Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced four upcoming opportunities to give in-person feedback on its draft resource management plan for the Newcastle Field Office and Nebraska. If ultimately approved, the new resource management plan would replace the current, 23-year-old version now used by the Newcastle Field Office. The plan covers all the lands within the Newcastle Field Office’s boundaries in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties, and also the entire state of Nebraska. While this may seem unbalanced, the decision was made to c...
The Crook County Commissioners have logged concern that they are not being included in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning process for greater sage-grouse management. The BLMS’s Greater Sage-grouse Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and final environmental impact statement were published on November 15. The plan will address management of the bird and its habitat in ten western states, including Wyoming. The purpose of the amended plan is to respond to updated scientific information, change land uses and provide for c...
Seasonal gates and recreation sites that are not open through the winter on the Black Hills National For-est are closed as of Mon., Dec. 16. Gates are closed to provide seasonal refuge for wildlife, protect natural resources, and provide for public safety as some roads are converted to snowmobile trails. Seasonally closed roads and trails are identified on the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Snowmobile trails are open from Dec. 15 to March 31 annually. Wheeled vehicles are not allowed on the snowmobile trails during that time except for...
The Black Hills National Forest is proposing treatments on National Forest land eight miles northwest of Sundance and eight miles southeast of Hulett through commercial timber harvest, small-tree thinning, mastication, tree planting, watershed improvements and prescribed fire. The Fort project area includes Blacktail Creek, Lytle Creek, Taylor Divide, Hershey Creek and Beaver Creek. The Cook Lake recreation area is within the project boundary but is excluded from activities and analysis. The proposal includes up to 7,500 acres of commercial...
With the recent snowfall across the Black Hills National Forest, Ranger Districts will begin burning thousands of hand and machine slash piles. Piles are created from timber sale slash and tree thinning operations. Piles are only ignited when managers are confident that the project can be undertaken safely with considerations to snow cover, wind, temperature, available staffing and smoke dispersal. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in all burning operations. Firefighters continually monitor and check the piles for...
Interested in the future of mule deer management? Wyoming Game & Fish is hosting “community conversations” across the state to address widespread public concern about populations of the species. The goal is to gather input and perspectives in an informal setting that will ultimately help guide the departments next steps in managing mule deer. Game & Fish also collects input from outreach efforts such as season-setting meetings in the spring and hunter field checks, as well as the 2023 Mule Deer Hunter Attitude Survey. The conversations are in...
A gaggle of the seasonal species gathers just outside Sundance on Monday. We wish all our readers the happiest of Thanksgivings and all the blessings of the holiday!...
Fire restrictions have been lifted for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the Buffalo, Casper and Newcastle field offices. Affected counties include Campbell, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Johnson, Natrona, Niobrara, Platte, Sheridan and Weston. The following activities can resume on BLM-administered lands: building a campfire, smoking, operating a chainsaw, using an arc or gas welder or operating an acetylene or other torch. Wyoming year-round wildfire prevention restrictions remain in effect. Those restrictions include:...
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released the draft of its plans to manage public lands in northeast Wyoming and the public now has a chance to comment. The new resource management plan would replace the current, 23-year-old version now used by the Newcastle Field Office. The Draft Newcastle and Nebraska Resource Management Plan covers all the lands within the Newcastle Field Office's boundaries in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties, and also the entire state of Nebraska. While this may...
Black Hills National Forest Christmas tree permits are now available at recreation.gov and from local Forest Service offices and private vendors. To purchase a permit online, visit recreation.gov and search for Black Hills National Forest Christmas Tree Permit. It is important to carefully read the overview and need-to-know information prior to purchasing the permit. Visitors will need to set up or log in to an account to complete the transaction. Users can purchase up to five permits per account. Online permits are ready to print immediately a...
A weekend of deer hunting for a group of veterans from across Wyoming began on Friday evening with a banquet. The gathering was an opportunity for the vets to meet and get to know the local landowners and guides who sponsored their experience in Crook County. The Black Hills Veterans' Day White Tail Hunt has been hosted since 2016 by Hunting With Heroes, a nonprofit that gives back to disabled veterans by providing them with outdoor experiences such as hunting and fishing....
Chronic Wasting Disease has been identified in an elk hunt area at the border of Crook County. Elk Hunt Area 126 begins at the border to the southwest of the county and travels south through much of Weston and Niobrara and west into Converse. The hunt area is bordered by seven other elk areas that are now known to be positive for CWD, including 117 and 129, both of which are partially in Crook County. CWD was also confirmed in Deer Hunt Areas 31 and 94, both towards the middle of the state in the Sheridan and Lander regions respectively. The...
On the heels of last week's first significant snowstorm, a herd of pronghorns gathered south of Sundance and started their trek further south, presumably in search of a more suitable winter home....
As any hunter knows, the best time to hunt cat is directly after the first snowfall. Kyle Shamion didn't waste a moment, taking this sizeable cougar on morning two of the first storm of the winter. His success came about purely by accident. Shamion wasn't looking out for felines at the time – he was actually hunting for elk when this fine specimen wandered into his path. Already in possession of a tag and unwilling to waste an opportunity, Shamion called his brother to come join him and the d...
The Northeast Wyoming Chapter of the Muley Fanatic Foundation (MFF) has become known for pursuing goals that support wildlife and habitat, and for its focus on the younger members of the community. One project that combines these two ideals has been part of the overall MFF lineup since the organization's inception in 2012. Each year, youngsters with life-threatening illnesses are given the chance to experience the joys of hunting. The program is called "Putting the 'U' in hunt" and it offers an...
After 33 years as a Wyoming Game & Fish employee, Newcastle Wildlife Biologist Joe Sandrini has decided to retire. Sandrini has been an integral part of wildlife management in northeastern Wyoming. Sandrini attended the University of California, Davis, where he was an All-American track and field athlete and graduated with a bachelor's degree before receiving his masters from the University of Colorado. He began his Game and Fish career as a game warden trainee in Casper in 1992 before being rea...
The warmth of fall colors is beginning to take over the foliage near Houston Creek....
The City of Sundance will be returning to its usual practices for this year’s deer cull. Last year, Sundance implemented a year-round cull in response to evidence that chronic wasting disease (CWD) was much more prevalent than previously thought in the vicinity of the city. At Tuesday’s meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Theresa Curren reported that she had spoken with Game Warden Nate Holst, who said that CWD appears to be holding steady in this region. Consequently, said Curren, the decision as to whether a cull is needed this year will be left up to...
Black Hills National Forest Supervisor Shawn Cochran has signed a Stage 2 Fire & Smoking Restrictions Special Order for the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota & Wyoming, effective Friday Oct. 4, 2024, through Dec. 25, 2024, unless rescinded. The purpose is to protect public health, safety and natural resources by preventing wildfires during a period of extreme fire danger. Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit the ignition of any fire, campfire, charcoal barbecue or grill, unless the device is solely fueled by liquid gas that can be...
Crook County Weed and Pest is reaching out for input on the potential listing of cheatgrass as a noxious weed. Because this could have significant financial impacts and might affect the district’s ability to assist in treating other weeds and pests, says District Supervisor Alycia Davis, the board wants to hear from the public before casting its vote. A Call for Action The weed and pest districts for ten Wyoming counties have called for cheatgrass to be added to the State Designated Noxious Weed List, throwing their support behind prevention a...
Wyoming Game & Fish has confirmed that live zebra mussels have been intercepted at the border for the first time this year. The watercraft was intercepted at the Beulah check station on September 22 when the owner stopped for an inspection. Inspectors immediately decontaminated the watercraft and removed zebra mussels in multiple water intakes, along the pontoon and in other areas of the boat. According to Game & Fish, the watercraft had been moored for several months at Pactola Reservoir in South Dakota, where mussels were discovered in 2022....
A rock climber is reported to have died after falling from Devils Tower on Sunday. According to Devils Tower National Monument, 21-year-old Stewart Phillip Porter of Eau Claire, WI, sustained major injuries after falling from the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo. Devils Tower Law Enforcement was informed of the accident around 8 p.m. and found Porter approximately 40 minutes later. A Hulett EMS paramedic pronounced him dead at the scene. Crook County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the incident. Porter’s partner was stranded on the Tow...
A toxin advisory has been issued for Keyhole Reservoir due to harmful levels of cyanotoxins present in the water. A harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB) is described by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as an abundance of a substance that is always present in surface waters at low levels and play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem, but can bloom into a harmful overabundance. Cyanobacteria is able to produce toxins and other irritants that can have harmful health effects to people and animals, including pets and...
The Black Hills National Forest is proposing changes to recreation fees at picnic sites, day-use areas and campgrounds during the “shoulder season”. These times generally include the months of March to April and September to November, during which the Forest Service says usage has increased significantly over the past few years. This, according to a press release, creates the need for “additional supplies, facility cleaning, toilet pumping and staff attention”. The proposal would increase fees from $0 to $5 at some picnic sites and day-use...
The hunt area on the western border of Crook County is among this year’s focus points for chronic wasting disease (CWD) monitoring. Wyoming Game & Fish has been working to understand the distribution and prevalence of the always-fatal disease since 1997, using focused sampling due to the limited testing capacity of the Game & Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory. Submitting a sample of a deer harvested in hunt area 18 will not be mandatory this year. However, as a focus area, Game & Fish is requesting that hunters assist through a voluntary s...
