“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