Open Season

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal cruelty and death, bullying, graphic violence, pregnancy loss, illness, and death.

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett is the protagonist of the novel. Joe is primarily characterized by his strong morality, which leads the Saddlestring townsfolk to see him as somewhat of an annoyance. Joe is deeply serious about the codes and regulations of his role, and he will hand out tickets to anyone who breaks the rules, regardless of their status or situation. Joe dreamed of being a game warden since making a childhood pact with his now-deceased brother Victor, and he reveres the pristine Wyoming landscape, which he works to protect. Joe is almost always seen wearing his Game and Fish Department standard uniform: “blue jeans and his red, button-up chamois shirt with the pronghorn antelope patch on the sleeve” (21). As the new game warden, Joe has difficulties integrating into the community and faces pushback not only because of his work ethic but because of the looming presence of Vern Dunnegan, the previous game warden and his mentor. Throughout the text, Joe works to overcome Vern’s influence on both the community and on himself, highlighting the novel’s theme of

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