Why You Should Get Your Deer Checked for CWD
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first detected during the 1960’s in a captive deer research facility in Colorado. Although that’s not yet the worst thing that Wyoming has inherited from Colorado, it is becoming an increasing concern for wildlife managers and hunters. In summary, CWD is incurable, causes degradative neurological effects and weight loss, and …
Connor Rainey: A Not-So Trashy Mountain Man
Transitioning from oilfield worker to volunteer trash and reclamation operative came with a pay cut. But, after watching the mountain range he grew up in becoming increasingly polluted, Conor Raney felt he had to do something about it. Growing up in Pinedale, Wyoming, Raney spent much of his childhood in the surrounding mountains. He bonded …
What To Expect at the Darwin Ranch Retreat
The Darwin Ranch is nestled in a high mountain valley, an inholding surrounded by thousands of acres of the national forest in the Gros Ventre. With a history nearly as old as statehood, visitors feel transported back to a simpler time at the Darwin. Rustic but cozy log cabins, abundant wildlife in the valley meadows, …
Ecosystem Engineers: A residential dispute on dry land
I spoke with Jenny, an artist and Lander resident who has horses that rely on the river running through their pasture for water. Last year a beaver decided that this stretch of river was fantastic habitat and started building a dam. At first, Jenny was not too bothered. In fact, she was curious. She felt …
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Sam Cook: A Hunter Behind the Camera
Sam Cook is a man that cut his teeth in several major Wyoming industries but always seems to end up in the woods. Born in Wilson, Wyoming, Cook grew up interacting with public spaces. The enthusiasm in his voice peaked when recalling evenings spent bugling to bull elk with his dad. The father-son duo would …
Andrew O’Neill: A Hunting and Fishing Documentarian
Like a bloated seal lounging on the ice, our unofficial “guide”, who we met the prior day, was sprawled out in the bottom of the boat, sleeping off the previous night. Andrew O’Neill took over as ancillary captain as we floated down the Platte River. It was an odd situation that got progressively more uncomfortable …
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Taskforce Makes First Recommendation: Fully Fund WWNRT
Header Image: Mule deer winter along the East Fork of the Wind River where WWNRT has helped fund multiple habitat projects. Photo by Jess Johnson The way Wyoming allocates hunting licenses has been a point of contention over the last decade with various bills brought forth and contested. These allocation discussions divide current sporting opportunities …
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Wyoming’s Famous Grouse, Its Neglected Cousin, and a Threat to Both
| By Guest Contributor, Tom Christiansen Unless you’re just waking from a 20-year coma, you already know sage-grouse are a pretty big deal in the Cowboy State. Meanwhile, sharp-tailed grouse receive comparatively little attention even though their numbers too seem to be declining, especially in southeast Wyoming. It’s reasonable to ask why and what is …
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Are you a Wyoming Outdoors Role Model?
Plodding along, one heel-to-toe roll at a time, I wind my way through the sagebrush in Sinks Canyon. Trail running has me feeling lucky that I have the time and privilege to enjoy the clean fresh air of the mountains, coolness of an aspen stand, and the iconic scenery of the canyon. Although the dolomite …
A Quarter of Wyoming Needs A Land Manager
Nearly one-quarter of Wyoming is under Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversight – many of us recreate, hunt, fish, and camp on these public lands. Here, the Federation’s Executive Director, Dwayne Meadows lends his take on the Senate confirming Tracy Stone-Manning as the director of the BLM. Cover photo: Antelope bucks on Bureau Of Land …
Wildlife Task Force Off On The Right Foot
The Wildlife Task Force met for the first time on June 16 and 17, 2021 to kick off the process of tackling the biggest hot-button issues with Wyoming’s licensing system, hunter access, and wildlife management as a whole. The group will provide recommendations to the proper governing bodies with solutions to various issues on a …
Want to Fix The Wyoming Tag System?
In 2020, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department teamed up with Wyoming Legislators to create the Wildlife Task Force. The mission of this task force? Come up with long-term solutions to improve the license system and other hot-button issues for hunters within the State of Wyoming. The Wildlife Task Force public meetings begin June 16-17, …
Wings of the Sage
Voluntary wing deposits help shape the future of what is to become of the sage grouse and those that hunt them. I could see the red barrel far off in the distance as we drove down from the sage flats. The metal spherical container acted like a beacon as we traversed the two-track road. Moments …
What’s Special About the Baggs Migration Corridor?
The Baggs Mule Deer Migration Corridor Working Group finalized recommendations that will be sent to Governor Mark Gordon and all relevant agencies. The Baggs migration corridor will remain designated, the boundaries remain intact, and various conservation opportunities were recommended to ensure a lasting and permeable corridor. In attendance at all meetings, WWF staff are excited …
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Why We Care About the Bridger-Teton National Forest
If you are standing in Kemmerer, Pinedale, or Jackson, Wyoming, you can see the jagged peaks of the Bridger-Teton National Forest on the horizon. These 3.4 million acres of forest are home to some of the highest quality hunting, backpacking, fly fishing, and other outdoor adventures in the lower-48. They are enjoyed by tourists, new …
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Bighorn Sheep In Danger If Allotments Restocked
Cover photo: The eastern slope of Mount Darby. Photo by Jaden Bales Hunting a ram from the Darby Mountain Bighorn Sheep Herd is one of the most sought-after big game experiences for Wyoming hunters. The conservation efforts to keep this herd healthy are at risk of being undone with the recent Bridger-Teton National Forest proposal …
3 Reasons Why Kids Need More Quality Time Outside
We all know how taking a moment or a vacation outside can soothe our souls, challenge our bodies, and leave us refreshed and ready to face the world. The benefits of quality time outside extend throughout our lifetimes but is particularly critical during childhood. Here are three reasons to make sure kids get plenty of …
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Wyoming Hunting License Applications
Wyoming holds some of the most pristine and intact ecosystems on the planet, with public lands comprising nearly half of the states total area. However, loss of access and increasing demands on our public lands are major threats to the future of conservation and our outdoor pursuits.
What Happened at the 2021 Legislature?
Delays, virtual meetings, masking up, and protests; Wyoming’s 2021 Legislative Session was anything but normal. Luckily, hunters and anglers can now look back on a successful legislative session that saw great strides for hunter access, wildlife conservation, and preservation of the Wyoming traditions we all love so much. For the past 87 years, the Federation …
10 High Priority Areas for Wildlife Crossings
Originally identified by the Wyoming Wildlife and Roadways Initiative Implementation Team (WWRIIT), there are 240 sites that are both important and may require more involved and costly solutions, like tall fencing to use existing underpass structures, and overpass structures like the ones at Dry Piney. Using the best available data and expert knowledge, the Team …
Volunteer For The Four Bear Fence Tear
The Absaroka Fence Initiative will partner with the community at the Four Bear Trail on Saturday, May 1, for its first public volunteer project. Participants are invited to spend the morning removing old barbed wire fence which will improve habitat for migrating wildlife. Volunteers are encouraged to RSVP at the Facebook event page. [button open_new_tab=”true” …
New Film Shows Stakeholders Working Together For Wildlife
Conservation is a Wyoming value. That is the moral of the story from Stakeholders, a short film by the Wyoming Wildlife Federation showing how ranchers, oil and gas workers, and conservationists come together to protect wildlife and wildlife migrations in Wyoming. WWF’s habitat coordinator, Sam Lockwood was raised on the southern end of the Wyoming …
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Better Upper Green River Access
Children who have positive outdoor experiences are much more likely to become adults who fish, hunt, and care for the natural world. Wyoming Wildlife Federation’s Class Outside program seeks to engage our next generation in learning that is place and experience-based, right here in our backyard.
Calling In & Calling Out: How to Communicate with Decision Makers
In the misty dawn, a turkey hunter patiently clucks on a box call, calling in her quarry. The call lets her target know that all is well, nobody but turkeys here, so the neighborhood birds start to come in. We can learn a lot from her. In a time where calling folks out and cancel …
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Help Protect Our Way of Life
We need everyone who values the wild spaces of Wyoming to get involved. Are you ready?