Posted 10-4-08

Wyoming Game and Fish News

Cheyenne (WGFD) -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will once again be collecting samples from deer and elk this fall to test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the state’s deer and elk herds. Samples from moose will also be taken.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that has been diagnosed in free ranging deer, elk and moose in 11 states and two Canadian provinces.

In addition to hunter field checks, there will be head drop barrels in the Jackson region and collections taken at the Green River regional office and various check stations. Deer and elk hunters are encouraged to take advantage of these sampling opportunities throughout the hunting season.

Hunters who wish to have their animals individually tested at their own expense can contact the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory located at 1174 Snowy Range Road in Laramie or call (307) 742-6638.

The dates and locations for CWD sample collection are as follows:

Oct. 4-5 Newcastle Check Station
Oct. 4-5 Meeteetse, Check Station…Hwy 290 west of town
Oct. 4 Rawlins, south
Oct 4-5 Crowheart
Oct. 4-5 Jack’s Place… Hwy 130 east of Centennial
Oct. 4-5 Laramie…Hwy 230, Hansen Livestock Arena
Oct. 4-5 Saratoga…USFS office
Oct. 5 LaBarge Check Station
Oct. 5 Daniel Check Station
Oct. 4-5 Farson Check Station
Oct. 1-5 Gillette…Olds Processing
Oct.1-5 Buffalo…Big Horn Meats
Oct. 11-12 Saratoga…USFS office
Oct. 11-12 Jack’s Place…Hwy 130 east of Centennial
Oct. 15-16 Douglas…Grizzly Meat Processing
Oct. 15-16 Douglas…Tom’s Meats
Oct. 15-16 Sybille Canyon…Hwy 34/Tunnel Road
Oct. 15-16 Glenrock…Country Style Meat Processing
Oct. 15-16 Lovell…Hwy 14-A east of town
Oct. 15-16, 18-19 Wheatland…Sybille Creek Processing
Oct. 15-18 Meeteetse…Hwy 30 north of town
Oct. 15-18 Greybull…Hwy 16/20 south of town
Oct. 15-18 Shell…Hwy 14 near town
Oct. 15-17 Ten Sleep…Hwy 16 near town
Oct. 15-18 Hyattville…Hwy 31 near town
Oct. 15-18 Manderson…Hwy 31 near town
Oct. 15, 18-19 Lander
Oct. 15, 18-19 North Rawlins
Oct. 15, 18-19 Shoshoni…Hwy 20/26 near Boysen Reservoir
Oct. 15, 18-19 Moneta
Oct. 15-16 Saratoga…USFS office
Oct. 15-16 Jack’s Place…Hwy 130 east of Centennial
Oct. 15-17 Buffalo…Big Horn Meats
Oct. 15-17 Dayton…Valley Meats
Oct. 15-17 Kaycee Check Station
Oct. 18-19 Medicine Bow…Hwy 30/487 junction
Oct. 18-19, 26 LaBarge Check Station
Oct. 18-19, 26 Daniel Check Station
Nov. 1-2 Lovell…Hwy 14-A east of town
Nov. 1-3 Burlington…Hwy 32 near town
Nov. 1-3 Otto…Hwy 30 near town
Nov. 1, 3-4 Powell…Roger’s Meats
Nov. 1-10, 16-19,22,23,29,30 Cody Check Station…Hwy 14-16-20 west of town
Nov. 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 Sundance Check Station
Nov. 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 28-30 Devil’s Tower Check Station
Nov. 16-19, 22-23, 29-30 Cody…Sunlight Check Station Hwy 296
Dec. 1, 6-8, 13-15 Cody…Sunlight Check Station Hwy 296
Dec. 1, 6-8, 13-15 Cody Check Station…Hwy 14-16-20 west of town

In addition, samples will be collected at the Green River Regional Office and various check stations throughout the elk and deer hunting seasons in the Green River Region.

The Jackson Region will be taking elk samples utilizing head drop barrels located on the National Elk Refuge, Gros Ventre Road and Kelly/Warm Springs Road. Barrels will also be placed in Moran and Moose and at the Jackson regional office.

Hunters Reminded To Follow Up Their Shots

Cody—Successful hunters know that a well-placed shot ensures quality game meat and makes big game recovery faster and often easier. However, some hunters take shots well beyond their ability to successfully hit the vital area of some big game species—most notably elk.

"As the hunting season progresses, elk naturally tend to 'bunch up' making it difficult for hunters to get close. This is when it is most tempting to take a long-range shot," said Dennie Hammer, Cody education specialist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and hunter education instructor. "If you take a long-range shot and the animal moves off, it may still have been hit. Hunters should follow that shot up by walking to the spot where the animal was standing."

According to Hammer, game wardens have observed numerous instances where hunters shoot at distances of 400-600 yards or more and never follow up their shot. "An animal must be hit in a vital area to die quickly. A poorly placed shot outside the vital area may cripple an animal, which will ultimately die at a later time," Hammer said. "Hunters have an ethical obligation to follow up their shots."

Knowing your effective shooting range comes with practice. Spending time target shooting and using a rangefinder to estimate distance when hunting is a good way to determine whether a game animal is beyond a person's effective shooting range. "Marksmanship is a skill that is developed through practice. It is always best to know your effective shooting range and stay within it," Hammer said

Drawings Conducted For Springer, Glendo Pheasant Hunts

Cheyenne – The drawings for the Springer and Glendo special pheasant hunts have been conducted and some openings are available for each hunt.

Openings are available for the Springer youth hunt on Oct. 25 (62) and Nov. 2 (59). The permits will be issued first come, first served to qualifying youth at the Springer Check Station located south of Yoder. Game and Fish regulation defines youth as any person who has not turned 18 by Oct. 1, 2008. Adults are encouraged to accompany all youth hunters and are required to be with kids under 14.

Openings for hunters of all ages are available Oct. 28 (11), 29 (34), 30 (19), Nov. 4 (54), Nov. 5 (34), Nov. 6 (55). The permits are issued first come, first served at the Springer Check Station. On the other days of the hunt, “stand by” hunters of all ages are permitted on the area as other hunters check out. No more than 110 hunters are allowed on the area at a time.

The following permits are available for the Glendo Special Pheasant hunt for all ages of hunters: Nov. 24 (8), Nov. 29 (7), and Dec. 1 (24). Since there is no check station for the Glendo hunt, the remaining permits are available through the Game and Fish office in Cheyenne. Applications are available at license agents, Game and Fish offices and on the Game and Fish Web site http://gf.state.wy.us .
As with Springer, Glendo also has special youth hunt days which are Nov. 9, 16, 23 and 30. No Glendo permit is required for youth to hunt on youth only hunt days.

More information on the Springer and Glendo hunts can be found in the current upland bird regulations. Hunters are reminded that the $12.50 pheasant special management permit is required for all ages for the Springer and Glendo hunts. A state park permit is also required for the Glendo locations other than the County Line area.

Commission Schedules Telephonic Meeting

Cheyenne—The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has scheduled a special telephonic meeting for Monday, October 6, 2008, 3:00 p.m. mountain daylight time.

The Commission will consider the purchase of real estate. Open Session will begin at 3:00 p.m. The Commission will move to go in to Executive Session to consider the purchase of real estate. The Commission will then reconvene Open Session to adjourn the meeting.

Members of the public are invited to attend open session at Cheyenne Headquarters, 5400 Bishop Blvd, Cheyenne, WY, or by joining the conference call.

• Call-in Instructions:
  Call: 877 278 8686
  Participant Pin #: 631260

Questions and conference call inquiries may be addressed to Connie Coleman, Game and Fish Director’s Office at 307-777-4501

Game and Fish Calendar

• Oct. 5 – Wyoming Wildlife TV..Energy Development: How is it affecting Wildlife (Part 1) KCWY Ch.13, 10:30 p.m.
• Oct. 12 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Energy Development: (Part 2) KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.
• Oct. 13-17 – No watercraft registrations accepted or processed
• Oct. 19 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Habitat: The foundation of all wildlife conservation, KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.
  
• Oct. 23-Nov.7 – Springer Special Pheasant Hunt
• Oct. 26 – Wyoming Wildlife TV...Hunter and Angler Recruitment and Retention, KCWY Ch, 13, 10:30 p.m.
• Nov. 2 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Bighorn Sheep and Mule Deer in Wyoming, KCWY Ch, 13, 10:30 p.m.
• Nov. 9 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Nongame: Managing species we don’t hunt or fish for, KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.
• Nov. 16 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Funding: Who pays for Wyo.Wildlife management? KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.
• Nov. 23 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Wyoming’s Hatcheries: Stocking the state’s waters, KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.
  
• Nov. 30 – Wyoming Wildlife TV…Wildlife Law Enforcement: Catching the bad guys, KCWY Ch. 13, 10:30 p.m.