For a more complete history of the Wyoming wildlife law enforcement and management please read Neil Blair’s “The History of Wildlife Management in Wyoming”, 1985, WGFD.
1869 – 1st Wyoming Territorial Legislature passed a bill offering some protection and regulated the sale of fish and game, but set no limits.
1885 – 1st state fish hatchery built.
1899 – Albert Nelson named the first state game warden and served three years. Salary was set at $1,200/year from which he had to pay $3/day to deputy state game wardens.
1901 – D.C. Nowlin named second state game warden.
1903 – Hunting licensing system enacted.
1911 – State Game Commission established.
1921 – State Game & Fish Commission established.
1929 – Game and Fish Fund established and controlled by Commission. Commission given the authority to open and close seasons.
1937 – Game Wardens required to pass oral and written exams as hiring requirement. Game Warden housing established. Commission given more authority and autonomy.
1941 – Enforcement uniform officially adopted by Commission, which was a western style hat, boots and shirt with the antelope insignia designed by Ten Sleep Game Warden Archie Pendergraft on the left sleeve.
1947 – Commission approved rust colored shirt, black fore-in-hand necktie, Eisenhower jacket and Guy Weadick western hat for the dress uniform.
1949 – Game Wardens allowed to retire at 65 with a state retirement.
1952 – There were 31 Game Wardens employed.
1964 – Commission required B.S. degrees in game, range or natural resource management for Game Warden hiring requirement.
1965 – There were 44 Game Wardens employed.
1973 – Wyoming Game Wardens Association formed. Recodification of Game & Fish laws.
1974 – Biologists lost enforcement authority and all wildlife enforcement done by Game Wardens.
1975 – Game Wardens issued .357 magnum revolvers. New Game Wardens required to complete basic law enforcement training at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas.
1980 – Wyoming Wildlife Protectors Association formed and a toll free phone number to report wildlife poaching was in operation.
2008 – There were 50 Game Wardens employed.
2013 – The Wyoming Game Warden Association turns 40!
2014 – There are 60 Game Wardens employed.
WYOMING STATE GAME WARDENS
Since the beginning, the State Game Warden has been in charge of wildlife management and enforcement in the State of Wyoming. Over time the position name has changed, but duties have remained essentially the same.
1899-1901 – Albert Nelson
1901-1910 – D.C. Nowlin
1911-1913 – D.F. Hudson
1914 – W.H. Seebohm
1915-1918 – Nate Wilson
1919-1920 – William Judkins
1921-1922 – Bruce Nowlin
1923-1924 – Frank Smith
1925-1926 – A.A. Sanders
1927-1930 – Bruce Nowlin
1931-1934 – Robert Hocker
1935-1936 – Andrew Martin
1937 – A.J. Martin
1938-1942 – Lester Bagley
1943-1944 – Jim Simpson
1945 – R.R. Rousseau
1946-1947 – Archie Pendergraft
1948-1952 – Charles Hanscum
1953-1958 – Norbert Faass
1958 – Fielding Peterson
1958-1963 – James White
1964-1965 – Earl Thomas
1966-1972 – Howard Robinson
1972-1989 – Rex Corsi
1989-2011 – Jay Lawson
2011-2019 – Brian Nesvik
2019-present – Rick King
WYOMING GAME WARDENS ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
The Association was formed in 1973 and in a tribute to the officers elected to lead the association and who kept the association an active participant in Wyoming wildlife law enforcement and worked for benefits for association members, we thank their efforts and dedication.
1973-1974
PRES Max Long
VP Dave Bragonier
S/T George Carson
1975-1976
PRES Chuck Ward
VP Duane Hyde
S/T Dennis Smith
1977-1978
PRES Terry Cleveland
VP Kay Bowles
S/T Gary Brown
1979-1980
PRES Ray Arzy
VP Chuck Thornton
S/T Chuck Repsis
1981-1982
PRES Chuck Oakley
VP Ernie Wampler
S/T Doug Crawford
1983-1984
PRES Chuck Repsis
VP Tim Britt
S/T Terry Cram
1985-1986
PRES Dave Avey
VP Jay Lawson
S/T Tom Varcalli
1987-1988
PRES Bill Haley
VP Rick Pallister
S/T John Demaree
1989-1990
PRES Rick Pallister
VP Lin Bashford
S/T John Demaree
1991-1992
PRES Bernie Holz
VP Jerry Longobardi
S/T John Demaree
1993-1994
PRES Dave Hays
VP Tim Fagan
S/T John Demaree
1995-1996
PRES Tim Fagan
VP Joe Gilbert
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
1997-1998
PRES Joe Gilbert
VP Scott Norelius
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
1999-2000
PRES Scott Norelius
VP Ron Iversen
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2001-2002
PRES Ron Iversen
VP Alan Osterland
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2003-2004
PRES Roger Bredehoft
VP Todd Graham
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2005-2006
PRES Todd Graham
VP Mark Nelson
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2007-2008
PRES Mark Nelson
VP Brian Nesvik
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2009-2010
PRES Brian Nesvik
VP Craig Smith
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2011-2012
PRES Craig Smith
VP Irah Leonetti
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2013-2014
PRES Irah Leonetti
VP Bill Robertson
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2015-2016
PRES Bill Robertson
VP Kelly Todd
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2017-2018
PRES Kelly Todd
VP Daniel Beach
SEC David Ellsworth
TREAS John Demaree
2019-2020
PRES Daniel Beach
VP Teal Cufaude
SEC David Ellsworth
TREAS John Demaree
2021-2022
PRES Teal Cufaude
VP Kim Olson
SEC Kristen DaVanon
TREAS D.K.
1974-1975
PRES Dave Bragonier
VP Ernie Wampler
S/T Terry Cleveland
1976-1977
PRES Duane Hyde
VP Bob Sexton
S/T Tom Toman
1978-1979
PRES Jim Oudin
VP Ray Arzy
S/T Gary Shorma/Tim Britt
1980-1981
PRES Chuck Thornton
VP Chuck Oakley
S/T Dennis Almquist
1982-1983
PRES Chuck Repsis
VP Tim Britt
S/T Terry Cram
1984-1985
PRES Dave Avey
VP Jay Lawson
S/T Tom Varcalli
1986-1987
PRES John Talbott/Bill Haley
VP Bill Haley/John Demaree
S/T Bob Trebelcock/John Demaree
1988-1989
PRES Rick Pallister
VP Lin Bashford
S/T John Demaree
1990-1991
PRES Kent Schmidlin/Bernie Holz
VP Bernie Holz/Jerry Longobardi
S/T John Demaree
1992-1993
PRES Dave Hays
VP Tim Fagan
S/T John Demaree
1994-1995
PRES Tim Fagan
VP Joe Gilbert
S/T John Demaree
1996-1997
PRES Joe Gilbert
VP Scott Norelius
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
1998-1999
PRES Scott Norelius
VP Ron Iversen
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2000-2001
PRES Ron Iversen
VP Alan Osterland
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2002-2003
PRES Roger Bredehoft
VP Todd Graham
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2004-2005
PRES Todd Graham
VP Mark Nelson
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2006-2007
PRES Mark Nelson
VP Brian Nesvik
S/T Tim Fuchs
TREAS John Demaree
2008-2009
PRES Brian Nesvik
VP Craig Smith
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2010-2011
PRES Craig Smith
VP Rick King
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2012-2013
PRES Irah Leonetti
VP Bill Robertson
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2014-2015
PRES Bill Robertson
VP Kelly Todd
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2016-2017
PRES Kelly Todd
VP Daniel Beach
S/T Jason Sherwood
TREAS John Demaree
2018-2019
PRES Daniel Beach
VP Teal Cufaude
SEC David Ellsworth
TREAS John Demaree
2020-2021
PRES Teal Cufaude
VP Bill Brinegar
SEC Kristen DaVanon
TREAS John Demaree
2022-2023
PRES Kim Olson
VP Dustin Shorma
SEC Kristen DaVanon
TREAS D.K.
Wyoming Game Warden Badges Through the Years - 1899-Present
Original Badges
Early Badges
Early Badge
1940s Badge
1990 Centennial Badge
1920s Badge
1960s Badge
Current Badge
Photos from the Past
1950s Group Photo
1950s Game Warden
Planting fish around Buffalo.
Field Uniform
Sid Clark, Laramie Game Warden
Chuck Ward, Casper Game Warden
Bob Brown, Wheatland Game Warden
1967 G&F Truck
Darwin Creek, Pinedale
Game Warden
1961 G&F Divers
Don Larson, Jackson
Damage Control Warden
Ernie Wampler, Jackson Enforcement Specialist
Bird Stocking – 1961
Les Donahue, Newcastle
Game Warden;
Russ Pollard,
Douglas Enforcement Specialist
Pet Muchmore, Medicine
Bow Game Warden
Tom Toman, Torrington Game Warden (right)
Laramie Peak Bighorn Sheep Transplants 1969
1988 WGFD Confiscation Sale, Tim Britt Auctioneer
1950s Turkey Transplants
Bob Brown, Wheatland Game Warden
Early Antelope Census
Jim Arnoldi, Green River Supervisor (center), and Jim June, Green River Biologist (right)
John Aeschbach, Dayton Game Warden
Les Donahue, Newcastle Game Warden and Scott Norelius, Casper Damage Control Warden (right)
1972 Emergency Feeding Operation in Little Sandy near Farson
1972 Emergency Feeding Operation in Little Sandy near Farson
1972 Emergency Feeding Operation in Little Sandy near Farson
Beaver Trapping and Relocation in the 1950s
Early Elk Trapping and Transplanting
Early Elk Trapping and Transplanting
Dress Uniforms
Circa 1960s
Bill Dooley, Meeteetsee Game Warden
Ivan Bartels checking a Hunter
Dave Bragonier, Cody Game Warden
Bob Sexton, Laramie Enforcement Specialist
Doyle Thompson, Saratoga Game Warden
Fred Yeaman, Casper Supervisor (left)
John Hyde, Game Warden Trainee;
Jim Johnston, Sundance Game Warden;
Sid Clark, Moorcroft Game Warden
Paul Breed, Sheridan Game Warden
Ray Arzy, Kemmerer Game Warden
Tom Ward, Evanston Game Warden
Deer Trapping in the Beaver Hills, 1963, Terry Cleveland (left)
1988 Game Warden Aptitude Testing
Bob Ferguson, Medicine Bow & Cokeville Game Warden
Dubois Checkstation 1969
Harold Odde, Lander Damage Control Warden
Jim Oudin, Cody Wildlife Investigator
Kay Bowles, Dubois Game Warden (left), Darwin Creek, Jackson Supervisor
Scott Norelius, Sundance Game Warden
Game Wardens Gary Shorma, Jim Johnston, Walt Bond
1972 Emergency Feeding Operation in Little Sandy near Farson