A new handout produced by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources provides a snapshot of agency-wide work and accomplishments in 2022.
The two-page "Year in Review" is available to view and download through a link on the "About Us" page on the department's website, or simply click on the image above.
 Above (l-r): Conservation Officer Cody Berry and K-9 Gambit, Conservation Officer Evan Hughes and K-9 Cosmo, Conservation Officer Glenn Griffie and K-9 River. (photo provided by Highland Canine Training, LLC) Below: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Conservation Officer Cody Berry and K-9 Gambit will serve Region 2 in southcentral Kentucky. (Photo by Rachel Cummings, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources)
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources recently welcomed new additions to its Law Enforcement Division to assist conservation officers across the commonwealth.
Three sibling Labrador Retrievers - sisters Cosmo and River and their brother Gambit – have joined the division as its new K-9 service dogs.
The K-9s are strategically partnered with officers to spread out coverage and serve regional needs. Conservation Officer Evan Hughes and K-9 Cosmo will serve the 1st Region in western Kentucky. Conservation Officer Cody Berry and K-9 Gambit will serve the 2nd Region in southcentral Kentucky. And Conservation Officer Glenn Griffie and K-9 River will serve the 3rd Region in eastern Kentucky.
The dogs were paired with their conservation officer handlers at the Highland Canine Training center in Harmony, North Carolina. The officers spent three weeks receiving training to handle and communicate with the K-9s, which have been trained to assist in the field with trailing, article location and narcotics detection.
The three dogs reside with the conservation officers and their families to help them to trust and care for each other.
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 Kentucky Fish and Wildlife partnered with Kentucky Ducks Unlimited and the 5th District Federation of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen to develop a 10-acre moist-soil management unit on the Boone Tract of Kentucky River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This part of central Kentucky has few existing shallow wetland areas for waterfowl to forage and rest.
The new habitat will provide added opportunity for waterfowl to recharge their energy reserves during fall and spring migrations. It will also enhance public hunting opportunities in the region. The department's Engineering Division worked closely with Ducks Unlimited staff to design and develop this new habitat feature in order to maximize benefits to waterfowl.
Public access enhanced at Yellowbank WMA
With a donation from the 3rd District Federation of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen, Yellowbank WMA in Breckinridge County received enhancements to one of its main roads this fall to improve access for hunters, wildlife watchers, and others who enjoy the area.
Excavation, grading and structural improvements will help avoid recurring washout and improve safety on Chenault School Road, particularly its entrance into the property. Staff will continue to evaluate road conditions and optimize access for the popular WMA, which affords great views of the Ohio River valley.
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 Kentucky Fish and Wildlife staff will be at the Cincinnati Boat, Sport and Travel Show on Jan. 20-22 and 25-29 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Visit the department's booth to:
We'll also be at these other events in the near future.
 Meet Adrienne Yancy, a graphic design coordinator with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.
Fun facts about Adrienne: Away from work, she enjoys gardening for pollinators like bees, monarch butterflies and hummingbirds. Hearing the buzzing of tiny wings, she says, makes all the time spent pulling weeds and tending to her native plants worthwhile.
“Staff Spotlight” introduces you to the variety of our employees and the breadth of their expertise, as well as the diversity of jobs, programs and initiatives of the department. To learn more about current employment opportunities with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, please visit fw.ky.gov/careers.
Ben Wright, son of Fisheries Division Administrative Specialist Meghan Obermeyer, was part of the Scott County Schools trap team that placed first in its division in the Kentucky State High School Clay Target League this past fall. Ben, a freshman who also shoots with the Scott County 4-H trap team, decided to take his marksmanship skills into the field as well.
Meghan and her husband, Jason, are not hunters. With Deputy Commissioner Brian Clark mentoring him, Ben successfully harvested his first dove and first deer on hunts this fall.
Spring fishing and hunting opportunities are approaching, and Ben’s story is a good reminder about the department's Employee Mentoring Program and the difference it can make for new hunters and anglers. The program allows department staff to log up to 15 hours as a mentor for a new hunter or angler or to be the new hunter or angler out with a mentor.
Employees should register and receive supervisor approval before going afield. Instructions are available through the "Documents" link on the KDFWR-Intranet.
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