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Wyo. Game and Fish recognizes landowners

Each year, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department recognizes as Landowners of the Year those who have made exemplary efforts related to wildlife management and habitat improvement on private land. These landowners, through their conservation efforts and by allowing access, have contributed to the effective management of wildlife on public and private land. Recipients demonstrate ethical use and stewardship of Wyoming’s natural resources.

The 2012 Landowners of the Year were honored at a July 9 dinner at Silver Spur Ranch (Elk Hollow Lodge) near Saratoga. Scott Talbott, director of Game and Fish, welcomed landowners and guests, and Michael Healy, president of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, addressed attendees before the awards presentation.

Game and Fish recognized 10 Sublette County landowners in the Pinedale and Jackson regions as Landowners of the Year for their partnership in moose research, including:



Judy Boeckmann (landowner), Dead Shot Ranch

Maggie Miller (landowner), Grindstone Cattle Company



Zack and Patti Roberts (landowners), Roberts Cattle Company

Mike and Tara Miller (landowners), Miller Land and Livestock

Doug and Lynda Vickrey (landowners), Vickrey Ranch

Frank and Ann Nataros (landowners), Beaver Creek Ranch

Norman and Barbara Pape (landowners), Pape Ranches Inc.

JJ and Julia Healy (landowners), Double J Ranch

Wagstaff family (owners/managers), Wagstaff Ranch

Freddie and Amanda Botur (landowners), Cottonwood Ranches

A group of Sublette County landowners developed a partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the University of Wyoming, and the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit to initiate a research project on the state’s largest moose population. The partnership resulted in the first effort of moose research conducted primarily on private property in the state. Never before have so many landowners focused their interests on the welfare of Shiras moose in Sublette County.

Research began in 2011 and has continued over the past three years. The landowners granted unrestricted access to their property for researchers to capture moose, collect habitat data, refuel helicopters, and retrieve radio collars. The landowners’ long-term participation in the management of moose and their habitats contributed to the success of the project.

To see a photo gallery of Landowners of the Year and their ranches, visit wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/wildlife-1000451.aspx. F

–Wyoming Game and Fish