NEWCASTLE, Wyo. — After 33 years as a Wyoming Game and Fish employee, Newcastle wildlife biologist Joe Sandrini has decided to retire. Sandrini has been an integral part of wildlife management in northeastern Wyoming, and his knowledge of wildlife will be greatly missed.
Sandrini attended the University of California, Davis, where he was an All-American track and field athlete and graduated with a bachelor’s degree before receiving his master’s from the University of Colorado.
He began his Game and Fish career as a game warden trainee in Casper in 1992 before being reassigned to Green River as a game warden trainee and later as a senior game warden in Newcastle. After a decade as a game warden, Sandrini left law enforcement and became the Newcastle wildlife biologist in 2002.
“Sandrini’s commitment to wildlife and professionalism is second to none,” deputy wildlife chief Justin Binfet said. “His tenure in northeast Wyoming provided an excellent foundation and continuity for wildlife management in the Black Hills, which host the busiest deer, turkey, and mountain lion seasons in the entire state.”
Throughout his career, Sandrini has contributed substantially to Game and Fish and wildlife management, including being the state’s foremost wild turkey expert liaison to the National Wild Turkey Federation. Sandrini’s on-the-ground experience and consistent, thoughtful input into various draft regulations have been a valuable asset in helping to shape many of the regulations Game and Fish has in place today.
Over the years, Sandrini has been the recipient of many awards, including the department’s Life Saving Award in 1998, Conservation PaceSetter Award in 2002 and Wildlife Division Employee of the Year in 2016 and the NWTF’s Henry S. Mosby Award in 2017.