incumbent may work with chainsaws and rock drills in dusty areas where visibility and breathing are compromised. Incumbent may spend multiple nights in the backcountry camping with park stock in remote, cold environments.

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors: ABILITY TO DO THE WORK OF THE POSITION WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION (SCREEN OUT) Applicants must show in their application package that they have experience with all of the following: packing stock animals for backcountry use under a leader or some supervision; handling and caring for horses and mules; safe and proper use of basic materials and equipment of the packing/trails trade with some assistance; and preparing, loading, and packing basic cargo over backcountry trails for long trips (greater than 10 miles). If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

How to Apply: To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/16/2025. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12832144 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-16