The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is excited to welcome three new game wardens to the Laramie Region. Emmalee Raish is the game warden for the South Laramie district, Connor Worthen is the warden for the Medicine Bow warden district, and Mark Bowen is taking on the Wheatland warden district.
Emmalee Raish - South Laramie District
Emmalee Raish is no stranger to the region, having spent her childhood growing up in Laramie. She attended Brigham Young University in Hawaii, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. After graduating she returned to Wyoming where she worked for Game and Fish in various capacities, including as a non-game technician surveying for black-footed ferrets and as a Chronic Wasting Disease technician. She then worked in Glacier National Park as an outdoor educator before returning to Wyoming as a game warden. She started as the South Laramie game warden in February 2024 and is enjoying getting to know her new district.
“The South Laramie District has some really beautiful country and amazing wildlife resources,” said Raish. “I’m excited for the opportunity to help manage and protect it, and I’m looking forward to interacting with all the sportsmen and landowners who are out there in the middle of it.”
Connor Worthen - Medicine Bow District
Connor Worthen is a 6th generation Wyomingite who grew up in Casper. He attended the University of Wyoming, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in rangeland ecology and watershed management. His past work experience includes working on a ranch in northern Albany County and serving as a range technician for the Forest Service in Laramie. Worthen began his duties in the Medicine Bow District in June, and is looking forward to fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a game warden.
“I’ve wanted to be a Wyoming game warden since I was four years old,” said Worthen. “I’m excited to make that dream come true in the Medicine Bow District. There’s awesome country, great wildlife, and in my time out there so far I can already tell I’ve got some of the best landowners and sportsmen out there. There are some complex issues in the district and I’m looking forward to tackling those challenges and learning as much as I can.”
Mark Bowen - Wheatland Warden District
Mark Bowen grew up in south-central Idaho. He completed an associate’s degree at Snow College in central Utah and a bachelor’s degree in fish and wildlife science and management from Utah State University. Bowen has had a diverse career in natural resources management, working for agencies including Utah State Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Most recently, Bowen completed a 26 year tenure as a Conservation Officer with Idaho Fish and Game, spending the last 17 years patrolling and serving areas in the Northern Panhandle. Bowen has started assisting biologists and getting to know the Wheatland district, and will be graduating from Wyoming’s law enforcement academy in September.
“I am excited to be working for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the people of Wyoming,” said Bowen. “I'm also looking forward to meeting the landowners and people of my area and learning all about the resources around me so I may be an asset in protecting them for future generations.”
