Angi Bruce, Director of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, called into the Weekday Wakeup on Tuesday, October 7 for her monthly report. Dir. Bruce touched on the appointment of Cody Schoonover as the new Afton Senior Game Warden, the groundbreaking for the wildlife crossing project on Highway 189 south of Kemmerer and the need to be bear aware this fall near Grizzly Bear areas.

(0:00) Heading into this hour’s guest interview segment this morning and joining me live over the (0:04) phone today for the monthly report from the Wyoming Game and Fish, that’s Director Angie (0:08) Bruce. (0:09) Director Bruce, good morning. (0:10) How are you doing today? (0:11) Good morning, Duke.

(0:12) I am wonderful. (0:13) Thanks for having me on. (0:14) Absolutely.

(0:15) It’s a pleasure as always. (0:16) Appreciate the updates and as always, especially this time of year, a lot happening with the (0:21) Wyoming Game and Fish and right in the middle of and into the hunting season, but first (0:25) wanted to talk about the game warden for one of our areas. (0:29) As James Hobb has been promoted, he’s been the game warden here for a couple of years (0:34) for the Afton area specifically, and he’s been promoted, so it sounds like Cody Schoonover (0:39) has been given the replacement position in Afton.

(0:43) Tell us about Cody and what qualifies him for this position. (0:47) Absolutely. (0:48) So Cody’s not new to the Game and Fish.

(0:50) He’s been with us since 2016, so lucky you guys. (0:53) You’re getting an experienced game warden over there in Afton to take James’s spot, (0:59) so we’re thrilled to have him there. (1:01) You guys might have to break him in locally though, but he’s worked in several states, (1:05) got a wide perspective that way, worked in both Alaska, Idaho, California, and Illinois (1:11) before joining us in 2016, so not new to Wyoming, but new to the area, so he’ll have some different (1:20) local things to consider and get up to speed.

(1:28) Let’s see, we may have lost you. (1:29) Director, are you still there? (1:31) I am. (1:32) Can you hear me? (1:32) Oh, now we got you.

(1:33) We cut out there for a second. (1:35) Yeah, we were just talking about Cody, and it sounds like he’s going to fit in well. (1:39) Tell us, what is the role of a game warden for each region that they’re in, and maybe (1:45) walk us through their responsibilities.

(1:47) Definitely. (1:48) So I think the most obvious role that people think of when they see a redshirt in the field (1:53) is that law enforcement aspect, so making sure our hunters and anglers not only are (2:01) following our hunting and angling laws, but also to assist them. (2:05) They’re all about customer service.

(2:07) If you need a place to go, if you need an understanding in the area, please reach out (2:12) to them. (2:12) They’re there to help and make your experience very beneficial. (2:16) I get compliments all the time from friends from out of state that say, I reached out and (2:21) they really told me where to go and gave me some insights.

(2:25) And so they have a large piece of their job on customer service. (2:30) And then they also assist us with the development of our hunting and fishing angling seasons. (2:36) So give them feedback.

(2:38) Give them what you’re seeing in the field, how the populations are doing. (2:42) Share that knowledge with them, because they’re kind of the conduit to telling us what our (2:48) hunters and anglers think, and then helping to influence future hunting seasons. (2:54) So definitely play a larger role than just the law enforcement piece, but it is one of (2:59) their primary focus for their position.

(3:01) Well, looking forward to working with Cody, and of course, James has been fantastic. (3:05) He was one of the game wardens of the year in the state of Wyoming, and man, can’t say (3:10) enough about the job he’s done. (3:12) Yeah, James is definitely a shining star in the department.

(3:17) You know, we have over 400 employees, and all of them very committed and passionate. (3:22) James has proven that over and over, and he’s being rewarded for that and his hard work (3:27) by getting promoted. (3:28) He won’t go far.

(3:29) He’ll be south of you, out of the Green River Regional Office, where he will oversee both (3:36) game wardens and our biologists. (3:38) So playing more of a comprehensive role in the area, and having a little bit broader (3:44) scope to his work as well. (3:46) Director Angie Bruce with the Wyoming Game and Fish on the Weekday Wakeup this morning.

(3:49) Well, Director, this happened a few weeks ago, but it’s happened since we last talked, (3:53) and that was the big groundbreaking for the Wildlife Crossing project on Highway 189 south (3:59) of Kemmerer. (3:59) So tell us about the groundbreaking that took place and this project now well underway. (4:06) It was definitely a highlight of my week, you know, taking time out to just recognize (4:10) all those people involved in this project.

(4:12) And, you know, Mark Zorns was there, and he was a wildlife coordinator at a Green River (4:18) who had the vision for that project back in 2007. (4:22) So that was neat to hear his perspective. (4:25) We had local legislators, county commissioners.

(4:27) We had the contractors there, as well as a lot of our partners at YDOT. (4:32) The contractors are charging forward. (4:35) They’re off to a really good start.

(4:36) It’s a Wyoming company, Offendale Construction out of Casper. (4:41) They’ve already put in over 20 miles of post. (4:44) You can see that work going on out there.

(4:47) Very aggressive. (4:48) I have a really good feeling that this project is going to get done way ahead of schedule. (4:52) Excellent.

(4:52) And it is a big project, not only the fencing, but a number of underpasses and an overpass (4:57) too, if I’m not mistaken, correct? (5:00) Yes, an overpass. (5:01) So we have not built an overpass in this state for 20 years. (5:05) So this will be a nice overpass going in, primarily focused on having Pronghorn be able to go (5:10) to extra habitat on the other side of the road safely.

(5:14) But then seven underpasses, and these are primary for deer, mule deer crossing. (5:20) So definitely a huge project, a hefty price tag, around the $33 million mark, but again, (5:30) it will pay for itself over time. (5:32) We’ve seen these projects over and over do that.

(5:34) They are costly. (5:36) Sometimes we question, is it worth it? (5:38) But I’m not sure if you can put a price tag on people’s safety on the road. (5:44) But if we were going to put a price tag on, this will pay for itself before the end of (5:50) its lifespan.

(5:51) Director Angie Bruce with the Wyoming Game and Fish. (5:53) Director, anything else happening in the department you’d like to mention today? (5:57) Oh, just a note out there. (5:59) You know, I got to spend the weekend outside, and that really energized me for the week.

(6:04) But I will tell you, if you are in grizzly bear country, you should definitely be out (6:10) on the look. (6:11) This is a very active year for grizzly bears, probably higher than usual. (6:16) So I just want to put that warning out there to folks to be cautious, carry your bear (6:21) spray, and just be bear aware when you’re out in the field.

(6:25) Yeah, and especially if you are neighboring grizzly bear country, because as we’ve seen, (6:29) that footprint maybe has expanded over the last couple of years. (6:33) Maybe than what we’re used to. (6:35) Yeah, Duke, thank you for that.

(6:38) It is expanding. (6:39) I am not surprised. (6:40) It will continue to expand until the state gets proper management of the bear.

(6:45) So if you are neighboring, you’re not used to seeing them, that does not mean they’re (6:49) not there. (6:50) So please take the same caution. (6:52) Director Angie Bruce, Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

(6:54) Director, as always, thank you for the update, and we’ll talk again next month. (6:58) Sounds good. (6:58) Thanks, Duke.

(6:59) Weekday Wake up this morning on the SVI Radio Network.