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Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Jackson Region

May 2015 Newsletter

WY Range Mule Deer Fawn Study Begins

Game and Fish Wildlife Division personnel joined researchers from the

Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of

Wyoming and numerous other stakeholders and volunteers to start

Phase II of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Study. The study involves cap-

turing newborn mule deer fawns to fit them with tracking collars allow-

ing intensive monitoring to as-

sess survival and identify causes

of mortality. Fawns are being

captured and monitored primar-

ily within the Greys River area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the Wyoming and

Salt River Ranges. Fawns are most vulnerable to malnutrition, predation and other

causes of mortality during their first few weeks of life. Therefore, fawns are being moni-

tored for 4-6 weeks directly following birth during the summer months of June, July and

August.

In March 2013, the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Pro-

ject began with the overall goal to address research

and management needs identified in the Wyoming

Range Mule Deer Initiative. Habitat and predation

were key topics identified during the public input

process of the initiative and understanding their

relationship to fawn survival and overall recruit-

ment will aid managers in developing strategies to

encourage population growth.

The project would not be possible without the fi-

nancial and logistical contributions of key research partners, including: Wyoming Wildlife

and Natural Resource Trust, Animal Damage Management Board, Muley Fanatic Founda-

tion, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Knobloch Family Foundation, Bowhunters of

Wyoming, and onXmaps. (Left) South Jackson Wildlife Biologist Gary Fralick weighs a new-

born mule deer fawn in the Salt Range east of Afton. (Right) Wyo-

ming Coop Unit Researcher Melinda Nelson prepares to leave a mule

deer fawn after fitting it with an expandable GPS collar.

Jackson Region Monthly Newsletter

May 2015

Call of the Curlew

Jackson Nongame Biologist Susan Patla teamed up with Dr. Jay

Carlisle from the Boise, Idaho-based Intermountain Bird Observa-

tory to capture and mark seven long-billed curlews in northwest

Wyoming. The birds are being fitted with GPS transmitters that

will allow biologists to monitor reproductive success and track

their travels over the next couple years. This year, birds were cap-

tured and marked in Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk

Refuge, the Cody

area and private

lands near Daniel.

In 2014, a nesting fe-

male curlew was fitted

with a GPS transmitter on the National Elk Refuge near Jackson. Interest-

ingly, this bird, dubbed “AJ” based on her leg-band letters, ended up

spending the winter approximately 100 miles south of Mazatlan on the

west coast of Mexico. AJ spent the winter within a 10-mile radius until

late March when she started her trek back north. Taking a different route

through New Mexico, she did end up back on the elk refuge again to estab-

lish another nest in May 2015.

This year, researchers were able to capture and mark her mate and are

anxious to learn if his travels mimic those of AJ. Mated pairs of curlews

share the duty of egg incubation with females generally sitting on the

nest during the day and males taking the night shift.

The seven birds marked in Wyoming are part of a larger effort by the

Intermountain Bird Observatory to study the intermountain population

that includes 15 additional curlews they have tagged in Idaho and Mon-

tana.

Those interested can

learn more about the

research being con-

ducted on long-billed curlews as well as other birds at their website:

http://ibo.boisestate.edu/home/ .

Researchers unfurl a mist net in preparation of dropping it on a

nesting long-billed curlew at the Natl Elk Refuge near Jackson.

Measurements are taken on a male long-billed curlew.

A GPS transmitter is fitted on the back of a long-billed

curlew.

Jackson Nongame Biologist Susan Patla releases

a newly marked long-billed curlew.


May 2015

Auburn Hatchery Field Days

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department operates 10 Fish hatcheries across the state, all of which are open to visitors. As the weather warms, visitation picks up and they are especially popular with students at the end of the school year.

The Auburn Hatchery is located Star Valley approxi-mately 10 miles west of Grover, WY. Surprisingly, it is actually located in Idaho, but the only access is through Wyoming. The crew at Auburn welcomed several hundred students to the hatchery this spring. On this day, the hatchery staff provided a tour to ele-mentary students from Cokeville and they were joined by Regional I&E Specialist Mark Gocke who also taught them about Wyoming furbearers.

(Below left & right) Auburn

Fish Culturist Travis Parrill

talks to a group of elementary

students from Cokeville.


May 2015

Spring Black Bear Season

The spring black bear hunting season runs May 1-June 15 in the

Jackson Region, unless the allotted female mortality quota is

reached before season’s end. Regional game wardens spend

considerable time visiting bait sites before, during and after the

hunt season to make sure all hunters are following the rules.

Then, as some hunters are successful, regional personnel col-

lect harvest information as bears

are brought in for their mandatory

check-in. At press time (June 15),

seven of the allotted 13 female

bears taken in the combined hunt

areas 18, 20, 21, 22, 24 and 29 in the

Jackson area. In the Wyoming

Range hunt areas 14, 15, 16, 17 and

30, a total of 24 of the allotted 30

female bears had been taken in the

Wyoming Range hunt areas .

Awwww….

The Jackson Game and Fish office received a call from a concerned citizen about a wayward family of

mallard ducks in downtown Jackson (Broadway

& Willow Streets) that was in danger of getting

struck in traffic. Jackson Game Wardens Kyle

Lash and Jon Stephens to the rescue! The two

were able to gathered up the hen and her newly

hatched brood of ducklings and transport them

safely to one of the ponds at the National Elk Ref-

uge.

South Jackson Wildlife Biologist Gary Fralick

(left) and North Jackson Game warden Jon

Stephens check in hunter harvested black bears.

Jackson Game warden Kyle Lash re-

leases a family of ducks at the na-

tional Elk Refuge near Jackson.


May 2015

Alpine Antler Rendezvous

Afton Game Warden Todd Graham again coordinated an

enforcement effort to keep antler buyers and sellers le-

gal at the annual Alpine Antler Rendezvous held from

May 8th to May 15th. The annual event was well attended

this year and several large big game heads were brought

in including many more moose racks this year. Game

Wardens Jackie Otto and James Olson assisted with the

task force and Jackson Office Manager Barb Long once

again spent two days at the event tagging heads. Com-

pliance was very good with no citations and one written

warning issued.

ElkFest 2015

Several hundred people attended fish

and wildlife educational exhibits that

were again set up at the annual elk

antler auction and ElkFest celebration

on the Jackson town square. Jackson

fisheries technicians Chance Roberts

and John Heckel taught fishing skills

and Bear Biologist Sam Stephens

talked bear safety while Jackson Of-

fice Manager Julie Jaeger and Pine-

dale BFH Biologist Eric Maichak ad-

ministered the fish & wildlife quiz.


May 2015

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget The deadline to apply for your

Super Tag raffle tickets is July 1. It’s all online

at the Game and Fish Website:

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/home.aspx

Good Luck!

Climbing for Data

South Jackson Widllife Biologist Gary Fralick spent several hours hiking to retrieve a dropped GPS tracking collar that had been carried by a mountain goat from the Palisades goat herd for the past two years. The recovered data will be analyzed by the Greater Yellowstone Area Mountain Ungulate Project at Montana State University.

Moving Water, Making Forage

The Jackson Habitat & Access crew spent time in May working on the irrigation system at the Horse Creek Wild-life Habitat Management Area south of Jackson. New wa-ter control structures and a new irrigation diversion box was installed (left) to facilitate growing forage for winter-ing elk. A new water line also was installed to bring water to a new horse corral for the feedground horses.

Old Fish for New Park

The Jackson Fish crew helped stock a new pond at the recently completed Ren-

dezvous Park near Wilson. The initial stocking consisted of retired brood stock

from the Jackson National Fish Hatchery, but all future stocking will be from the

Game and Fish’s Auburn Hatchery. The event resulted in great local press.

Jackson Fish Biologist Diana Miller struggles to handle

a lively Snake River cutthroat trout.

Photo by Price Chambers, Jackson Hole News & Guide

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