Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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With the onset of warmer weather, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is warning residents to beware of wild animals that may carry rabies, especially bats, as they become more seasonally active. “Many people do a good job of protecting their family pets from rabies, but don’t realize other animals can sometimes be a threat,” said Dr. Emily Curren, state public health veterinarian with WDH. “Rabies can infect any mammal, including humans.” Humans and pets can get infected from the bites or scratches of an animal with rabies. People ca...
The number of tests coming back positive for chronic wasting disease is holding steady, according to the latest data from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. Crook County’s deer hunt areas were on the high priority list for testing in 2023, along with a large portion of the west of the state and several to the south and center. Hunters in high priority areas are asked to submit samples for testing to help the department monitor the spread of the always-fatal disease. From those areas, and from all across the state, a total of 5100 samples f...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says the recent discovery of walleye in Black Elk Pond in Newcastle is the result of illegal fish stocking and seeks to find the person responsible. Walleye have not been stocked by the department in Black Elk Pond. They are a predatory species and after they reach just a few inches in size, they feed exclusively on other fish and can have lasting impacts on a fishery if a population becomes established. “Illegal fish introductions are a serious problem and seem to be especially prevalent in northeast W...
The annual kids’ fishing derby sponsored by the Sundance Rod and Gun Club is scheduled for Sat., June 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Sundance Pond. Registration will start at noon. The derby is open for all kids age 13 and under. There will be door prizes for all fishing kids and hot dogs and soda provided for all. For more information, please contact Douglas Ramsey at 307-290-2901....
Following in the steps of Crook County, the Bureau of Land Management has now lifted the fire restrictions that were previously in place for BLM-administered public lands in Crook, Niobrara and Weston counties. In a statement from the Newcastle Field Office, the BLM said that it will “join county partners in rescinding restrictions following recent and expected precipitation that has reduced fire danger in northeastern Wyoming”. However, even at this time of reduced risk, the BLM warns that it is still important to be aware of the con...
Angling at Wyoming’s State Parks June 1 will be a good day of fishing guaranteed. Wyoming State Parks, in conjunction with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s “Free Fishing Day”, is waiving daily use fees at all parks/recreation areas that provide angling on June 1. Wyoming State Park locations offering free entrance are Boysen, Buffalo Bill, Curt Gowdy, Edness K. Wilkins, Fort Phil Kearny, Glendo, Guernsey, Keyhole, Seminoe and Hawk Springs. Does not apply to camping fees or reservations. Fishing opportunities also exist at the followi...
Campgrounds on the Black Hills National Forest will open Friday, May 17 for first-come first-serve camping. Campsites that have been reserved will be available for use beginning Wednesday, May 22. The Forest offers 30 campgrounds with more than 680 individual sites. Many of the campgrounds are operated by a Forest Service recreation concessionaire, Forest Recreation Management, (FRM) Inc. Many campgrounds have on-site hosts who can help provide information about nearby trails and outdoor...
With the U.S. Forest Service planning to tackle fire danger through prescribed burns across the county in the near future, representatives approached the county commissioners last week to seek advice on reassuring the public of both the safety of and need for the fires. Bearlodge Ranger District’s Patrick Champa, District Ranger, Chris Zoeller, Fire Management Officer N Zone, and Josh Hoffman, Fuels Assistant Fire Management Officer attended last week’s meeting of the commission to give an overview on two planned burns. The South Slope and Nor...
The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard in the Moskee area. High fuel loading in this area poses a risk to surrounding lands and communities. The Forest Service is proposing to treat up to 1304 acres of ponderosa pine, grasslands and hardwoods. Pine forest varies from dense, mature stands to open-canopy woodlands with an understory of grass or dense regeneration. Detailed maps can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=66020. The project would be implemented partly via Good Neighbor Authority agreements...
With predictions of a bad grasshopper season ahead, Crook County Weed & Pest has launch a program for larger properties that it hopes will keep the hungry insects from causing too much damage. The district is also offering its assistance to landowners with smaller parcels who would like to tackle the potential influx. “They are an intrusive, invasive little insect,” says Alycia Conroy-Davis, District Supervisor. “They eat everything.” Hay, soy beans, alfalfa – it doesn’t make a difference, the grasshoppers are willing to eat it. In fact, a gra...
In summer 2023, a new noxious weed was identified in two locations in the Big Horn Basin: one was found in a Washakie County sugar beet field, and another under a bird feeder at the Park County Animal Shelter. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is an invasive annual weed native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. It was first identified as a problem noxious weed in the Southeastern United States, where it caused major problems in the region's cotton industry and has since sp...
Sometimes, it takes a fire to prevent a fire. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is proposing to target areas of the Bearlodge Ranger District in Crook County with planned burns, with the aim of improving the odds of managing future wildland fires safely and effectively. Hazardous fuels have built up within the estimated 8382 acres that have been identified, such as grass, brush and fallen trees. Clearing this accumulation through a planned fire helps to provide fire managers with areas in which to manage future fires. Though it may seem...
A hundred years from now, the forest south of Sundance may look just the way it used to. The Fish Fire burned through just under 6800 acres back in 2022, leaving blackened scars in its wake. Left to its own devices, the land would likely take multiples of that timespan to heal those wounds, but the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was on site last week to offer a helping hand. Along with a contracted crew of planters, Forest stewards arrived with boxes of foot-high seedlings to take advantage of a two...
Keyhole State Park is partnering with Audubon Rockies again this summer to provide a series of birding events at the park from May through August. The first event will be a "Birding Walk" on May 4, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Rocky Point Trailhead. This will provide an opportunity to observe, identify and learn about the various bird species at the park. Some binoculars and birding guides will be provided, but please bring your own if possible. All other events will be bird banding events...
With tick season quickly approaching, the Wyoming Department of Health says simple steps can help state residents protect themselves and their family members from potentially serious tick-borne illnesses. Courtney Tillman, an epidemiologist with WDH, said past records show people typically start seeking medical help due to tick bites in May. Diseases sometimes spread by infected ticks in Wyoming include tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Colorado tick fever (CTF). Tularemia symptoms include fever, swollen and painful lymph...
Spring took a back seat at the weekend, interrupting the plans of the local wildlife, although the storm didn't amount to as much as was predicted. According to the National Weather Service, Aladdin saw seven inches of snow during the three-day event, while Sundance escaped with just 2.2 inches and Moorcroft only received a half-inch dusting....
Paying witness to the solar eclipse was not easy in Sundance, where cloud cover from the tail end of the weekend storm kept the sun out of view for most of the event. The skies visibly began to darken just after 11:30 a.m. on April 8, despite Wyoming not being in the path of totality and witnessing only a partial eclipse. In fact, maximum blockage in Sundance was just 63.1%. This was the last eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous United States until 2044, according to...
Site Name Elevation (ft) Current Snow Depth (in) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in) 30-yr Median SWE (in) Last Year’s SWE (in) Current Percent of 30 Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 2.6 0.4 1.1 4.8 36 Blind Park Snotel 6870 0.0 0.0 7.0 8.7 0 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 10.0 2.3 5.2 8.1 44 Ditch Creek 6880 1.5 0.4 3.6 6.0 11 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 2.5 5.2 0 Mallo 6420 0.0 0.0 5.9 9.5 0 Mount Tom 5560 0.0 0.0 2.9 5.8 0 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 4.9 6.6 7.6 74 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.8 0.1 7.0 10.1 1 Upper Spearfish 6500 5.0 1.2 5...
The U.S. Forest Service is planning a fuel management program for 8000 acres near Beulah and is seeking public comment. The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard, increase growing space for pine trees, restore openings and low-density forest on south-facing slopes and diversify species composition at the north end of the Wyoming Black Hills in Crook County. The Forest Service is proposing to treat National Forest land four miles south of Beulah, 13 miles east of Sundance and nine miles west of Spearfish through mechanic...
The Bureau of Land Management has followed in the county’s footsteps and placed stage one fire restrictions on its public lands in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties. “Last summer’s moisture and cool weather brought an abundance of grass and other fine fuels to public lands within the district,” says High Plains District Fire Management Officer Craig Short. “This, in combination with the lack of moisture and warm, windy weather we’re experiencing, has created an environment susceptible to wildfires.” It is now prohibited to building, mai...
A gander displays his courtship skills at Sundance Pond on the first day of spring....
After the warmest winter on record for the United States, there are indications that Wyoming may still get its fair share of spring showers. Predictions for the next couple of weeks suggest above average precipitation and cooler-than-normal temperatures in this area, with the temperatures then rising but the possibility of extra moisture lasting through until at least the middle of April. This is a marked change from a winter that has now been reported as the warmest on record – an estimated 5.4 degrees above average for the United States as a...
Counties like Crook may get to have a say in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) new rules for old-growth forests after all. Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of the USFS’s plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy. In a comment letter, the county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the process. The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Black Hills. Dru Palmer, consultant for...
The annual enrollment period is open for Wyoming Game and Fish’s Access Yes Program. The program facilitates public hunting and fishing access on private lands or land-locked public lands while building the relationship between hunters, anglers and private landowners. Growing the Access Yes program is especially important in the Sheridan Region, as the region is primarily composed of private land. Through the program, a participating landowner and department personnel develop the terms of an agreement to allow hunting or fishing access on t...
Wyoming is still fighting the good fight to keep invasive mussels from its waters. With boating season underway, Wyoming Game & Fish has opened its check stations for the season. “Wyoming is one of the few states left in the nation that hasn’t detected the invasive zebra or quagga mussels in our waters,” said Josh Leonard, AIS coordinator in a press release. “Game & Fish is dedicated to keeping these destructive invasive species out of our state’s waters. That’s why it’s crucial that out-of-state boaters and residents who have taken their b...
