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“Conserving Wildlife - Serving People”
LARAMIE REGION
Newsletter
DECEMBER 2017
Dec. 25—The Laramie Region office will
be closed to observe Christmas.
Jan 1—The Laramie Region office will be
closed to observe New Years’ Day.
Jan. 2—Resident and non-resident appli-
cations open for deer, elk and antelope,
spring turkey, moose, sheep and moun-
tain goat.
Jan. 31—Application deadline for non-
resident elk
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Hunter Education
Traditional classes:
Torrington—Jan. 2
Cheyenne—Jan. 18
Laramie– Jan. 20
Internet Field Days
Torrington—Jan. 14
Cheyenne—Jan. 19
Bow-hunter Safety
Laramie—Jan. 20
Register online at wgfd.wyo.gov.
Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1966,
needs hunter education, unless
accompanied by a mentor.
Twenty captive-raised black-footed ferrets were released in Shirley Basin, north of Medicine
Bow.
The released ferrets will help bolster the existing population of black-footed ferrets in the
Shirley Basin Reintroduction Area. Black-footed ferrets were first released into the Shirley Basin
Reintroduction Area in 1991, making the site the home of the oldest population of wild black-
footed ferrets in the world.
Led by Nongame Biologist Jesse Boulerice,
a crew composed of Game and Fish personnel
from the Laramie and Casper regions as well
as biologists from the USFWS National Black-
footed Ferret Conservation Center, released
16 juvenile and 4 adult ferrets to their new
home, despite 35 mph winds howling across
the prairie.
Each released ferret is tagged and surveys
next fall will determine how many survive over
the next year.
Hopefully, these ferrets will mingle with
wild ferrets already on the landscape in
Shirley Basin to increase the reproductive
success of the population.
20 ferrets released in Shirley Basin
Photo by Justin Binfet
Photo by Robin Kepple
WGFD Laramie Region Newsletter Page 2 DECEMBER 2017
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department stocked
1,000 brood cull rainbow trout in Crystal and Granite
reservoirs at Curt Gowdy State Park earlier this week.
The rainbow trout were culled from the breeding
stock at Boulder Fish Rearing Station. They weigh about
three pounds each and are about 16 inches in length.
Each reservoir received 500 fish.
As breeding stock, the fish produce between 2.5 and
3 million eggs per year. The eggs are shipped to fish
hatcheries around the state where they are raised and
eventually stocked into public waters. When broodstock
fish reach three to five years old, they are beyond their
peak spawning production and are released into lakes
and rivers in the state.
Anglers should use caution on or around ice on any
body of water at this time as it is likely not yet strong
enough to be safe.
Laramie Region Wildlife Coordinator
Corey Class and Wildlife Biologist Bryan
Lamont captured a doe mule deer as
part of the Sheep Mountain collaring
project.
The two-year-old doe, now known as
#65, should add to the department’s
understanding of how mule deer within
the Sheep Mountain herd move and use
their habitat.
The doe was darted and chemically
immobilized in order to fit her with a
tracking collar. Biologists then reversed
the immobilization drugs and released
the doe to rejoin the rest of her herd.
The study of the Sheep Mountain
Mule Deer Herd is part of a long-term
effort to bolster the herd.
Another doe added to Sheep Mountain mule deer study
Brood culls stocked in Crystal & Granite reservoirs
WGFD Laramie Region Newsletter Page 3 DECEMBER 2017
Learn the difference between Canada & cackling goose Many people may not realize that Wyoming has two species of white-cheeked geese, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and the
diminutive cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii).
The cackling goose was formerly considered a subspecies of Canada goose, but was determined to be a separate species in 2004
based primarily on DNA analysis. There are several ways to identify the species. Cackling geese are smaller than all forms of Canada goose,
typically weighing 3-5 pounds, compared to 7-11 pounds for Canada goose. Cackling geese also have short, stubby bills compared to the
proportionately larger bills of Canada goose, and their necks are typically much shorter than those on Canada geese.
Only the Canada goose breeds in Wyoming, whereas the cackling goose breeds in Alaska and northern Canada, but is a common spring
and fall migrant through Wyoming, with some spending the winter here. The two species often migrate together, and thousands fill the sky
with long V-formations in both spring and fall. Sloans Lake at Lions Park in Cheyenne is an excellent place to study the differences between
these two species during migration. Both photos were both taken at Sloans Lake on Nov. 25.
This bird displays the small size, stubby bill, and short neck of the cack-
ling goose. Photo by Greg Johnson.
This Canada goose displays the typical large size, long bill and
long neck compared to cackling goose. Photo by Greg Johnson
Nice elk herd at the Mule Creek Public Access Area Medicine Bow Game Warden
Dylan Bergman shot this photo of a
herd of elk near the Mule Creek Pub-
lic Access Area in northern Albany
County.
Elk move between winter and
summer ranges each year seeking
food and shelter from harsh
weather. In the winter months, elk
shift their diets to consume dry
grasses and browse. In areas of
deep snow, they’ll consume aspen,
conifers, sagebrush, willow and
other taller browse.
Want more news from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department? Check out the
Laramie Region web page at: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Laramie-Region
Or find us on Facebook!
WGFD Laramie Region Newsletter Page 4 DECEMBER 2017
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently developed a draft update for the Shirley Mountain elk herd unit seasonal range map.
This range map was last updated in 1988.
Since that time, there has been an increase in elk and their range has expanded.
New data is available from a recent elk GPS collar study. “This enhances our knowledge of what areas the elk are using for habitat,” said
Saratoga Wildlife Biologist Will Schultz.
As part of the update process, anyone interested in reviewing the draft updated seasonal range map can do so online at: https://
wgfd.wyo.gov/seasonalrange. Comments may be provided directly on the website. WGFD biologists will present this update and collect
public comments during an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec.18, at the Medicine Bow Community Hall, 221 Pine St., in Medi-
cine Bow. For more information, contact Saratoga Wildlife Biologist Will Schultz at (307) 326- 3020.
Update to Shirley Mountain elk herd seasonal range map
Laramie Region personnel provide grant writing class Game and Fish Department employees
across the state were provided with an online
opportunity to learn more about grant writing.
Grants are an important part of the funding
process for habitat work across the state. Lara-
mie Region Aquatic Habitat Biologist Christina
Barrineau and Wildlife Biologist Katy Chees-
brough offered a class on grant writing.
The class included information on the differ-
ent types of grants, various funding sources,
identifying priority areas for habitat work, plan-
ning, choosing partners, and other topics.
The training was streamed online to allow
employees from across the state to attend.
Personnel from the Game and Fish Depart-
ment Headquarters office in Cheyenne coordi-
nated the live streaming efforts to make the
class available statewide.
Photo by Jacob Sorensen
A half-mile of buck and rail fence was installed
at the Table Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management
Area to replace an existing fence.
The old fence was under water during several
months of the year and was in need of replace-
ment. The new fence will prevent cattle from enter-
ing the WHAM and will also allow wildlife to safely
pass.
Table Mountain WHMA is 15 miles southeast of
Torrington. It consists mainly of grasslands, sage-
brush and shrub communities. Dry Creek and Horse
Creek meander through the north and western
boundaries. Nine ponds and small marshlands
cover 590 acres, providing habitat for a variety of
waterfowl, migratory birds and other species.
Laramie Region personnel teamed up with Vis-
ual Specialist Justin Joiner in Cheyenne to design
and install an educational kiosk and wildlife view-
ing binoculars at the Wagonhound rest area near
the town of Elk Mountain.
The two signs provide information about elk
biology and migration, antler growth, and details
about the neighboring Wick/Beumee WHMA in-
cluding in-stream flow on the property and the
historic Overland Cherokee Trail. One of the
boards will soon contain informational pamphlets
about the area.
Funding assistance was provided by the Wyo-
ming Office of Tourism, the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, the Wyoming Game and Fish Trust
Fund, and Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Photo by Micah Morris.
New information kiosk installed at Wagonhound Rest Area
New fence to protect grazing at Table Mountain WHMA
The Laramie Region Habitat and Access crew worked with a
contractor to spray foam insulation in the Saratoga shop.
The application of this style of insulation will help keep ro-
dents out and reduce heating costs for both the shop and office
area.
Employees use the shop to store tools and equipment. It
also gives them with a warm, dry location to work and provides
occasional overnight sleeping quarters for employees who are
working away from home. Photo by Mark Cufaude.
Saratoga workshop receives insulation against cold
WGFD Laramie Region Newsletter Page 5 DECEMBER 2017
WGFD Laramie Region Newsletter Page 6 DECEMBER 2017
Wyoming Game and Fish Dept.
Laramie Region Office
528 S. Adams St.
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 745-4046
Game and Fish Depart-
ment personnel responded
to a call for an injured rap-
tor in downtown Cheyenne.
The bird turned out to be a
female Merlin (Falco colum-
barius). It was taken to
Cheyenne Pet Clinic where
it was examined and then
sent to a raptor rehab cen-
ter in Colorado until it be-
comes strong enough to
release.
Merlins are small, fierce
falcons that use their strong
flight abilities and surprise
attacks to prey on small
songbirds.
Injured Merlin is off to rehab center
Residents and non-residents can save in the month of December on an-
nual fishing, small game and game bird licenses, and lifetime licenses and
stamps for the 2018 season. Many license fees are set to increase on Jan.
1, 2018. Watercraft registration for one year or three years will also be
available for purchase at 2017 rates. A detailed listing of license price in-
creases and information about purchasing can be found on the Game and
Fish website.
It’s been 11 years since there was an increased fee for hunting, fishing
and other licenses in Wyoming. During that time costs of wildlife manage-
ment have continued to escalate. The 2017 Wyoming Legislature reduced
spending. They cut the $6 million per year that came from the state’s gen-
eral fund to Game and Fish. Recognizing the value of conserving the state’s
wildlife, lawmakers also passed a license fee increase to offset the cut and
to maintain current investments in wildlife at the level they are at now.
This change means the Wyoming Game and Fish Department no longer
receives any general fund legislative support and is funded almost entirely by sportspeople through license sales and federal excise revenue
coming from the sale of hunting, shooting and fishing equipment.
“We want to thank hunters and anglers for investing in the future of all of Wyoming’s wildlife,” said Scott Talbott, director of Game and
Fish.“Thanks to lawmakers for their support this license fee increase allows your Wyoming Game and Fish Department to maintain the same
level of services and wildlife management without state funds. Sportsmen and sportswomen fund nearly all wildlife management from mule
deer to minnows and grizzly bears to cutthroat trout.”
Buy licenses now for 2018 and save some money
Photos by Robin Kepple