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Former Police Officer Wins Wyoming Super Tag Trifecta Drawing for Incredibly Rare Hunting Trip

A former police officer got the chance of a lifetime when he won a Wyoming super tag hunting trip that allows him to choose three big game species.

Former Buffalo police officer James Kozisek entered just one 30-dollar ticket in Wyoming’s Super Tag Trifecta raffle. First created in 2013, the drawing allows the winner to choose three animals to hunt in the fall: antelope, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, black bear, grey wolf, moose, mountain goat, mountain lion, and wild bison. According to Sara DiRienzo, public information officer with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, hunters bought a total of 124,602 tickets for this year’s super tag hunt.

Those are some slim odds that Koziek beat.

“I believe they said the odds were 0.0000006%,” Kozisek said. “That’s six zeroes, so it’s an incredibly small chance. When I first got the call from Game and Fish and they said they had good news, I didn’t believe them. Game and Fish and good news usually don’t go hand-in-hand for me.”

Wyoming Resident Reveals His Choice for Raffle

Koziek was one of 11 winners of this year’s raffle, and one of two Wyoming residents.

“This gives the common person a shot with everyone else,” Kozisek said. “A police officer from Buffalo has just as much chance as the ultra-wealthy.”

The former police officer has chosen to do a mule deer hunt near Dubois; an elk hunk near Cody and Meeteetse and a mountain goat hunt north of Cody.

“I’ve been on a lot of sheep and moose hunts, but I’ve never killed a bull elk,” Kozisek said. “I’ve never hunted some of this country so this will be a great opportunity for me to explore our state.”

Since Koziek received the happy news, several big game hunters have reached out with tips and advice.

“I’ve received calls from all four corners of the state from people willing to help and provide advice,” Kozisek said. “It’s been absolutely amazing how the state has rallied around me.”

Wyoming Super Tag Hunting Trip Benefits Conservation Efforts

Gov. Matt Mead and the Wyoming Legislature are behind the Super Tag Trifecta. Besides giving hunters from all backgrounds the chance at an amazing hunting trip, the Wyoming super tag raffle also raises money for the state’s game and wildlife fund. Between this year and last, the raffle raised $3 million. Since its conception, the program has raised a whopping  $9.2 million for top conservation issues.

“There is something so powerful about the hunting community because they understand hunting and conservation go hand and hand,” DiRienzo said. “Most hunters are so pleased to be supporting conservation in the state that they think their money is well spent whether they draw the tag or not.”

“It just goes into our Game and Fish operating fund, where we can use it on all things conservation,” DiRienzo said. “We put it towards what our priorities are, whether that is chronic wasting disease management or invasive species management or something else. Those dollars have had a diverse application over the years.”