Sherri Treeby is a native of Ohio who moved to South Dakota in the early 1980’s and attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. Leuning retired in 2002 to work full time as a bronze sculptor. This Missouri River area has a huge wildlife resource and Leuning gained a reputation as a hard working and successful defender of South Dakota’s wild resources. In 1990, Leuning transferred to Pierre, South Dakota as the Wildlife Officer in Hughes County. Lee attended evening art classes at Northern State University for 3 years and discovered a talent for sculpture.

After his mission, he took assignment in Aberdeen, South Dakota as a Wildlife Officer. After the largest operation ever successfully conducted in the Southeastern United States, Leuning was recruited back to his home state to work as an undercover officer, investigating a large big game poaching ring in Western South Dakota. In 19 he worked as an undercover officer in the Smokey Mountains National Park region in 4 southern states, combating the poaching of Black Bears and the marketing of their gall bladders to far eastern nations. He was selected as the Wildlife Officer of the Year in 1982 and as Regional Officer of the Year six times. He worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service before becoming a Wildlife Officer in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Lee Leuning, a South Dakota native, attended South Dakota State University and received a degree in Wildlife Biology in 1974.

Rapid city airport statue