Tagged Trout to Help Wyoming Game and Fish Study Fish Movement in Encampment River
October 20, 2008
LARAMIE— Fisheries biologists with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department hope a few brown trout can help them learn more about fish passage and behavior in the Encampment River.
“The Encampment River is an important trout fishery and tributary to the North Platte River,” says Steve Gale, fisheries biologist. “A diversion dam built in the 1900s that is located about half a mile from the confluence of the Encampment and North Platte Rivers has most likely prevented rainbow and brown trout from migrating upstream to spawn. Our research project focuses on how providing trout passage over that structure could benefit trout populations in both rivers.”
This summer, fish biologists radio tagged 30 mature brown trout. The tags emit a signal the biologists can track to determine where the fish are moving. The tags are one component of a Game and Fish research project Laramie region biologists are conducting on the Encampment River. The brown trout were collected below the diversion dam, the radio tag was implanted in the abdomen and the fish were then released about a mile upstream of the diversion dam.
According to Gale, adult trout successfully migrating upstream into the Encampment River could increase trout numbers in that system. In addition, juvenile trout migrating downstream to the North Platte River could increase recruitment and trout abundance in the mainstem of the North Platte River. Game and Fish recognizes the importance of the diversion dam for agriculture irrigation purposes, but believes there is a way to provide fish passage over the dam, while maintaining the dam’s important function of providing irrigation and stock water.Â
The idea of reconnecting the Encampment and North Platte for fish isn’t a new one. A fish ladder installed in 1985 was one of the first attempts in Wyoming to facilitate upstream passage over a diversion dam. High spring flows in 1986, however, compromised the structural integrity of the ladder and it was filled in to prevent damage to the diversion dam.
Before the Game and Fish and its cooperators try to create a new way for fish to navigate the important dam, biologists wanted to collect information on potential benefits of providing fish passage upstream. That’s where the radio-tagged brown trout come in.
“We’ll locate the tagged brown trout once or twice a week into the fall,” Gale explains. “We want to be able to demonstrate where fish would spawn and overwinter if fish passage is provided at the diversion dam. In addition, by tracking their movements upstream and downstream, it could help the Game and Fish pinpoint other areas where we could work with private landowners to help fish move more freely in the Encampment River.”
The radio tags build on an earlier effort from Game and Fish to track fish movement. In 2007, 237 brown trout were tagged with orange Floy tags and released above the dam. Anglers who caught the tagged fish were asked to report the catch site to Game and Fish. The most exciting result of this project was that one tagged trout was caught near Hog Park Creek, about 23 river miles upstream from the release site.
Gale says once all the data is compiled and analyzed, information will be presented to the public and interested parties.
“We’ll use all the information we have to help us move forward with a potential fish passage structure, including input and ideas from cooperators and landowners,” he explains. “We’ve had great cooperation from the private landowners and the WYCO fishing club. They are all excellent stewards of the resource and we want to work with them as we move forward to reconnect these two rivers and help improve these important fisheries.”
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Hunters in Wyoming Reminded to Pickup Stamps
October 20, 2008
CHEYENNE— Hunting licenses are regarded by hunters as givens–one of those things that everyone knows needs to be picked up before going out in the field. Most hunters are also aware that certain stamps are also needed to accompany hunting licenses; but there are some who are not aware of exactly who needs stamps and where they are required. The following is a listing of the various stamps and permits applicable to Wyoming hunting.
Conservation Stamp - Required of all licensed hunters or anglers with several exceptions. It is not required of holders of daily fishing or hunting licenses. It is also not required of persons exercising hunting or fishing privileges granted by Pioneer Licenses or Pioneer Heritage Hunting or Fishing licenses. However, if a pioneer license holder is exercising privileges other than those granted by a pioneer license, a conservation stamp is required. For example, a person may hold a pioneer fishing license where no stamp is required, but may purchase a resident deer license requiring a stamp.
Pheasant Management Permit - Required of most pheasant hunters including youth who do not need a bird license and holders of the Pioneer Bird/Small Game license, who hunt areas wherever pheasants may be stocked from Game and Fish Department bird farms. These areas include Game and Fish wildlife habitat management areas, numerous walk-in areas, Glendo State Park and all state lands in Sheridan and Johnson Counties. A complete listing or areas where the stamp is required is found on page 17 of the Upland Bird Regulations pamphlet. An exception is made for landowners and their immediate families who hunt pheasants on their lands enrolled in the walk-in program. An exception is also made for hunters who hunt walk-in areas in Bighorn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties where pheasants are not released by the Department.
Elk Feedground Special Management Permit - This permit is required of all hunters who hunt elk in areas 70, 71, 74, 75, and 77-98.
Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp (Duck Stamp) - Required of all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older. Required for Ducks, Geese and Mergansers (Not required for doves, sandhill cranes, coots, snipe, rails or crows).
Harvest Information Program Permit (HIP permit) - Required of all licensed hunters who hunt migratory game birds. The HIP permit is also applicable for holders of Pioneer and Lifetime hunting licenses. HIP permits are nontransferable to other states. A separate validation is required in each state where migratory birds are hunted.
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Star Valley, Wyoming Moose Tests Positive For CWD
October 20, 2008
Cheyenne— A three-year-old female moose has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in western Wyoming. CWD is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose that affects the brain, causing weight loss, abnormal behavior, and, eventually, death. There is no evidence that CWD has any human-health implications.
“This finding was a very big surprise, said Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Disease Specialist Hank Edwards.”Number one, because this is the first CWD-positive moose we have ever found in Wyoming. And number two, because this moose was in an area that is a significant distance from any other known CWD areas.”
The animal was found approximately two miles south of Bedford, Wyoming, and showed no clinical signs of CWD, which include loss of body condition, excessive drooling, and drooping ears and head. It was unable to stand up but was in very good nutritional condition.
Testing at the WGFD laboratory in Laramie determined this animal had elaeophorosis (arterial worm disease), which accounted for its inability to stand. According to Edwards, mule deer are the normal host for elaeophorosis, where it does not cause serious disease. Elaeophorosis is rarely seen in elk, but can cause significant disease in moose. Additional testing by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory confirmed that the moose also tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. Based on laboratory tests and lack of clinical sign, Edwards said this animal was in the early stages of CWD.
Though CWD has been found in deer and elk in many parts of Wyoming and other states, it is extremely rare in moose. Only three other wild moose in North America have tested positive for the disease, all of them in Colorado.
As a result of this finding, the Game and Fish will increase CWD surveillance activities in this region of Wyoming. According to WGFD Jackson Region Wildlife Supervisor Tim Fuchs: “We will immediately begin to gear up our CWD surveillance in the Star Valley. We plan on enlisting hunters in that area to help us by submitting their animals for CWD testing. To do this, we are establishing check stations throughout the region, and through news releases and other media we’ll be letting hunters know we need their help.”
WGFD personnel collect and analyze more than 4,000 CWD samples annually throughout the state.
“There are no methods that have been proven effective in stopping the expansion of CWD, although a number of things have been tried in other states,” said WGFD Director Steve Ferrell. “Recent research in Wisconsin and Colorado has shown us that large-scale culling of animals is ineffective in stopping the spread of the disease or reducing its prevalence. Currently, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is monitoring the disease, conducting various research projects to understand more about CWD, and educating the public on the presence of the disease and what it means for wildlife and people. The department is committed to using the tools we do have and the best available science to manage this disease in a manner that makes sense for the wildlife and people of Wyoming.”
For more information about CWD in Wyoming, visit the WGFD website at: /services/education/cwd/index.asp.
For more information about CWD in North America, visit the CWD Alliance website at: http://www.cwd-info.org/
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Many Elk and Deer Seasons Open October 15th in Wyoming
October 14, 2008
CHEYENNE– Some big game seasons are ongoing in many areas throughout Wyoming, but there are a number of areas that won’t be opening until Oct. 15.
Persons who have hunted Wyoming frequently know that the state does not have a uniform opening date for all big game species, but there are many areas that share the same opening date. For deer and elk the most common openers are Oct. 1 and Oct. 15. For holders of general licenses, this provides hunters the ability to hunt openers for a number of different areas.
Both residents and nonresidents who hold general elk licenses can hunt in any general license area in the state. There are general elk areas in most national forests in the state including Medicine Bow, Bighorn, Targhee, Wasatch, Bridger-Teton and Shoshone. Wyoming’s other national forest, the Black Hills, is limited quota for elk.
Deer hunters who have general licenses also have a number of choices on hunting locations. As with elk, residents can hunt any general deer license area in the state. General licenses for nonresidents are divided into regions, and nonresident hunters can hunt any general licenses area within their region.  For example, a nonresident who has a Region A deer license could hunt any or all of the six general license hunt areas within that region but could not hunt the 10 general license hunt areas in Region B.
Some deer and elk areas are limited quota only, and both residents and nonresidents hunting those areas must have the limited quota license for that specific hunt area. Some limited quota deer areas are within the boundaries of nonresident deer regions, and those areas are off limits to general license holders.
The deer and elk regulations list the complete information on hunting season dates and limited quota and general license areas. Regulations are available on the Game and Fish Web site or at license agents throughout the state. Hunters with questions can call the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600.
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Deer, Elk, Antelope Licenses Still Available in Some Areas of Wyoming
October 14, 2008
CHEYENNE– The Wyoming Game and Fish reports that some limited quota licenses are still available for elk, deer and antelope. Licenses are available for both resident and nonresident hunters.
Some big game seasons have closed, others will be closing in a few days and others are just getting underway. A listing of areas with licenses available can be found on the Game and fish Web site. Click on Leftover License Availability, then go to the leftover lists for the desired species.Â
Full price and reduced price deer, antelope and elk licenses are available. Reduced price licenses can be purchased as “stand alone” licenses or in addition to the regular full price licenses. Regulation provides that after the drawing, hunters can obtain up to four doe/fawn licenses in certain areas for each species. The post-drawing license fee for resident doe/fawn licenses is $22 for adults and $14 for youth under 18. These same licenses are available to nonresidents for $34 for adults and $19 for nonresident youth.
According to WGFD biological services supervisor Reg Rothwell, the reduced price licenses are an important wildlife management tool. “People who obtain these licenses are helping the department manage big game herds by providing harvests that sustain them at their population objectives or reduce their numbers to objective,” Rothwell said.
Rothwell explains that population objectives are based on habitat evaluations and consultation with land management agencies, sportspersons and landowners. Recommendations on hunting seasons and license quotas for regular and reduced price licenses are then presented to the public every spring at a series of meetings throughout the state. Those recommendations are based on analysis of data from the previous year and the estimated size of each herd compared to its population objective.
All leftover licenses including doe/fawn, cow/calf and regular price licenses are now being sold at any of the 100 fully automated license agents in the state. In previous years, regular price licenses remaining after the drawing were only sold at Game and Fish offices, and leftover reduced price licenses were only sold at license agents.  A listing of automated license agents where these licenses can be obtained can also be found on the Game and Fish Web site.
Many of the remaining licenses are on private lands. The Game and Fish advises hunters to make sure they have access to hunt prior to obtaining a license. Persons with questions on access and licenses can contact Game and Fish regional offices or call the Game and Fish in Cheyenne at (307) 777-4600.
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New Signs Help Platte River Rafters
September 22, 2008
LARAMIE– Boaters on the North Platte River in the Laramie region should find it easier to navigate the waters, thanks to new signs recently installed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and members of the Platte Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
New red and blue signs designating private and public land were installed late July on the North Platte River from the Bennett Peak BLM access put-in downstream to Treasure Island. The signs alert floaters to land status: red markers designate private land, blue markers indicate public and private land open for access downstream from the side of the river the sign is posted on.
“Anyone floating the North Platte River needs to understand Wyoming laws pertaining to floating through private lands before pushing off from shore,” says project coordinator Steve Gale, Laramie region fisheries biologist for the Game and Fish. “We want to maintain good working relationships with all landowners and following floating rules will help in that effort.”
Water is the property of the state, and anyone can enjoy it and any bordering public lands. If you float through private lands, however, you must stay in your boat at all times, unless advance permission has been obtained from the landowner. Wading or anchoring on private land is also prohibited. State law only allows you to leave your craft briefly to navigate around obstacles.
“Knowing which land is public and which land is private can be difficult,” Gale says. “The marker system should help boaters know of what’s on both sides of the bank.”
The original red/blue signs on the North Platte River were installed in the early 1990s, but many had become unreadable or were missing entirely. Laramie region Game and Fish employees spent the last two summers surveying the river to determine what signs needed to be replaced. Game and Fish provided the new signs, and volunteers from Platte Valley Trout Unlimited helped install them. The river is now correctly signed from the USFS boundary downstream to Saratoga.
Gale says additional replacement signs are planned. “Next summer, we’ll focus on updating signs from Saratoga downstream to Interstate 80. We want to keep all the red/blue signs current and help boaters enjoy their float while following the rules and respecting land ownership.”
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Fish Fly the Skies in Helicopter Stocking Program in Wyoming
August 20, 2008
CASPER- Normally the only wildlife flying the friendly skies are on the tail of a Frontier airplane. But Aug. 3-6, thousands of fish from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s fish hatcheries were planted in Wyoming waters through helicopter stocking efforts.
When lakes or streams are not accessible by road, the Game and Fish uses a privately contracted helicopter to plant fish in high alpine areas. Fish were transported first from by truck to a staging site, then transferred to the helicopter for planting. Specially designed tanks allow for the stocking of several lakes in one trip. The helicopter pilot controls the release of the fish with an electronic switch. Although fish are released approximately 20 feet from the water’s surface, they land safely in the waiting pools below.
“Flying fish in a helicopter sounds unusual, but it’s something the Game and Fish has been doing for years,” explains Jim Barner, assistant fish culture supervisor for the Game and Fish. “We have some lakes and streams that are popular with anglers, but the only way to get to them is by hiking in on foot. Stocking these remote ponds using traditional methods would require lots of manpower and would take several weeks or more, with significant losses of fish along the way. Once the helicopter is loaded, we can stock about up to eight lakes in about 30 minutes, then reload the helicopter for additional stocking.”
Using a helicopter is a safer, more efficient way for the department to get fish to these hard-to-reach waters.
“We alternate the sites we stock by helicopter each year,” says Barner. “This year we planted fish near Dubois, Buffalo and Laramie. Next year, we’ll use helicopters to stock other areas and water bodies.”
The stocked fish were several different species of trout, including the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, generally about 2 ½ - 5 inches long, or what are known as fingerlings. To make sure the fish are healthy when they reach the water, fish culture personnel closely monitor the oxygen level and water temperature of the transportation tanks. The temperature of the transportation tanks are matched as closely as possible with the temperature of the lake or stream where the fish will be planted. This helps reduce the thermal shock to the fish. Fish are also taken off feed a day or two before planting to reduce their demand for oxygen. Very few fish die during planting operations.
“Aerial stocking is obviously the most glamorous, but we also stock by boat, truck and even horseback,” says Barner. “Many anglers prefer fishing the hard-to-reach areas because of the solitary experience, and in some places you can combine excellent fishing with hiking, backpacking and camping.”
Fisheries biologists determine the species, volume and location of they would like stocked each year and submit their requests to the fish culture personnel. Wyoming’s 10 fish hatcheries and rearing stations then work together to raise the types and number of fish to be stocked to meet angler needs. Raising and stocking fish has played an important role in Wyoming’s fisheries management, especially in areas with high fishing pressure or where habitat limits sufficient natural reproduction to meet angler demand. The Game and Fish raises and stocks more than 311,000 pounds of fish each year for Wyoming anglers.
“A lot of thought and effort goes into providing quality fisheries in Wyoming,” says Barner. “Several years of work by biologists and fish culturists may have gone into that trophy trout on your line. Quality habitat, a healthy hatchery system and knowledgeable personnel, combined with our beautiful landscapes make Wyoming one of the premier fishing destinations in the country.”
For more information on fishing locations, department’s hatcheries or fish management efforts, visit the Game and Fish Web site at http://gf.state.wy.us.
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Upton Kids Win Inaugural NRA Sponsored Youth Hunter Challenge
August 19, 2008
UPTON - For 2008, you can call J.R. Grieves and Caleb Thompson the reigning champs of Wyoming hunting.
It’s not because the Upton young men - age 14 and 16 - tagged 400-point elk and got their picture in a national outdoor magazine.
Rather, J.R. and Caleb displayed that outdoor expertise by besting other young hunters in trap shooting, .22 marksmanship, wildlife identification and other hunting/outdoor skills at Wyoming’s first annual National Rifle Association sanctioned Youth Hunter Education Challenge June 28 at the Upton Gun Club.
Caleb won the 15-18 age group and the competition was bested by J.R. in the 14 and under group. By participating in the state event, all the Wyoming competitors qualified to participate in the NRA hosted international competition in Mansfield, Penn. July 28 - Aug. 1.
Hosted by the Upton Gun Club with the assistance of local hunter education instructors and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the competition also included a hunter responsibility exam, hunter safety trail challenge and archery and muzzleloader marksmanship.
Since 2000, the Game and Fish had been conducting a modified version of the youth hunter challenge each September at the annual Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo in Casper. This year with the help of all involved, the event was expanded to meet NRA criteria and held earlier so participants could attend the NRA international competition if they desired. The NRA has been hosting the international YHEC every year since 1985.
A fortunate coincidence for the inaugural event is a two-time winner of Missouri’s NRA YHEC, Brady Morris, working with the director of the Upton Gun Club. Morris, who came to the Cowboy State to study wildlife management at the University of Wyoming and now works for an environmental consulting firm in Gillette, provided expert planning counsel and helped conduct the event. Morris also placed second at the NRA’s international YHEC.
All participants of the Wyoming YHEC received a prize for their hunting dedication. The winners also received Carharrt jackets embroidered with the event and their name. The prizes were possible thanks to the contributions of many sponsors including the Upton Gun Club, Weston County Sportsman Club, Inyan Kara Bowhunters, Wyoming Chapter of the Friends of the National Rifle Association, T&T Guns and Ammo of Gillette, Glenrock Components, Sportsmen’s Warehouse, Crook County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Upton Hardware and the Weston County Gazette.
All young Wyoming hunters are invited to participate in next year’s YHEC. It will again be held at the beautiful grounds of the Upton Gun Club, where the various ranges are nestled into the Black Hill’s setting of sagebrush, boulders and ponderosa pine. The date for the 2009 event has not been decided, but it could be as early as April when many other states conduct their YHEC. To participate, youngsters just need to present their hunter education card and pay a $10 entry fee. The Game and Fish and Upton Gun Club will announce details of the 2009 YHEC when available and prospective young hunters are welcome to call (307) 777-4538 for more information.
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Wyoming Game and Fish Offers Area 2 Sheep Hunters Option to Delay License to 2009
August 11, 2008
CHEYENNE– Due to the Gunbarrel Wildland Fire west of Cody restricting access, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is offering area 2 bighorn sheep hunters the option of delaying their license to the 2009 season.
The Shoshone National Forest has closed access to approximately 150 square miles of area 2 due to the lightning-induced fire that began July 26. “With no idea of when access may be resumed or how much larger the fire may grow this summer, we (Game and Fish) decided to give area 2 sheep hunters the option of either hunting this year or next,” said Jay Lawson, Game and Fish chief game warden.
Through Aug. 7, the fire had grown to 32,600 acres.
In a letter mailed Aug. 4, the 24 license holders were alerted they would need to notify the Game and Fish in writing prior to Aug. 15 - the opening of archery season in the area - if wishing to delay their license to 2009. Game and Fish regulations stipulate all bighorn sheep, moose or mountain goat hunters unable to use their license for good cause (department designated natural disaster, incapacitating illness or military personnel receiving a permanent change of station) must submit their request in writing, along with the intact license, prior to the season opening for any hunting for that species.
“Because bighorn sheep licenses are a coveted and long-sought-after commodity, the Game and Fish wanted to give these hunters the best opportunity to have a quality experience,” Lawson said.
The Game and Fish believes the fire is posing no danger to bighorn sheep and will improve bighorn habitat in the future – but could certainly compromise hunts this year.
The option to delay a big game license to 2009 is only being offered in bighorn sheep area 2. At this time, all other Wyoming moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunt areas are scheduled to open as planned.