JACKSON, Wyo. — Living amongst wildlife in Jackson Hole is a fact of life here and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has long been a source of information and education for the public about coexistence.
At the forefront of this effort for nearly 30 years has been Mark Gocke, Jackson-Pinedale Regional Information and Education Specialist.
At the end of March, WGFD announced Gocke retired after 33 years at the agency.
For the first four years of his career, Gocke worked as a habitat extension biologist, improving wildlife habitat primarily on private land. In 1995 he stepped into the information and education position, in which he served the Jackson-Pinedale region for 29 years.
As an avid photographer, Gocke highlighted the state’s fish and wildlife resources and covered WGFD activities. He won several awards from the Association of Conservation Information and the Wyoming Press Association for his photography and writing.
At Buckrail, Gocke has long been the go-to source for all things wildlife news in the valley. Never quick to speculate, Gocke funneled the facts and educational tips on wildlife management issues including, elk feedgrounds, grizzly bears, moose, wolves, bighorn sheep and fisheries.
To celebrate his retirement, Buckrail collected the top quotes, articles and wildlife news moments Gocke contributed to.
A champion of wildlife
When news breaks about bears in residential areas, Gocke is usually one of the first calls Buckrail makes. Grizzly 399 and her four cubs made headlines in the summer and fall of 2021 when they moved south out of Grand Teton National Park and were spotted in residential areas near Jackson. Gocke urged the public to secure bear attractants like garbage, grills, compost, livestock feed and pet food.
“From now through the fall we are going to see an increase in bear activity. These aren’t the only bears cruising the Snake River corridor,” Gocke said in August 2021 when the bears were first spotted outside GTNP.
“It’s really important that these bears do not receive any food,” he said.
He candidly shared how hard decisions are made by the Department, especially surrounding euthanizing problem bears.
“It makes news when a bear is put down and that’s all people hear; there’s more to the story and so much work we do to prevent that,” Gocke said in 2022, following the euthanization of Grizzly 1057, one of Grizzly 399’s cubs from her famous four-cub litter. There were 13 documented conflicts within two months.
“Putting down a bear or any animal is not a decision we take lightly and it is always going to be the last resort for us,” Gocke said.
He also shared information about what motorists should do in the event of a wildlife-vehicle collision. When collisions did make headlines, Gocke said what most people might be thinking. After four moose calves were hit by cars in a single month in 2021, and a black bear was hit on Teton Pass, Gocke spoke with Buckrail.
“This is really a kind of frustrating and sad reminder that we need to slow down and watch for these animals particularly at night and in the early morning,” Gocke said, adding, “We live in a place with abundant wildlife. With that comes the responsibility of trying to coexist and being mindful when we are driving.”
Gocke worked to educate the community about living in large carnivore country, hosting free seminars geared toward backcountry users and homeowners; providing people with practical information about how to prevent wildlife conflicts and what to do during a wildlife encounter.
Rare occurrences
In February 2020, a mountain lion and her five cubs were caught on a front door camera, strolling through a Jackson neighborhood. Gocke offered valuable insight into their presence and the unique aspects of this litter.
Five kittens in one litter is “very rare,” Gocke said at the time and explained that it’s not unheard of, but a “neat occurrence.”
“I suspect we’ve had lions in residential areas for a long time,” he said. “We just haven’t always had cameras to capture them.”
In 2019, Gocke penned an article for Buckrail about a shift in wintering range for the estimated 2,500 elk that traditionally winter in the Gros Ventre drainage. “Most went down drainage to the National Elk Refuge, but others went to the Dubois area to the northeast, the Upper Green to the east, and even the Bondurant area to the south,” Gocke wrote.
According to the WGFD, Gocke and his wife plan to continue living in Jackson and he plans to continue contributing to the Department’s Wyoming Wildlife Magazine through his photography and writing.
Buckrail would like to thank Mark Gocke for always answering our calls over the years and for being a voice for wildlife. Happy retirement Mark!
