In 1996, watching the status of wildlife sadly deteriorate in his native state of Utah, Don Peay had finally had enough! He put on his political boxing gloves, sold his engineering firm and set out to change the course of history by lobbying full time for hunting and fishing enthusiasts.

Since that turning point in his life, Don Peay has been the driving force behind the formation of a western sportsmen's group, now known as Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW). The group has swollen to well over 10,000 members in Utah in 10 short years and has enjoyed huge successes in turning around the declining status of wildlife populations in Utah. Management and land use decisions are more and more based on politics and Don's frequent aphorism of, "Nowadays, it's not science -- it's politics that make wildlife decisions and if that is how the game is going to be played, then we'll play to win!" is well said. 

Other western states watching the success model launched by Utah, decided to initiate their own organizations. Presently, the western states of Alaska, Idaho, New Mexico and Wyoming have formed their own SFW groups, while other states have also expressed an interest to soon follow suit. In 2003, recognizing the unique needs and temperament of the Wyoming citizen, Wyoming SFW initiated various meetings across the state to determine priority and interest. Fremont Chapter had 300 people show up at the first meeting and Bighorn Chapter now boasts a 700+ membership! While other counties have taken a little longer to develop, without a doubt Wyoming Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife is growing at a steady pace. As the fastest growing sports group in Wyoming, we already have close to 4,000 members with 98% of our members claiming Wyoming residency.

Coming from all walks of life and sporting backgrounds, our members embrace diverse careers and interests -- ranging from the Wyoming Game & Fish Commission, to state Wardens; to the Wyoming Wildlife Trust Fund Board, to the Governor's Brucellosis Task Force; to legislative representatives at the Local, State and Federal levels; to the oil fields and coal mines; to loggers and multiple use advocates; to hikers and outfitters; to ranchers; to local landowners; to the construction industry; small businesses; to housewives, students and youth. Our commonality is our desire to protect our wildlife and preserve our hunting & fishing heritage for generations to come.