The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has named a new interim director to guide the agency following the resignation of former Director Angi Bruce earlier this month. Deputy Director Eric Wiltanger has been tapped to temporarily lead the department as it navigates the leadership transition.

Wiltanger brings six years of experience with the agency and a background that spans military service and state government. After completing 20 years of active duty with the U.S. Air Force, he joined the Wyoming Department of Corrections in 2010 before moving to Game and Fish in 2020 as services division chief. He was elevated to deputy director of internal affairs in 2024.

"My focus will be to ensure the staff here have the support they need to continue fulfilling our commitment to Wyoming's wildlife and the public. It is also my priority to continue working with our state's sportsperson community. Their continued involvement and support helps ensure that Game and Fish is able to develop policies and strategies that support wildlife as well as the needs of our hunters and anglers." — Eric Wiltanger, Interim Director

Priorities for the Transition Period

Wiltanger has outlined three core priorities as he steps into the interim role: maintaining internal stability within the department, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and deepening collaboration with Wyoming's hunting and angling community. The department has emphasized that day-to-day operations and ongoing wildlife management programs will continue without interruption.

Leadership Shifts Across the Department

The reshuffling follows Director Bruce's unexpected resignation and subsequent appointment as Director of Special Policy Initiatives in the office of Governor Mark Gordon — a move that set off the chain of interim promotions within the agency.