Payden Talbott is hard-pressed to pick a favorite memory of his dad. There are just too many of them. In his eyes, Scott Talbott was the perfect dad.
If he had to choose one, however, it would probably be the time Scott took him bighorn sheep hunting in the mountains above Cody when he was 10.
The two were on horseback in rough country. It was steep and nasty enough that his father told him to get off the horse and grab onto its tail.
He did as he was told as the horse dragged him up the side of the mountain to the top.
Why this memory sticks out in particular, Payden isn’t quite certain, other than it encapsulates two of the things his father loved most: horses and spending time in the wilderness with the people he loved.
And much like that trek up the mountain, Scott took pride in accessing hard-to-reach spots, Payden said.
“He worked very hard at making sure that he could show people all these special places and things that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to see,” Payden said.
Scott Talbott was a man who was most at home in the outdoors, right up until his death last month from pancreatic cancer at age 63, when he was still fishing between cancer treatments in Houston.
His dad wasn’t good at sitting still, Payden said, recalling a day early in his treatment when the two were at Scott’s home in Casper staring through the living room window outside.
Scott told his son he couldn’t remember the last time he was home on a Saturday, so the two decided to go on a cow elk hunt.
This is how he chose to spend his life, adventuring outdoors.
A Life Outdoors
In 2019, Scott retired after a 34-year-long career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
He advanced to the top of the agency, and was the second-longest serving director in Game and Fish’s history, where he’d also served in nearly every role within the Wildlife Division, except as a biologist.
During his tenure, Scott was known for his leadership in the recovery and delisting of wolves, the resurgence of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population, and the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret, according to his obituary.
His vision and commitment also earned him numerous awards and recognitions as he strove for public accountability, earning a 95% credibility rating and 91% public satisfaction during his tenure.
He also inspired many, including his children, with his innate love and skill at hunting, fishing and exploring every corner of the state’s wilderness and beyond.
After he retired, Scott went on to serve as a guide and outfitter for the Safari Club International, where he traveled to Canada, New Zealand and Africa.
In Africa, Payden said his father developed a love of the black rhino.
“He was just absolutely fascinated with black rhinos that he felt fortunate to get to see,” he said.
Even Payden teased him when he started to hang posters of the animal around his house, saying that “he was really passionate about it.”
Mostly, Payden said his dad was excited to travel and see wild and new places.
Passing It On
Scott’s sons, Payden and Luke, pretty much grew up following their dad on outdoor adventures, starting with their birth in Newcastle, where Scott worked as a game warden.
One of Payden’s earliest memories is driving around with Scott in his Game and Fish truck, checking on hunters and taking elk surveys.
The boys were hunting pretty much as soon as they could walk, and also accompanied Scott on road trips throughout the state when he traveled as a firearms instructor and for other work-related events.
Though the boys lived with their mother following the couple’s divorce, they spent a lot of time with their dad on the road where he taught them horsemanship, hunting and other skills like tying knots and the importance of wildlife conservation.
Today, Payden works as a farrier and fully credits that career choice to his dad’s skill and passion for working with horses. Once introduced to horses, Payden said he never wanted to do anything else.
Some of his most cherished memories with his dad are the two of them sitting together tying knots, a pastime handed down from Scott’s father.
All Tied Up
They’d have yards and yards of rope in front of them as Scott taught the boys new knot configurations.
Scott could see a knot once and immediately knew how to replicate it.
“He was really talented that way,” Payden said. “And the knots were kind of a cool family thing that he spent a lot of time doing. That was a precious memory for me.”
There were also a lot of life lessons imparted during these knot-tying sessions as well as their time in the wilderness together, Payden said, as cheesy as that might sound.
He taught by example, with both he and his brother adopting their father’s work ethic, which Payden considers one of his greatest gifts.
His dad also took a genuine interest in people beyond his professional role. He developed personal relationships with these people, which was evident during his illness and after his death when he received hundreds of cards from well-wishers.
Payden was shocked by the outpouring, including the troves of visitors who came to see his father — both in Wyoming and Houston, where he received his bi-weekly cancer treatments for seven months.
He admits he got tired of all the visitors and calls, Payden said, but not his dad, who found it humbling.
Where he felt overwhelmed by all the attention, Scott never complained. In fact, he welcomed the constant company and spent hours visiting and on the phone between cancer treatments.
“He appreciated the number of people who cared about him,” Payden said. “And he wanted them to know how much it meant to him.”
It was really touching for Payden and his family to see how many people had been impacted by Scott’s life.
Beyond The Job
His dad had a way of developing special relationships with people that went far beyond his job.
He wasn’t a guy just to shake a person’s hand and move on, Payden said. Rather, he took time to get to know that person and stayed in touch with many of them.
The outpouring of support shocked Payden, as did all the things they learned about their dad from reading the cards.
“He had so many chapters in his life, and he loved telling stories, and my brother and I loved listening to them,” Payden said.
Among his father’s favorites were from his days as a young man spending time in the Snowy Range, where he cut timber and sheared sheep.
When he learned his father had cancer, Payden was able to put his work life on hold for seven months to travel back and forth to Houston.
Even sick, his dad insisted on going outside to find ponds to fish.
“That’s just who he was,” Payden said with a laugh.
Scott definitely wasn’t a guy to sit around inside. In fact, Payden said one of his brother Luke’s favorite memories of their father is the time they decided they needed to get a television.
This included building a big entertainment center stand to accompany it and weeks of constructing and searching for the perfect television to fit.
Once installed, however, the pair decided neither of them really liked watching TV that much.
Do For Others
The memories are too many to count, Payden said, but they’re what is helping he and his brother in the aftermath of their father’s death, knowing how lucky they were to have him in their life.
In his final weeks, Scott became increasingly more introspective. Payden remembers sitting beside him on his bed, where Scott imparted some final wisdom to his son.
“He talked about how our lives are not for us, but rather what we can do for other people,” Payden said. “I thought that was something really powerful.
“He mentioned that several times when he was sick.”
Scott spent his life trying to teach his boys these lessons, Payden said, so by the time he died, he didn’t have much left to teach them.
“He told us how proud he was of us and that he knew we would be good and honorable and respectful men,” Payden said. “And he knew he didn’t have to ask us to do that.”
In the end, they appreciate everything he taught them and the example he leaves behind.
“He lived life, and he lived it hard and fast,” Payden said.
And though he and his brother are devastated by Scott’s loss, they also appreciate having such a loving relationship with their dad.
“We were all very close. Our whole family is that way,” Payden said. “And it’s sad to think that some people don’t get that. We’re the luckiest people alive.”
They also know that through his decades with Wyoming Game and Fish, Scott Talbott was a friend to people all over the state, sharing his love and passion for the Cowboy State.
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
