CHEYENNE — Wyoming game wardens patrolled more than 600,000 miles and took 3,102 law enforcement actions statewide in 2024, according to the annual Wyoming Game and Fish Department Law Enforcement Report. The report details key statistics, operations, accomplishments and highlights the department’s law enforcement program.
The report includes work unit overviews, enforcement efforts and task force summaries for the Jackson, Cody, Sheridan, Green River, Laramie, Lander, Casper and Pinedale regions. Also included are notable cases, warden testing, hiring and training and how other entities such as the wildlife forensics lab and wildlife investigations unit are an integral part of the state’s wildlife law enforcement program and protecting Wyoming’s wildlife.
The public continues to play a vital role in game wardens’ work and investigations throughout the state. In 2024, 235 tips were received from members of the public and game wardens followed up on all of them. Tips from the public were instrumental in identifying several specific violations and possible suspects. These tips led to 28 citations and 16 warnings being issued to violators.
Law enforcement efforts focused on protecting big game on winter ranges, monitoring shed antler collection closures and ensuring compliance with aquatic invasive species requirements. Overall big game seasons were impacted by hot, dry weather and severe wildfires that burned more than 460,000 acres in the Sheridan Region and other parts of the state, significantly reducing hunting access. Wardens in affected areas provided extensive logistical support to firefighting crews and big game herds, particularly deer and pronghorn, continued to recover from the severe winter of 2022-23, leading to conservative license issuance and fewer hunters in the field.
Enforcement of shed antler collection closures in western Wyoming remained a priority, especially with new 2024 legislation stipulating a seven-day, resident-first season. Wardens investigated nonresidents unaware of the law change and deployed a task force in the Green River Region to deter violations. AIS prevention efforts concentrated on busy check stations, with Evanston's Port of Entry remaining the busiest. Statewide , wardens documented 351 AIS violations, including 25 for watercraft launched without required inspections.
Despite a slight increase in total violations to 3,102 — up from 2,906 in 2023 — several wardens reported fewer violations during hunting patrols due to reduced hunter numbers and harvest success. Vacant warden districts also impacted overall patrol time, with full staffing in law enforcement ranks anticipated to take several years.
— WGFD —
