$10K on the Table After Artifact Theft Near Dubois

The original story by Garrett Grochowski for Oil City News.

Someone swiped a piece of Wyoming’s past, and now there’s real money riding on finding out who did it. A private individual is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction after an artifact was stolen and public lands near Dubois were vandalized, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The incident happened on commission-owned property that Game and Fish maintains for everyone to enjoy — places you can hike, hunt, and fish almost year-round. These are also the kinds of landscapes where traces of Wyoming’s ancient history still sit exactly where they were left, which is part of what makes them invaluable. As the agency put it, when artifacts are ripped out or destroyed, the loss is permanent because their location and context tell as much of the story as the object itself.

Game and Fish’s Lander Regional Wildlife Supervisor Jason Hunter said that kind of looting and damage doesn’t just erase history — it puts public access at risk. These are commission lands, open with few restrictions, he noted, and the department has a responsibility to protect them so the next generation can see what we can still see today.

Officials didn’t share specifics about what was taken or how bad the vandalism was, likely to avoid tipping off the culprit or encouraging copycats. Instead, they’re hoping the reward sparks leads quickly. In the meantime, the reminder is simple: these places are shared. Misuse ruins the experience for everyone and can force closures nobody wants.

Game and Fish thanked people who keep an eye out and report problems on commission lands, saying that safeguarding both wildlife habitat and the cultural stories embedded in these landscapes is how Wyoming keeps its wild places whole. If you know something, now’s the time to speak up — history, and ten grand, are on the line.