While Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik was busy drawing names from a bucket for lifetime fishing and small game hunting licenses, Commission President David Rael was still busy filling it.

Rael secured a donation for the final license given away at Tuesday night’s Game and Fish Commission open house at about the time Nesvik had already handed out 20. Fifty-five lucky kids won licenses worth $681.50 at a packed Heart Mountain Hall. Many Powell businesses and families helped supply the funds for the drawing, which has become common at commission open house events across the state.

Rael started the trend when the commission met in Lovell in 2017. Since then, more than 115 lifetime licenses have been given away at recent meetings in Cody, Powell and Lovell.

The Tuesday night event was co-sponsored by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Muley Fanatics Foundation and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. The groups also gave away four wildlife conservation license plates to adults.

Hundreds of Park and Big Horn County outdoor enthusiasts and their children were on hand — one of the most successful open house events ever, Nesvik said.

“The events that we do like this in the Big Horn Basin are reflective of two things: the value that people in this part of the state have for wildlife and the care and passion they have for our kids and how important it is to invest in them,” Nesvik said as he watched the crowd stream through the doors.

Rylie Nelson, a 13-year-old from Cody, was all smiles when Nesvik called her name. This year she harvested her first pronghorn doe and is part of a family with a long history of hunting and fishing. But Rylee’s smile almost paled in comparison to the huge, toothy grin on her father’s face. Kirk Nelson might have been the luckiest parent at the event.

He has brought his four daughters to other open house events in the area and, over the last year, all four have won a lifetime license. “I’m super excited. It’s awesome,” Nelson said, hardly able to believe his family’s luck.

He signed up to receive emails including news and tips from the agency, including scheduled open house events. The emails helped his family win $2,726 worth of licenses. Including the plates, those in attendance at the open house took home more than $38,200 in prizes.

Of course, the open house isn’t about the door prizes. But it sure gets people in the door and in front of dozens of regional Game and Fish commissioners, biologists, game wardens and educators, who all run booths to help excite people about the agency’s work. It’s important for people to meet not only the commissioners, but employees with boots on the ground as well.

“Everybody here has the combination of loving wildlife, hunting and fishing,” said Chris Queen, Powell area game warden. “It’s a pretty good turnout and it shows the passion for outdoor sports in this community.”

Nesvik said the hard work of hosting the open houses is extremely important to the department. “One of the most important things we can do, if not the most important thing, is inspire our kids, giving them opportunities to experience the outdoors and wildlife resources,” he said. “This is a great way to invest in our future.”

Jenny DeSarro, Wyoming conservation coordinator for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said it was important for the organization to be part of the open house to reach people with a common interest in wildlife. It goes both ways.

“What a great venue to allow people to mingle with wildlife managers and those who help set policy,” she said.

Coalition Executive Director Caroline Byrd was impressed by a rare site: kids engaged in outdoor education and not on their phones.

“What we do today affects the future. It’s important for conservation ethics,” DeSarro said.

Update: This story has been edited to note the Wyoming Game and Fish Department doesn't have an App, though it was described that way in an interview.