Reporter’s Notes

Wyoming Livestock Board (WLB)

The WLB has scheduled a public board meeting for Thursday, March 22 at 11 a.m. The meeting will be at the Town Hall in Lyman, which is located at 100 E. Sage Street in Lyman.

There will be an introduction of new board members, an update on outcome of legislation, a discussion on rules, brand inspection/recording, animal health and law enforcement topics. There will be an executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Independent Cattlemen Of Wyoming (ICOW)

A new, independent cattle producers’ organization – focused solely on the needs and interests of Wyoming ranchers – will hold an organizational session beginning at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at the Goose Egg Inn southwest of Casper.

“Ranchers and landowners in Wyoming feel they don’t have a voice that’s adequately representing them,” said Judy McCullough, a Moorcroft rancher and one of the lead organizers of the March 20 gathering. “The Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming will be an independent cattlemen’s group for the state of Wyoming, affiliated closely with R-CALF. This group will be made up of Wyoming ranchers, formed for the sole purpose of representing the producers of Wyoming.”

McCullough said Taylor Haynes, a Cheyenne rancher, and Skip Waters, who ranches near Moorcroft, will be on hand for the Casper meeting.

“Cattlemen in Nebraska, Montana and North Dakota have all formed independent producers’ groups over the past few years,” McCullough said. “We think the time is right for Wyoming ranchers to do it, too.”

The Billings, Mont.-based R-CALF, or Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stock Growers of America, is a nationwide producers’ organization with thousands of members in 47 states. It focuses on cattle trade and marketing issues affecting producers’ profitability and the viability of the U.S. cattle industry.

The Goose Egg Inn is located at 10580 Goose Egg Road, off state Highway 220 southwest of Casper.

Wolf

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that on March 4, USDA Wildlife Services personnel confirmed a pet collie dog was killed on private land by wolves near Daniel. The dog was only 125 yards from the house when it was killed.

Bears emerge

It may still look and feel like winter, but there are signs of bears emerging from their dens. Grizzly tracks have been discovered in a few locations in the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park, beginning as early as Feb. 28. There was also an aerial sighting of a grizzly today in the Indian Creek drainage area of the park.

Soon after emerging from their dens, bears begin looking for food. Bears are attracted to elk and bison that have died over the winter. Elk and bison are such a prized source of food that bears will aggressively defend these carcasses. Anyone disturbing a bear feeding on a carcass puts himself or herself at serious risk for injury.

Yellowstone National Park has several seasonal Bear Management Area closures designed to reduce encounters with bears in areas that have a high density of elk and bison carcasses. Prior to hiking, skiing or snowshoeing in the park, visitors should ask at park visitor centers for dates and locations of bear closures.