Wyoming Game and Fish Review 2025, Brimeyer Retires
CHEYENNE, WY., January 6, 2026 – It’s been a big year for Wyoming Game and Fish Department, from migration corridors to landmark justice achieved for wildlife in the Cowboy State.
The year was filled with work to advance the Sublette Antelope Migration Corridor into its final phase to connect migration routes connecting seasonal ranges across western Wyoming. Construction has begun in the U.S. Highway 189 Kemmerer South Wildlife Crossing Project. The $33 million investment designed to protect the Wyoming Range and Uinta deer herds, as well as the Carter Lease pronghorn herd, by constructing seven underpasses and one overpass along a 30-mile stretch of highway. It is slated for completion in October 2027.
Game and Fish saw the culmination of several multi-year investigations, which sent a clear message that poaching will not be tolerated. Significant cases solved this year included:
An eight-year investigation in the Green River Region into a systematic poaching ring resulted in more than $40,000 in fines and a 20-year hunting ban for the lead offender, who used fraudulent residency to illegally harvest elk, deer and pronghorn.
A district court upheld an 18-year suspension of hunting privileges for a high-profile poacher involved in the illegal taking of trophy-class mule deer and elk. The case was handled by Jackson Region game wardens.
In November, the Game and Fish Commissioners approved the final draft of the Statewide Habitat Plan for 2026-2030. This plan serves as a unified roadmap for Game and Fish habitat protection and enhancement efforts. The current plan is the fifth since SHP was initiated in 2001. It works to address conservation of terrestrial and aquatic habitat, along with migration paths and habitat conservation and restoration. The latest revision emphasizes a systematic approach to prioritizing areas that have high conservation values and areas Game and Fish plans to restore, as well as priority areas for fish and wildlife migrations. There are 25 strategies and 93 specific actions that will be implemented through SHP across the department.
Former Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik made headlines when he was nominated by President Trump in February to be the 19th Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His nomination and appointment underscored Wyoming’s leadership in state-led conservation and large carnivore management.
Game and Fish recognized its landowner partners this year through the annual Landowner of the Year Awards. Each year, Game and Fish personnel nominate landowners who have demonstrated exceptional stewardship for wildlife habitat and support on their land. Four families — the Grants, the Chants, the Curtises and the Falxas — were honored for their stewardship and for providing critical access and winter range for the state’s big game herds.
Throughout the state, the department works with industries that are developing in and around key wildlife areas. By providing assessments and recommendations, Game and Fish is able to work with industry partners to develop sustainable methods that help maintain conservation while developing key industries in Wyoming. Each year, the department recognizes a standout industry that has gone above and beyond to adhere to sustainable practices in their field. Awards are given for the prior year, and in July, it was announced that the Powder River Energy Corporation - PRECorp, was the recipient of the 2024 Industry Wildlife Stewardship Award.
Other big news from the department is the recent announcement of the retirement of Game and Fish Deputy Director for external operations Doug Brimeyer. With the Department since 1991 as a project biologist, Brimeyer’s career exemplified the department’s mission for wildlife.
Source: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
