Mark Gocke, a fixture of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for decade has retired a 33-year career. Starting in 1991 as a habitat extension biologist, Gocke was instrumental in initiating the Habitat Extension Program, a collaborative effort with the Natural Resources Conservation Service aimed at enhancing wildlife habitats on private lands in Wyoming. In 1995, he assumed the role of Jackson-Pinedale Regional Information and Education Specialist.
Throughout his tenure, Gocke was involved in educational initiatives, including leading camps at the Whiskey Mountain Conservation Camp near Dubois and hosting numerous wildlife education programs for both youth and adults in the Jackson, Pinedale, and Star Valley areas. His work included addressing issues such as elk feedgrounds, grizzly bears, wolves, fisheries, aquatic invasive species, sage grouse, wildlife migrations, and diseases like brucellosis and chronic wasting disease.
Gocke is also recognized for his exceptional wildlife photography which was featured in various publications, exhibits, and presentations across the state and also earned him numerous accolades. These include the Services Division Employee of the Year in 2007, membership in the Department’s Team of the Year for Wyoming Range Deer in 2010, and the Peer Recognition Award for the Jackson-Pinedale Region in 2013, alongside several awards for his photography and writing from the Association of Conservation Information and the Wyoming Press Association.
Gocke says he plans to continue living in Jackson alongside his wife, aspiring to further contribute to Wyoming’s wildlife conservation through his photography and writing, particularly for the Department’s Wyoming Wildlife magazine.
