(0:00) Heading into our second guest interview segment of the day today in the Monthly Report from (0:04) the Wyoming Game and Fish with Director Angie Bruce. (0:06) Joining me live over the phone today, Director Bruce, good morning. (0:10) It was really windy on the western side and I guess that’s just normal across the state, (0:16) right? (0:16) Everybody, nobody blew away to Nebraska quite yet.

(0:19) Oh, Duke, you read my mind. (0:21) It’s interesting, you know, Cheyenne is always windy, but the western side of the state usually (0:25) doesn’t have the wind. (0:26) I had the pleasure of being on the western part of the state in the Star Valley-Afton (0:31) area the last couple of days and I was just telling someone this morning, I think I brought (0:35) the wind with me.

(0:37) So it’s your fault, dang it. (0:40) Yes, you can blame me, but I will have to say, definitely a privilege to be able to (0:46) spend some time there for work. (0:47) I actually did not want to leave.

(0:49) Very green and very beautiful time of year to be in the area. (0:53) So tell us what brought you to Lincoln County and Star Valley over the last couple of days. (0:58) Well, looking at issues, you know, the department’s never left with any challenges to work on.

(1:05) We have a whole bunch of them. (1:07) So I got to spend the day with the local game warden, Cody Schoonover, and we really were (1:11) focused on looking at issues in the area, you know, especially the elk issues. (1:17) More and more different movements, elk going different places, and talking about how we (1:22) can be more proactive and get on top of those issues before they affect landowners and ranchers.

(1:28) So incredible day, looking at the landscape, the wildlife, and again, didn’t want to leave at all. (1:37) Absolutely. (1:37) Well, you’re welcome any time.

(1:38) And of course, along with that in this side of the state, a new biologist for the Jackson (1:46) area, which does include Star Valley, Sam Stevens, was announced to replace Gary Fralick (1:50) who had been in that position for a long, long time. (1:53) Tell us about Sam Stevens and what he brings to the game and fish. (1:57) Well, definitely big shoes to fill with Gary leaving, but Sam is definitely the person to do that.

(2:04) You’re very lucky to have him. (2:05) He comes with a whole bunch of experience to the area, lots of big game work, lots of (2:12) habitat work. (2:14) He will be a huge asset for you guys, and it’ll be exciting to see what he does in that (2:20) area.

(2:20) Just like he brought lots of knowledge and experience to the other areas he worked in (2:25) throughout the state, he’s bringing that to the South Jackson location as well. (2:31) And remind us what that role of a wildlife biologist does and what they do for the game and fish. (2:38) Absolutely.

(2:39) They really focus on making sure we have healthy wildlife populations. (2:44) So working with others in the area to come up with what the populations are doing to (2:49) understand them and then what we can do to assist them. (2:53) Not only setting hunting regulations, he’ll work very actively with his coworkers on that.

(3:00) But then also focusing on what else we can do to maintain those healthy populations. (3:05) Rather it’s dealing with the elk problems that we just talked about where we have (3:09) overabundance at times in certain areas. (3:13) But then mule deer populations, pronghorn populations, and everything that comes (3:18) with specific nuances of that area.

(3:21) Speaking this morning with Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angie Bruce here on the (3:25) Weekday Wakeup. (3:26) Director, I want to switch gears and talk grizzly bear management. (3:30) This is something we’ve touched on a couple of times, and it sounds like in D.C. (3:33) this is still something the Wyoming Congressional Delegation is working on and focused on (3:38) and something that’s been a focus for you as well.

(3:41) You recently had some comments, and so I wanted to bring this back up when it comes to (3:46) hunting bears and the amount of human conflict with these bears and what it would (3:52) mean if Wyoming were to take over management. (3:54) So let’s just tell us where things are at now and where you hope to see things go (3:58) in the future. (4:00) Yeah, so just to remind folks, Duke, that grizzly bears are still listed as a (4:05) threatened species.

(4:06) So therefore the state of Wyoming, the Game and Fish, does not have management (4:09) over these. (4:10) So we don’t have all the tools available for us to manage them properly. (4:14) Are we doing a lot of work to monitor and research them? (4:18) Absolutely.

(4:19) But we don’t have full management yet. (4:22) Very frustrating for us. (4:23) You can probably tell by the tone in my voice that, you know, this is one that we (4:27) spend a lot of time on trying to get them delisted.

(4:31) And yeah, my comments that you heard before were really about if we had all those (4:36) tools. (4:37) So if we had a hunting season available to us, I truly believe that we could manage (4:43) them in a way that reduces conflict. (4:46) I hear all the time from hunters that they no longer hunt in some of the areas that’s (4:52) grizzly bear country because, you know, when a gunshot goes off, a grizzly bear looks (4:57) at that as a food source and comes running.

(4:59) Would it not be nice if grizzly bears got back to where they were afraid of a (5:03) gunshot, were afraid of people, and therefore had less conflict? (5:07) And I believe the tool to get us there is hunting. (5:10) And, you know, a lot of folks out there don’t want to see us hunt grizzly bears. (5:15) I understand where they’re coming from.

(5:17) But for me, hunting a wildlife species means success. (5:21) If we’re able to hunt them, that means they have a healthy population and it is a (5:26) tool that we can use to maintain that population and the social acceptance of (5:31) grizzly bears in the area. (5:33) So we’re actively working, yes, with both our congressional delegation and with (5:38) Director Nesvig of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

(5:41) So we’re looking at all strategies. (5:44) We’re locked in. (5:45) We’re working really hard to work on the delisting of the grizzly bears.

(5:49) You know, Director, when you talk about human conflict, of course, there’s been (5:53) some pretty intense incidents already this year, more focused in the Yellowstone (5:57) area, but in recent years, we’ve seen those trickle further and further south. (6:02) And as the summer goes on, that’s something to really be wary of. (6:05) Are you starting to, as you talk about tracking and monitoring the bears, are you (6:09) continuing to see further southern movement from them? (6:13) You know, we haven’t seen any more further southern movement than what we saw with (6:19) the grizzly bear a few years ago down south.

(6:22) But that does not mean that people should not be leery, that there are, you know, (6:27) possibilities of seeing more expand outside their range. (6:30) And so I’m always telling people, I know you’re not in the recovery area. (6:36) However, they are still wandering outside of there, and people should be cautious.

(6:40) Absolutely. (6:42) Director Bruce, this morning with Wyoming Game and Fish. (6:44) Director, anything else you’d like to bring up while we have you on today? (6:47) Well, I just want to encourage people to get out, get fishing.

(6:51) It’s a great time of year. (6:53) We had free fishing day last week. (6:56) But, you know, kids can still go out fishing free.

(6:59) Their parents need a hunting license. (7:01) It’s 14 and over. (7:02) But I encourage people to take their kids fishing in this beautiful weather.

(7:06) It’s a time to get out. (7:07) Absolutely. (7:08) Without doubt.

(7:09) That’s Director Angie Bruce this morning on the Weekday Wake-Up. (7:13) Director Bruce, thank you so much for your time. (7:15) Thank you, Duke.

(7:15) Have a good day. (7:16) Yep. (7:16) It’s all part of the SBI Radio Network.