CHEYENNE - Three moose that showed up on the golf course at the Little America Hotel on the west edge of Cheyenne were relocated to the Snowy Range Mountains June 28 by Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel.

The moose, two young males and a female, were first spotted by a Little America employee early yesterday morning. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department was notified and arrived on the scene to find all three moose in a small grove of trees on the golf course adjacent to the Sinclair gas station and the on-ramp to Interstate 80. Little America employees closed down two holes on the course for the safety of the golfers and to avoid frightening the moose onto nearby highways and railroad tracks.

A crowd gathered to watch as game wardens Jon Stephens and Kelly Todd tranquilized all three moose and loaded them into a horse trailer bound for the Snowy Range, in the Fox Park area, where they were released unharmed.

The moose likely wandered into Cheyenne either from the Pole Mountain area west of the city or from somewhere in the Snowy Range west of Laramie. Moose populations in the Pole Mountain and Snowy Range have been increasing.

"We decided to release them in the Snowy Range location because there is a larger amount of favorable habitat there than at Pole Mountain, and they would be less likely to get in this kind of a situation again," Stephens said.

"This was a potentially dangerous situation," said Eric Keszler, public information officer for the Game and Fish. "We were concerned about the safety of the moose and the safety of the public. Moose, though they can appear docile, can be aggressive towards people. In this situation there were lots of people around, including golfers and others who were just curious. Fortunately, we were able to resolve the situation without injury to any people or to the moose."
(contact: Eric Keszler (307) 777-4594, photos available)

CHEYENNE - For some hunters, the toughest part of the hunt is over: drawing the license. For others, June 28 may have brought about as much disappointment as spotting a huge buck, but not getting a shot.

On June 28, the results of the 2007 resident and nonresident deer and antelope license drawings and the resident elk drawing were announced on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Web site. Interested hunters can also check the drawing results of up to three applicants by calling (307) 777-4655.

The Game and Fish started mailing the nearly 110,000 licenses and 49,000 refund checks June 28.

Leftover licenses for both residents and nonresidents - except doe/fawn deer and antelope and cow/calf elk - will be issued in a second drawing. The application period for the second drawing is July 10-20 with the drawing tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1. Applications and the leftover license list are being sent with refunds and are available at license agents, Game and Fish offices and the Game and Fish Web site. Leftover applicants are reminded not to submit license refund checks as payment and are advised to secure permission before applying for the license.

Any licenses remaining after the second drawing will be sold "as processed" through the Game and Fish’s Cheyenne office.

Leftover doe/fawn antelope and deer, and cow/calf elk licenses will be sold first-come, first-served, at license agents in or near the respective hunt areas beginning Aug. 15.

For more information about 2007 big game licenses call the Game and Fish at (800) 842-1934 or (307) 777-4600 outside Wyoming.
(contact: Jeff Obrecht)

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will discuss proposed minor changes to falconry and lethal take of wildlife regulations at a public meeting, July 12, 7 p.m. at the Casper Game and Fish Office.

The proposals include changes to the definitions of general and limited quota falcon license to clarify each license is valid for only one bird. The new regulation would also close a portion of Fremont County to capturing peregrine and prairie falcons.

The Game and Fish is also proposing to add "protection of wildlife from disease or hybridization" in the criteria of when the chief game warden can authorize lethal take of wildlife. All lethal take permittees would be required to submit reports on or before Jan. 31 following the year for which the permit was valid. The proposal would also make it a Game and Fish Commission violation, including refusal of future permits, for a permittee to fail to abide by the terms of the permit.

If unable to attend the meeting, written comments on the proposals will be accepted through 5 p.m. July 31 by mailing: Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Regulations, 3030 Energy Lane, Casper, WY 82604. Copies of the proposed regulations are available at the same address.

All comments will be presented to the commission before they address the proposals at their Sept. 6-7 meeting in Casper.

The Game and Fish supports the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations by contacting the Casper Game and Fish Office at (307) 473-3400.
(contact: Mike Choma (307) 473-3400)

CHEYENNE – Buffalo, mountains, moose and streams abound in Wyoming students’ artwork and writings for the 2007 Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo Poster, Poetry and Essay Competition.

Students from third through 12th grade wrote or drew their vision of our state under the theme, “Wyoming – Where the Wildlife is Still Wild.” The competition is open to all Wyoming students.  All entrants will have their work displayed in the Wyoming People, Places and Culture Gallery at the 10^th annual Expo, Sept. 7-9 in Casper. Winning students also receive a savings bond and will be recognized at the Expo Awards and Sponsors Banquet.

In the 2007 poster competition, held for third through sixth graders, the winners are:

§          First Place – Tanner Wickham, Saratoga; Encampment School – Pam Kraft, teacher

§          Second Place – Ashley Loftice, Encampment; Encampment School – Pam Kraft, teacher

§          Third Place – Madison Yager, Cheyenne; Hobbs Elementary – Virginia Allshouse, teacher

§          Honorable Mention – Fletcher Fuka, Ranchester; Tongue River Elementary

§          Honorable Mention – Matthew Owen, Cheyenne; Hobbs Elementary – Virginia Allhouse, teacher

§          Honorable Mention - Rebecca Treat, Saratoga; Encampment School – Pam Kraft, teacher

§          Honorable Mention – Lucas Jarrett, Encampment; Encampment School – Pam Kraft, teacher

Wickham’s poster, featuring a father and son fishing in a Wyoming lake, will serve as a poster for the 2007 Expo, as well as the Expo calendar cover.

The 2007 poetry competition featured students in seventh, eighth and ninth grades. The winners are:

§          First Place - Zach Carlson, Shoshoni; Shoshoni High School – Cathleen Galitz, teacher

§          Second Place - Tashera Pursel, Riverton; Shoshoni Junior High – Cathleen Galitz, teacher

§          Third Place – Ryan Huxtable, Riverton, Shoshoni High School – Cathleen Galitz, teacher

High school students in grades 10 through 12 were eligible for the essay competition. The 2007 winners are:

§          First Place – Tori Smith, Cheyenne; East High School – Lisa Husbeck, teacher

§          Second Place – Jhordann Rust, Cheyenne; East High School – Lisa Husbeck, teacher

§          Third Place – Daniel Carr, Cheyenne; East High School – Lisa Husbeck, teacher

“The Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo contests for students are a great way for students to learn more about Wyoming’s wildlife and hunting and fishing tradition,” says Wendy Hayes, conservation education manager for the Game and Fish. “It’s a fun and creative way for those students to share their knowledge and passion about wildlife and writing, drawing or painting.”

CHEYENNE - Setting the 2008-09 fishing and watercraft regulations and approving sage grouse conservation plans for the Upper Green River and South-Central working groups highlight the July 19-20 Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting in Pinedale.

The commission will also set mountain lion seasons through 2009 and be updated on the Game and Fish’s financial situation, proposed 2008 budget and black bear management plan.

In addition to fishing and mountain lion regulations, the commission will address regulation proposals about license issuance, license agents and access to records.

Other topics to be presented to the seven-member governing board:
-- Mule Deer Initiative
-- electronic licensing
-- Jackson Bison/Elk Environmental Impact Statement

At 3 p.m. July 20, public comments will be accepted on topics not on the agenda. Feedback on agenda items will be accepted following each presentation if time permits. Attendees are encouraged to arrive before scheduled times in case the agenda is ahead of schedule. Agenda times are tentative and subject to change.

The meeting begins at 8:45 a.m. July 19 and 7 a.m. July 20 at the Sublette County Library, 155 S. Tyler in Pinedale.

In addition, the public is invited to follow the commission on tours July 18 and 19. The July 18 tour will visit several habitat-related destinations and commence from the library at 7 a.m. and conclude at approximately 5:45 p.m. All persons on the tour are advised to bring water and lunch. Starting at 1 p.m. at 132 East Mill Street in Pinedale July 19, the commission will tour several area locations, including the new Game and Fish office. The tour will end at the Muddy Creek Elk Feedground at approximately 5 p.m.

Anyone who would like a complete agenda or requires auxiliary aids to attend should call Connie Coleman at (307) 777-4501. The Game and Fish supports the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.
(Editor: Commission meeting and tour agenda attached.)
(contact: Connie Coleman)

Wednesday, July 18

7 a.m. Commission tour commences at the Sublette County Library, 155 S Tyler, Pinedale

5:45 p.m. (approximately) Tour concludes at the same location.

Thursday, July 19

8:45 a.m. Open Session Meeting

8:46 a.m. Approval of April 24-25, 2007 minutes

8:50 a.m. WAFWA Commission of the Year Award – Terry Cleveland

8:55 a.m. Director’s Update to the Commission – Terry Cleveland

9:05 a.m. Proposed New Commission Meeting Dates for 2008 – Terry Cleveland

9:15 a.m. Commission spokesman for Issues Dealing with Horse Creek Conservation District – Terry Cleveland

9:25 a.m. Property Issues -- John Kennedy

10:15 a.m. Agreements for Audit Resolution Work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- John Kennedy

10:25 a.m. National Conservation Leadership Institute -- John Kennedy             

10:40 a.m. Break

10:55 a.m. Update on Effort to Conserve the Wyoming Range’s Hunting and Fishing Values – Tom Reed

11:15 a.m. 2007 Financial Review and 2008 Proposed Budget – Kathy Frank

11:50 a.m. Adjourn

1 p.m. Commission tour begins at 132 East Mill Street

5 p.m. Tour concludes at Muddy Creek Feedground

Friday, July 20

7 a.m. Reconvene Meeting

7:01 a.m. Draft of Rules Required in HB213 to Report to Joint Agriculture Committee 9/07 -- Scott Talbott

7:50 a.m. Mountain Lion Hunting Seasons -- Bill Rudd

9 a.m. break

9:15 a.m. Black Bear Management Plan -- Bill Rudd

9:45 a.m. Regulation for Issuance of Licenses, Permits, Stamps, Tags, Preference Points and Coupons -- Mike Choma

10 a.m. Regulation Governing Authorized License Selling Agents -- Richard Reynders

10:15 a.m. Watercraft Regulation -- Mike Choma

10:25 a.m. break

10:40 a.m. Regulation Governing Access to Records -- Richard Reynders

10:50 a.m. Record of Decision – Bison/Elk Environmental Impact Statement – Bernie Holz

11:10 a.m. Mule Deer Initiative -- Daryl Lutz

11:30 lunch

1 p.m. Fishing Regulation -- Dirk Miller

1:45 p.m. Upper Green River and South-Central Sage Grouse Conservation Plans -- Tom Christiansen

2:30 p.m. break

2:40 p.m. License Selling Agent Appointments --Richard Reynders

2:50 p.m. License Selling Agent Cancellations -- Richard Reynders

2:55 p.m. Electronic Licensing Update -- Richard Reynders

3 p.m. Public Comment for Items Not on the Agenda

Q. "Does the Game and Fish have fishing contests?"

A. Fishing contests in Wyoming are sponsored by various organizations, businesses and individuals, but not the Game and Fish. However, those who do hold fishing contests are required to get a permit from the Game and Fish. Information on fishing contests can be found on page 6 of the fishing regulations.

SHERIDAN - The collective actions of four overzealous Sheridan hunters who repeatedly shot into a large herd of elk Nov. 10, 2006, killing at least 10 animals and leaving the majority of the meat to waste, generated a collective sentence June 28 of more than $23,000 in fines and restitution and 42 years of forfeited hunting privileges.

The men - two sets of brothers - were also sentenced to 90 days in jail which was suspended and placed on one year unsupervised probation by Circuit Court Judge Robert Skar of Big Horn County, who presided over the case in the Fourth Judicial District, Sheridan County Circuit Court.

The case commenced on Nov. 10, 2006, when a concerned hunter, who was hunting that day near the Kerns Wildlife Habitat Management Area northwest of Sheridan, reported to Dayton Game Warden Alan Osterland hearing a long barrage of up to 90 rifle shots that day coming from the Kerns habitat area.

Osterland responded to the Kerns unit the next morning and visited hunting camps in the area. At the camp of Albert D. and Ivan L. Pierce and Michael L. and Aaron L. May, the officer was told the party had killed four elk and crippled a couple more the day before in the Broderick Bench area of the Kerns WHMA. The men said they had retrieved the boned meat from two elk, had left two more elk at the site and further said that a member of their party had returned with others to retrieve the other two elk that day.

Osterland began to suspect that the party may have been responsible for the shooting barrage. He and Game Warden Troy Achterhof returned to the camp near evening and were told the party had yet to return from retrieving the other two elk. The officers returned the next morning to find the men had returned with only 100 pounds of boned meat from the two elk, which Osterland said he felt was clearly spoiled.

The two officers went out to the Broderick Bench area on Nov. 12. They discovered nine cow elk carcasses, all shot, and another wounded cow elk with a shattered rear femur unable to move in the close vicinity. This elk, just barely alive, was put out of its misery by the officers. Members of the Pierce/May party had earlier stated they had been shooting at a cripple dragging its rear in that area. None of the nine carcasses had been gutted and three had been partially boned out.

"In my 18 years of wildlife law enforcement this was far and away the most sickening crime scene I’ve had to investigate," said Osterland, who led the investigation and patrols the district where the crime occurred.

The officers performed necropsies on the elk carcasses and also collected DNA samples from the carcasses for laboratory analysis.

On Nov. 16, Osterland and Wildlife Investigator Scott Adell served search warrants on the residences of Aaron May and Albert Pierce. About 190 pounds of frozen elk meat was confiscated from Pierce’s residence.

The Game and Fish Forensics Laboratory later confirmed the confiscated meat matched some of the carcasses at the crime scene.

In their initial statements to Osterland, the defendants admitted to firing collectively 58 shots from their bolt-action rifles. The men said they first started shooting from 500 to 700 yards away from the herd numbering between 150 and 300 elk. An eyewitness spoken to during the course of the investigation confirmed seeing men shoot continuously at a large herd of panicking elk on the Broderick Bench at distances of up to 700 yards. He confirmed earlier reports as to the amount of shots fired, estimating that the hunters he saw fired approximately 90 shots.

"The case was the worst dearth of sportsmanship that I’d ever investigated," Osterland said.

The May brothers - Michael, 21, and Aaron, 24 - and Ivan Pierce, 37, each pleaded guilty June 28 to one count each of wanton destruction of elk, waste of game meat and taking an overlimit of elk. They were each assessed $5,200 in fines and restitution, had their hunting privileges revoked for 10 years and were placed on one year unsupervised probation.

In the plea agreement between the Sheridan County Attorney’s Office and the three defendants and their attorneys, additional charges, including failure to retain evidence of sex and failure to tag, were dismissed.

Interviews required in the plea agreement also identified an 11th elk that was killed in the melee. The officers and county attorney’s office commended the men for their cooperation in the investigation.

Albert Pierce, 48, did not participate in a plea agreement and pleaded no contest to one count each of wanton destruction of elk, waste of game meat, overlimit of elk and failure to tag a game animal. Judge Skar ordered him to pay $6,000 in restitution and $1,600 in fines and revoked his hunting privileges for 12 years. He also was placed on one year unsupervised probation and in addition was given a 90-day suspended jail sentence.

Deputy County and Prosecuting Attorney Christopher LaRosa said the difference in the two sentences stemmed from the fact that the three defendants who had reached agreement with the state of Wyoming and pleaded guilty, had by their actions and statements more fully accepted responsibility than had defendant Albert Pierce.

In the sentencing hearing, Albert Pierce argued that the state should have laws or regulations limiting the number of shots that can be taken when hunting and laws stating proper shooting distance. His attorney downplayed the severity of the offenses, contending the Game and Fish wants cow elk harvested to meet management goals.

"These were egregious violations," LaRosa said. "The actions taken that day violated Wyoming Game and Fish regulations and also betrayed fundamental ethical responsibilities taught to the hunting public in hunter education classes."

The officers commended LaRosa for his diligent attention and many hours invested in the case. The prosecutor was prepared to take the case to trial. "I believe the sentences were just," LaRosa said. "When you abuse the privilege, you should lose the privilege."

Adell said there are lessons to be learned from the case, which he considers to be a flagrant example of party hunting. "This case shows how important hunter education and positive role models are in hunting," Adell said. "Ethics are such an important part of hunting. Ethics instill a respect for wildlife, fellow sportsmen and will also help keep you out of trouble."

He encourages anyone who does commit a violation to seek a quick resolution to the situation to minimize the state’s investment in investigation and prosecution and to gain the benefit accorded to those who fully cooperate with investigations.
(contact: Alan Osterland, Scott Adell or Warren Mischke (307) 672-7418, photos available on request)