Game wardens throughout Wyoming history

Jess Oaks
Posted 1/31/25

TORRINGTON – The Goshen County Historical Society met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 28 in the Platte Valley Bank Community Room in Torrington. The meeting was called to order …

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Game wardens throughout Wyoming history

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TORRINGTON – The Goshen County Historical Society met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 28 in the Platte Valley Bank Community Room in Torrington. The meeting was called to order promptly at 7 p.m. by president Marge Myers. Mary Houser led the community in attendance in a short prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance followed thereafter. Myers spoke to the community on a few fieldtrips the society has planned throughout the year noting a tour of the capital building, Jay Em and more. 

“Back in November of our meeting, Marilyn Pettit put out some sign-up sheets to see if we had any interest in maybe going on some tours of museums or just different outings. She called me tonight,” Myers said. “She’s not able to come. She said she sent it up that there will be a tour of the Cheyenne capital and then the state capital. Then she has a group called the Wyoming Cowgirls who oversee a museum down there and they’re going to have cookies and possibly they may provide lunch. Now that will be until March or April but keep it in mind if you are interested in doing something like that.”

After a few more tour announcements, the speaker, Mark Dexter, was then introduced. Dexter provided the community in attendance and overview of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“My name is Mark Dexter. I’m the Torrington game warden. I’ve been here going on almost two years, coming up here in April,” Dexter began. “I love the community. So, thanks for having me tonight.”

Dexter then explained the history of the game warden in Wyoming. 

“We’re going to start back in 1869. We’ve been around for quite a while. The first Wyoming territorial legislator passed a bill offering some protection and regulated the sale of fish and game, but there was no limit so at that time there was no need for game wardens,” Dexter explained. 

With no bagging limit and no hunting regulations, there was no need for a game warden Dexter explained. 

“But you can see we’ve been around for a long time. So, fast forward to 1885 – we make fun of the fish guys – but they were the first to state fish hatchery back then. They were built,” Dexter explained. “In 1899, we now found out we needed a game warden to go out and enforce and regulate some of the new rules coming out and about. So, Albert Nelson was named the first game warden.”

Dexter also noted the pay was much different for Nelson than present times. 

“Big difference in salary from what we get paid nowadays. He (Nelson) got $1200 a year, which he had to pay $3 a day to deputy state game wardens, so anybody that helped him he was paying $3 a day for that,” Dexter said. “If you had a yearlong employee, you kind of subtract quite a bit of money off of your guys pay. I understand why he only worked three years for that kind of a wage. But I guess he enjoyed it for three years.”

In 1901, D.C. Nolan was named the second game warden in Wyoming but oftentimes he is considered the first game warden because he wrote the first official report. 

“So, Albert Nelson here, he didn’t write a report in three years of working. I don’t know what he was doing,” Dexter joked. “But because Nolan filed the first official report with the State of Wyoming, the game of fish considers him the first game warden. It’s kind of interesting.”

According to Dexter, the Wyoming Legislature Assembly in 1903 passed many of Nolan’s recommendations. He explained Nolan was looking out for the future in Wyoming regarding wildlife, to keep resources available for future generations. Dexter further noted Nolan was the “father of what we do” in wildlife management. 

“One thing that he did, no resident of the state could kill any game animals without first receiving a $1 gun license. Instead of a hunting license, it was a gun license for a dollar back in the day,” Deter explained. “He also helped set up the feed grounds in Jackson, Wyoming. He realized the elk were going to start starving if we didn’t start feeding them. So, he came about and decided to, in his look for the future, what do we need to do to preserve some elk? And that’s how we got the feed grounds started in Jackson, Wyoming. Thanks to this guy,” Dexter said. “Now, we’re dealing with a lot of other issues based off the feed grounds.”

Dexter also explained Nolan helped move elk from Jackson throughout the state, noting Goshen County is lucky to have elk now.

“In 1903, we enacted a hunting license system. In 1911, the game fish commission was enacted and in 1921, we changed that to the state game and fish commission. Before it was just the game commission. We didn’t like fish goes like I was saying at the beginning,” Dexter explained. “In 1929, the game fish was funded to establish and controlled by the game and fish commission.”

The state game and fish commissioner sets the regulations for the game wardens to adhere to, determining when hunting seasons close and open and more. 

“If we have any questions or season-setting stuff that we’re going through, I meet with the biologists and we bring that all to the game and fish commission. They either approve it, deny it or they change it and then approve it. So, they’re a huge lead role even nowadays for what they do for us,” Dexter explained. “In 1937, game wardens were required to pass an oral and written exam is one of the requirements. That’s still one of the requirements along with many other things on top of it but as you can see, we set the standards pretty high even back in the day.”

Dexter also noted in 1937 the state also started providing housing to game wardens. Dexter explained there was a lot of controversy about the issue but he also further explained his home is also his office and people stop by at all given times. 

“Now days, all of us have game warden houses to stay in. It is controversial if we should still keep providing those houses free of charge to us. It’s kind of considered part of our pay but it’s also my office so anybody is welcomed to my house, it says 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but I get people showing up all the way into the night to come do license and talk about damage and stuff. It is an open office for people, that’s why we get the housing provided to us. It’s been around for quite a while.”

In 1947, the game and fish department adopted the well-known rust-colored shirts the department is known for as part of the official dress, Dexter explained. 

“Some people have asked why we have red shirts. I’ve asked why we have red shirts. Back in the day, that was the color that people [would] see. That was like the hunter orange now days, red was thought to be the best color back in the day,” Dexter said. “We’re stuck with it.”

Dexter explained in 1949, the retirement age for game wardens was 65 and it changed last year. There is no longer an age requirement for wardens as the department joined DCI and highway patrol. 

“In 1952, we had 31 game wardens. I’ll bump up the numbers as we go through and you’ll see how fast we’re adding on game wardens because of our districts and everything else that’s getting thrown on us that’s taken more and more game wardens throughout the years,” Dexter said. “In 1964, is when we had to be required to have a bachelor’s of science degree in either game, range or natural resource management and that’s still one of the requirements. We have some where it’s just 20 hours of some kind of wildlife degree. If you had something else plus 20 hours and some experience, we’ll still hire you. But that is one of our requirements for game wardens.” 

According to Dexter, the number of game wardens in Wyoming increased by 13 positions from 1952 to 1965 and he also explained at the time, biologists could enforce the laws of the game and fish.

“They weren’t game wardens but they could go out and write tickets and everything else. Some of you guys might have seen some of that,” Dexter said. “So, that was 1974, it strictly went to game wardens for law enforcement. Even nowadays, you’ll get stopped and checked by biologists and out the field. They’re going to ask for your license. That’s strictly for biological collection. That’s what they’re doing. If they see violations. They call one of us wardens in.”

Dexter continued well into the hour noting if the public should see any violations to reach out by phone at (307) 532-2433. Dexter also explained he would like to see more youth participate in hunting and outdoor sports in the area. 

The Goshen County Historical Society meetings the last Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Platte Valley Community Room. Public is invited to attended and the event is held free of charge. Find them on Facebook under Goshen County Historical Society.