JACKSON, Wyoming — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has released its 2021 Law Enforcement Report, which covers over half a million (574,171) patrolled miles.
The report details key statistics, operations and accomplishments of game wardens, wildlife investigators and other employees dedicated to protecting one of Wyoming’s greatest natural resources — wildlife. The Jackson region has up to five law enforcement officers, including three district wardens, one regional game warden stationed in Alpine on occasion, and one regional wildlife supervisor. Jackson region law enforcement officers documented 203 violations within the region in 2021.
Although the Jackson region is relatively small, the game wardens in the region stay extremely busy, from fall hunting seasons, fishing enforcement and bear bating, to dealing with winter range/antler collection violations. They respond to many calls from a diverse public with varying wildlife interests.
Game wardens in the Jackson region spent a considerable amount of time on horseback in remote backcountry areas, as well as on boats and kayaks, on the Greys, Salt and Snake rivers. Each year, wardens detect several fishing violations in these remote backcountry areas
They also spent a significant amount of time conducting watercraft enforcement on Jackson Lake, Palisades Reservoir, and the Snake River. Palisades Reservoir is currently the region’s most significant watercraft enforcement workload. The region did not have a permanent game warden since the late 1990s, and the recently appointed warden, Dillon Herman, came as a solution to serve the growing population in the Alpine area.
The Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) elk reduction program, and the elk/wild bison hunting season, on the National Elk Refuge (NER) were a considerable workload for law enforcement in the region. The 2021 year saw a substantial decrease in the elk harvest in GTNP and the NER due to the late onset of snow and cold weather. The bison harvest in the region was also low in 2021 due to mild weather conditions, and all wild bison harvests in 2021 were taken on surrounding United States Forrest Service Lands, (USFL).
Wardens also invested significant time into the shed antler, and horn collection regulation. In 2020 a discrepancy in opening time for winter range use, and antler collection time, caused confusion and frustration among antler collectors, game wardens, and federal land management agencies. Many of the antler collection violations came when people collected antlers early, but wardens chose to issue warnings for the most part due to the confusion in rules. In 2021 federal agencies aligned the date and time for antler collection and access to federal lands.
In total there were 3,258 law enforcement actions statewide in 2021. Top violations included fishing without a license, trespassing on private land, violating rules on Game and Fish lands and failing to stop at a watercraft check station.
The full report is available on the Game and Fish law enforcement website.
