Grizzly bear hunting season set

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission set a conservative approach for Wyoming's first grizzly bear hunting season since 1974. Grizzly bears in Wyoming have exceeded recovery criteria since 2004 and management of the bear was returned to the state last year.

The vote of the Commission was unanimous and followed the recommendation of Game and Fish personnel, the latest research, a three-state memorandum and thousands of public comments.

A quota of 12 grizzly bears exists for inside the demographic monitoring area, which is the area experts deemed as suitable habitat. As hunters kill bears, they will call into the department to report the gender of the bear. Because of the way the licenses will be issued, only 11 bears can actually be killed in the monitoring area, not the 12 the quota says. The number of males and females is closely monitored inside this area. A quota of 12 bears has also been set for areas that are not considered suitable grizzly habitat.

For ranchers like Josh Longwell, who oversees Hay Creek Land and Cattle Co. owned by his father-in-law Frank Robbins, it's a small step in the right direction. Since 2011, thousands of dollars worth of livestock have been lost to predators on the ranch.

From May 14-21, 80 sheep have died on the ranch due to a grizzly or grizzlies who are frequenting lambing grounds on Owl Creek west of Thermopolis. The kill sights are spread along Owl Creek between 22-35 miles from town among homes, people, livestock and pets.

Wyoming Game and Fish personnel responded with traps to try to catch the bear killing the sheep. The traps were moved around and located near the kill sights. They were unable to catch the bear.

There have been problems in the past with grizzly bears. According to Longwell, seven grizzly bears have been trapped and relocated from the ranch in the past five years.

Another Owl Creek Rancher, Arnold Pennoyer, said his ranch on Owl Creek lost one cow and two calves to confirmed bear kills in 2016.

Like many other ranchers, Longwell has strong feelings about his livestock being killed by predators.

"Not only have they taken the livestock which is private property, but we can't keep the livestock on the mountain so they are taking our private property from us with bears and wolves," said Longwell. Both predators have been responsible for killing livestock within Hot Springs County and around the state.

Longwell added "The fifth amendment to the constitution says we have the right to our private property and if it is going to be taken for public use we have to be compensated. Their compensation ratio is so far off though."

Last year, the ranch had 31 confirmed kills of cattle by bears. They are scheduled to be paid $110,000 for the loss based on a 3.5 to 1 ratio used by the Predator Compensation Program designed to reimburse livestock producers for losses caused by bears. Some studies suggest compensation ratios should be in the range of 18-24 to 1.

Sheep were added to the ranch in 2013 as an economic necessity and to better utilize resources, according to Longwell. Sheep will dig through snow to get to the grass for food needs and they will readily eat snow to meet their water needs.

Longwell knows that adding sheep to the ranch was not a popular decision. Wyoming Game and Fish and the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation had concerns. There is a herd of Bighorn sheep that resides near the top of the Washakie Needle. Studies suggest bighorn sheep can catch pneumonia from domestic sheep when they habitat the same area.

According to Longwell, the domestic sheep do not graze where the bighorn sheep do. He said he has established a working relationship with the Wyoming Game and Fish and Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation to ensure a buffer between the ranches domestic sheep and the bighorn sheep.

Traditionally, domestic sheep have grazed on a number of ranches in western Hot Springs County. The LU Sheep Company ran cattle and sheep on their land until 1984 when they sold all their sheep and began operating as the LU Ranch razing only cattle.