The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is happy to announce the winners of the 2017 Wyoming Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Boater Appreciation Raffle. Boaters who had their watercraft inspected by Game and Fish and completed an online survey were entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes.

“Thank you to our sponsors for their support of this raffle and to boaters who stopped for watercraft inspections and completed surveys this year,” Beth Bear said, Game and Fish aquatic invasive species coordinator. “To date, no evidence of zebra or quagga mussel larvae or adults has been detected in any Wyoming water, and boaters who clean, drain, dry help keep it that way.”

The sponsors who helped protect Wyoming’s waters are Sportsman’s Warehouse, Two Dogs Guide Service, Citimarine, Marine Products and the West Laramie Fly Store.

“Thank you so much to these sponsors. It is great to have partners supporting this program created by the Legislature to benefit all water users in the state, including irrigators and municipalities,” Bear said .

Kristen Hughes of Pinedale was the grand prize winner, taking home a kayak package with two Emotion Guster Kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, ratchet straps and a Yeti Tundra 65 Cooler.

“Keeping aquatic invasive species out of Wyoming waters is important so that future generations will continue to have the same great fishing opportunities that we do today,” said Hughes. Hughes is looking forward to having another summer time activity with her new kayaks.

Additional winners of the raffle and their prizes were:
 

• Thomas Dever, Kemmerer, Wyo.-A two-person trout float or walleye fishing trip
• Jeremy Sheridan, Farmington, Utah- Coolest Cooler
• Kenneth West, Midvale, Uah- Creek Company Odc 420 Ultralight Float Tube
• Alan Wardlow, Thornton, Colo.- Garmin Striker 5cv Fish Finder

All prizes are completely funded by raffle sponsors. 

This was Wyoming’s eighth boating season following passage of AIS legislation in 2010. In 2017, over 40,000 watercraft inspections were conducted for invasive plants and animals, including zebra and quagga mussels. This included over 2,800 inspections on watercraft considered to be a high risk for transporting AIS, and of those over 600 required decontamination to eliminate the potential for AIS transport.  

Since watercraft inspections began in 2010, over 330,000 inspections have been conducted.