Wyoming
‘Son Of A Poacher’ Recalls Wyoming Game Warden’s Career With Book Series
Reflecting on his life and career path as a Wyoming game warden, Scott Werbelow recalled decidedly different experiences with different men.
While he made his life’s work advancing Wyoming wildlife, he grew up in the shadow of an opposite legacy with an alcoholic father and unrepentant poacher.
“We saw the game warden’s truck, and my dad said, ‘Oh shit, there’s the goddamn game warden!’” he told Cowboy State Daily about one of the memories he has of his father. “He took a two-track off the main road, and we hid behind a hill until the warden was gone.”
Later, his parents divorced and his mother remarried a rancher.
Werbelow recalled that “when I was about 10 or 12,” telling the local Wyoming Game and Fish Department warden, Bob Trebelcock, that a trap that Werbelow set had gone missing.
“I told him, ‘I think somebody stole my trap’ and he told me, ‘OK, I’ll look for it,’” Werbelow said.
“About two days later, he came back to the ranch. And he had my trap. I thought he was God, that he’d hunted down that guy who stole my trap,” he said.
Turns out, Trebelcock had himself taken the trap because it wasn’t properly tagged, then brought it back to the young Werbelow, along with a lesson about doing things the right way.
“I saw what my dad was doing, and then I saw that guy who was enforcing the law, and I thought that he was a pretty cool guy,” Werbelow said.
He knew right then what he wanted to be — a Game and Fish game warden.
Book Series
Werbelow is 30 years into his career with Game and Fish. He lives in Meeteetse and is the game warden supervisor for the Cody region.
That’s a long way to come for the son of a poacher whose excessive drinking led to death at age 40 from sclerosis of the liver.
It’s a story so unusual and inspiring, Werbelow decided to write it down. So far, he’s written and published two autobiographical books, “Son of a Poacher: Wyoming Warden in the Making” and “Son of a Poacher II: Blast From My Past.”
Volume III is being edited, and Werbelow hopes it will publish soon.
“The second book takes us to about 1999, and at the end of the third book, we’re at about 2004,” he said, so there’s likely to be more volumes.
Werbelow was born in 1968 and spent his first five years in Emblem, Wyoming. Then his parents divorced and later his mother married Martin Mayland, who owned ranches north of Greybull.
Werbelow described Mayland as a great stepfather who taught him the value of hard, honest ranch work, along with how to hunt, fish and trap ethically, within the boundaries of the law.
“My parents instilled self-confidence and a strong work ethic in me from a very young age,” Werbelow states in his online biography.
Werbelow was set on his dream of becoming a game warden, but struggled in school. When he graduated from high school, his brother talked him into going to Chadron State College in Nebraska and earn a degree in industrial technology.
But the hankering to put on the distinctive red shirt and badge of a Game and Fish warden wasn’t so easily put to rest. Back then, jobs with Game and Fish were scarce and competition was fierce.
Werbelow eventually managed to get hired on as a temporary wildlife damage technician and worked his way up.
His big break came when we was called to be the full-time elk feeding ground manager in the Pinedale area. That morphed into a “game warden/feeding ground manager” position, and his career took off from there.
Why Do People Poach?
Given his genetic roots, Werbelow has done much pondering over why people poach — or kill animals illegally or out of season — rather than hunting legally and ethically.
He said that question really started to nag at him when he and his brother were young and spending time with their biological father.
One time, their father made them cut the head off a mule deer that he had shot illegally “and was still alive,” Werbelow said.
The cruelty and blatant disregard for the rules that his father displayed was baffling.
“I thought, ‘Why would my dad do that? Why didn’t he at least take the meat?’” Werbelow said.
Werbelow said he eventually concluded that his father shot animals whenever he could, regardless of whether it was legal or ethical, simply because he liked doing it.
“My dad didn’t poach for food, and he didn’t even really want the trophies. He just liked shooting animals,” he said.
And while busting countless poachers as a game warden, Werbelow frequently encountered that same mentality.
“I interviewed a guy after a poaching bust one time, and he told me, ‘I just get a high off the crack of the rifle, and seeing something die,’” Werbelow said.
For other poachers, it’s all about the ego trip of scoring a big trophy, he added.
“Maybe once, they legally shoot a big animal, say, a 30-inch buck mule deer, and they get all this recognition from their friends,” he said. “And then they feel like they’re this great, mighty hunter, and it’s the only great thing they’ve ever done. And they want that feeling again, and they don’t care if they have to break the law to get it.”
Dangerous Work
Game wardens work long, odd hours and are constantly on call, Werbelow said.
But he’s loved every minute his job has put him in Wyoming’s fantastic outdoors. And the job is great, because he never knows what to expect.
“You might get a call that somebody got attacked by a grizzly bear, maybe even killed by a grizzly bear. And then you go from that to somebody calling about a skunk in a parking lot with a jar stuck over its head,” Werbelow said.
Game wardens also must go into dangerous situations, frequently alone and almost always involving people who are armed.
“The typical guy I’m dealing with has a rifle, a pistol, a can of bear spray and a knife,” Werbelow said. “I’m probably most scared of the guy with the bear spray, who could hit you with that out of the blue and incapacitate you.”
More than a few times, he’s followed possible game law violation cases into hunting camps at night.
“You’re outnumbered. And they’re drinking, and they’re angry because you could be writing them a ticket,” Werbelow said.
“There’s been some situations where I’ve just decided to back out. To just say, ‘OK, you guys have a good evening,’ and then wait and come back with two or three other guys in the morning,” he said. “It’s just better to deal with them in the morning.
“Your brain’s your best weapon, and it will tell you if a situation is turning into something that you can’t handle on your own.”
Inspiring The Next Generation
Though anecdotes from his career anchor the “Son of a Poacher” series, Werbelow said the books also delve deeply into all aspects of his life.
“If you read these books, you’ll probably end up knowing me better than you wanted to,” he said with a chuckle.
He also shared a wry quote from the forthcoming third volume: “I have learned over the years that there are no perfect women or horses! You must decide what you are willing to tolerate.”
And he hopes the narrative of how he overcame his life’s challenges will inspire others.
“I look at my childhood and how I grew up, all the crap I went through,” he said. “My first book, it’s meant to inspire kids. If you want something bad enough, you can get what you want in life.”
He also hopes to get more young people interested in his career field. When he was starting out, the competition was almost impossible. There could easily be 10 other highly qualified candidates vying for the same open game warden slot.
Now, Game and Fish struggles to find only a few qualified candidates, he said.
Aspiring game wardens must be prepared to work hard, and sacrifice some of their own outdoor aspirations.
“If you really like to hunt and fish, you should probably not be a game warden. Because during hunting season, you’re not going to get to go out hunting on opening day, or just take a week off anytime during the season,” Werbelow said.
As he approaches the end of his career, he’s not sure what he’ll do next.
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’ve been blessed to have had this job for 30 years,” he said. “I spent my whole life doing what I love to do, so I’m not sure what my hobbies are going to be when I retire, because I’m probably going to want to do different things.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
Chance of rain for much of western and central Wyoming on Monday, sunny in parts of eastern Wyoming. Highs from the upper 40s to near 70. Lows from the 20s to the 40s.
Central:
Casper: There’s a slight chance of rain after 5 p.m. today and a chance of rain overnight. Otherwise, expect it to be sunny and breezy today with a high near 63 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy and breezy with a low near 40 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph.
Riverton: Look for it to be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 66 and wind gusts as high as 37 mph. It should be partly cloudy and windy overnight with a low near 34 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.
Jeffrey City: There’s a slight chance of rain after 5 p.m. today and a chance of rain then snow overnight. Otherwise, look for it to be mostly sunny and windy today with a high near 58 and wind gusts as high as 41 mph. It should be windy and gradually become mostly clear overnight with a low near 31 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.
Southwest:
Evanston: There’s a slight chance of rain after 3 p.m. today and a chance of rain tonight, mixing with snow after 9 p.m. then gradually ending. Otherwise, look for it to be mostly sunny and breezy with a high near 55 and wind gusts as high as 39 mph. It should be breezy and gradually become mostly clear overnight with a low near 25 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.
Rock Springs: There’s a chance of rain after 4 p.m. today and rain and snow are likely overnight. Otherwise, expect it to be breezy with increasing clouds today, a high near 59 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy and breezy with a low near 29 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph.
Lyman: There’s a slight chance of rain after 3 p.m. today and a chance of rain before midnight tonight. Otherwise, it should be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 61 and wind gusts as high as 38 mph. It should be mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a low near 28 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph.
Western Wyoming:
Pinedale: There’s a chance of rain today and a chance of rain and snow before 11 p.m. tonight followed by a slight chance of snow until midnight. Otherwise, it should be partly sunny and breezy today with a high near 51 and wind gusts as high as 37 mph. Overnight it should be partly cloudy and windy with a low near 23 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.
Alpine: Rain is likely today and rain and snow are likely before 11 p.m. tonight, followed by a chance of snow until 1 a.m. Otherwise, look for it to be partly sunny and breezy today with a high near 50 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. It should be mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 27 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.
Big Piney: There’s a slight chance of rain after 1 p.m. today and a chance of rain, possibly mixing with snow after 9 p.m. then gradually ending. Otherwise, expect it to be mostly sunny and windy today with a high near 55 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph. Overnight it should be mostly clear and windy with a low near 22 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.
Northwest:
Dubois: There’s a chance of rain today and rain and snow are likely overnight. Otherwise, expect it to be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 51 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph. Overnight it should be partly cloudy and windy with a low near 25 and wind gusts as high as 38 mph.
Jackson: Rain is likely today and rain and snow are likely overnight. Otherwise, it should be partly sunny and breezy today with a high near 48 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Overnight it should be partly cloudy with a low near 23 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.
Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park: Rain and snow are likely today and possible overnight, becoming all snow after 7 p.m. Otherwise, look for it to be breezy today with a high near 43 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph. It should be mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a low near 17 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph.
Bighorn Basin:
Thermopolis: There’s a slight chance of rain after 5 p.m. today and a chance of rain, then rain and snow overnight. Otherwise, it should be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph. It should be partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph.
Cody: There’s a chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m. today and a chance of rain before midnight tonight followed by a chance of rain and snow overnight. Otherwise, expect it to be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 60 and wind gusts as high as 37 mph. It should be partly cloudy and windy overnight with a low near 33 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.
Lovell: There’s a slight chance of rain after 5 p.m. today and a chance of rain tonight, possibly mixing with snow after 3 a.m. then gradually ending. Otherwise, look for it to be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy and windy with a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 41 mph.
North Central:
Buffalo: There’s a slight chance of rain after 5 p.m. today and a slight chance of rain overnight before 4 a.m. then rain and snow are possible. Otherwise, it should be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 61 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Overnight it should be partly cloudy and breezy with a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.
Sheridan: Look for it to be mostly sunny today with a high near 67 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before midnight, a low near 34 and wind from 17-22 mph after midnight.
Story: There’s a slight chance of rain after noon today and a chance of rain before 3 a.m. overnight followed by a chance of rain and snow. Otherwise, expect it to be mostly sunny today with a high near 62 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 31 and wind from 17-22 mph after midnight.
Northeast:
Gillette: It should be mostly sunny today with a high near 67 and winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy and breezy with a chance of rain before midnight, a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 29 mph.
Sundance: There’s a slight chance of rain after noon today and overnight. Otherwise, expect it to be mostly sunny today with a high near 62 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 35 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph.
Moorcroft: Look for it to be mostly sunny today with a high near 68 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 37 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.
Eastern Plains:
Torrington: Expect it to be sunny today with a high near 71 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 43.
Wheatland: It should be sunny and breezy today with a high near 68 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain after midnight and a low near 45.
Kaycee: Look for it to be sunny and breezy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. It should be partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a slight chance of rain, a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 31 mph.
Southeast:
Cheyenne: Look for it to be sunny and breezy today with a high near 64 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. It should be partly cloudy overnight with a low near 39.
Laramie: Expect it to be sunny and breezy today with a high near 58 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. It should be partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a slight chance of rain after 1 a.m., a low near 34 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.
Chugwater: It should be sunny and breezy today with a high near 66 and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Overnight it should be partly cloudy and breezy with a low near 42 and wind from 10-20 mph.
South Central:
Rawlins: Watch for increasing clouds and breezy conditions today with a high near 60 and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Overnight it should be mostly cloudy and breezy with a chance of rain before 2 a.m. then rain and snow. The low should be near 32 and winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Encampment: Look for it to be sunny and breezy today with a high near 57 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Overnight it should be breezy, clouds should increase and there’s a chance of rain before 3 a.m. followed by a chance of rain and snow. The low should be near 32 and winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
Hanna: Watch for increasing clouds and breezy conditions today with a high near 59 and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Overnight it should be breezy with a chance of rain before 3 a.m. followed by a chance for rain and snow. The low should be near 32 and winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Wyoming’s wildlife is always in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean it can be spotlighted. That’s illegal.
Spotlighting is the practice of using bright lights to hunt or observe wildlife at night. The concept is inherently simple: All that’s needed is a bright light and a dark night.
Wildlife spotlighting is an increasingly common practice across Africa, where vehicles carrying tourists might have a mounted spotlight for nighttime wildlife tours or to increase visibility for photography.
But simple concepts have a penchant for being abused. Poachers often use spotlighting to stun animals, making them easier to hunt.
Year after year, wildlife tourism has contributed to record-breaking attendance in Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere around Wyoming. With larger herds of people flocking to see those wild herds, there could be a growing interest and demand for wildlife spotlighting.
The good news for Yellowstone purists is that the question of spotlighting has already been asked and answered — nope, can’t do it — and it’s unlikely to change, as long as Wyomingites ensure it doesn’t.
Lights Off
Spotlighting is illegal on public land in Wyoming. The state banned spotlighting in conjunction with hunting, and the federal government prohibits spotlighting for wildlife observation in Yellowstone and throughout the National Park System.
Laws and regulations can change with enough public support or opposition, but there isn’t much demand to allow spotlighting in Yellowstone or Grand Teton national parks.
“We’ve never been asked for that,” said Alvin Heggie with Cody Shuttles, which conducts tours of Yellowstone. “Nobody’s asked us for ways to attract wildlife. They are more focused on what kind of equipment we have for them to use to see wildlife.”
Heggie said people might book a wildlife tour through Cody Shuttles and other wildlife tour companies for various reasons. Most want to get the best experience within the legal and ethical boundaries established throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
“They want to see wildlife in wild country,” he said. “Tourists are looking for the people they feel are going to treat them the best and put them in the best position to see wildlife.”
Making The Market
The only night tours offered in the Greater Yellowstone region are for stargazing in the pristine dark skies over Yellowstone and Grand Teton. If there’s ever a future demand for nighttime tours with wildlife spotlighting, Heggie doesn’t see it starting with tourists.
“It would be more of a pull than a push,” he said. “It’s hard to forecast because it’s not permissible or ethical here now. But I would imagine for that kind of an experience, outfitters and guides would offer that service and create their own interest. It doesn’t feel like that would be very pervasive.”
Even if spotlighting were permitted in Yellowstone, which is extremely unlikely, Heggie wouldn’t promote the practice. He believes many wildlife tour companies would also shun it.
“I’m not a fan of them,” he said. “It diminishes the wildlife experience because you’re not watching wildlife. You’re watching a stunned, kind of manipulated animal, causing them undue stress. It’s an unnecessarily dangerous situation, and I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
The Ethical Status Quo
There’s not much chance that wildlife spotlighting will ever be permitted in Yellowstone National Park. But in the 21st century, the struggle over what is and isn’t allowed in the park is constantly challenged, mainly by the accelerating sophistication and accessibility of new technologies.
For instance, it didn’t take long for commercial drones to be banned throughout the National Park Service after a visitor crashed one into Grand Prismatic Spring in 2014. Often, new gadgets and technologies aren’t banned until they’ve already caused significant incidents.
Regarding wildlife tourism in Yellowstone, Heggie doesn’t necessarily believe in following “the status quo.” His primary considerations are the most ethical practices for the safety of tourists and wildlife.
“Maintaining the status quo is not a goal of mine,” he said. “I think the question is more about ethical practices. If it’s an ethical practice and you can leverage it, I think you should. If not, it should be banned because it’s not good for what we do and the wildlife.”
In Heggie’s perspective, wildlife tourism companies and guides have just as much responsibility as tourists. The best way to prevent literal spotlighting is to focus the metaphorical spotlight on the people and companies providing wildlife experiences within ethical boundaries.
“There’s a stark difference between a guide service that has multiple experienced guides with decades of experience that know the ins and outs of the park and someone who’s using sound or light to attract wildlife,” he said. “I believe the ability to purvey in our market is predicated on our accumulated experience, the experience we create, and how well we communicate that to the consuming public.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
After making the tag at first base, Chase Speicher (2) looks to double up the Lake-Lehman at second base with pitcher Christian Krogulski ducking the throw.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area senior pitcher Colton Krogulski came in the game to relieve starting pitcher Kristian Pugliese. Krogulski pitched four innings giving up one hit and one run.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area’s Chase Speicher gets hit by a pitch in the early innings against Lake-Lehman.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
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Wyoming Area senior pitcher Colton Krogulski came in the game to relieve starting pitcher Kristian Pugliese. Krogulski pitched four innings giving up one hit and one run.
After making the tag at first base, Chase Speicher (2) looks to double up the Lake-Lehman at second base with pitcher Christian Krogulski ducking the throw.
Wyoming Area catcher Jeremy Layland is about to put the tag on Lake-Lehman’s Andrew Mathis before he slides at home.
Wyoming Area’s Chase Speicher gets hit by a pitch in the early innings against Lake-Lehman.
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