Angi Bruce, Director of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, called into the Weekday Wake-up on Thursday, September 4 for her monthly report. Director Bruce discussed the Alpine Wetlands project that is underway, the 2025 Hunting Outlook including the current status of mule deer herds, and the Mule Deer Crossing project that has begun south of Kemmerer.

(0:00) Joining me live on the phone today for her monthly report from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that’s director Angie Bruce director Bruce (0:06) Good morning. How are you today? (0:09) Good morning. I am wonderful today.
I’m up near Dubois at our whiskey conservation camp for a three-day meeting. So (0:17) My spirits are high being out in nature and at this camp. So I’m doing wonderful (0:22) Do there are a lot of places worse off to be than Dubois like you we know that absolutely absolutely (0:28) Well, let’s talk what’s happening with the game and fish department (0:32) It was recently announced just last week (0:34) Something for us right here in Lincoln County in the star body area the wetlands project near Alpine (0:39) Tell us what this is and what’s going to happen here (0:42) Yeah, so this is a project we’ve been working on for years.
So we’re really glad to see it coming (0:47) to a head and we know we’re working with several partners Ducks Unlimited and the Forest Service being two primary ones and (0:54) You know over time our different wetland systems, they’re they’re extremely important in Wyoming and we often forget about them, but they provide (1:02) necessary habitat for so many species including waterfowl, but also water for a big game and (1:08) This one over the years has had some (1:11) Siltation issues with the water source coming in and so the water levels are not where we want it to be (1:15) So this project will fix that we will be draining it down and doing construction (1:21) So we’ll dry up for a while so folks will notice a difference (1:26) However, this is a good thing wetlands like to dry up that would that’s what makes them extremely (1:32) Effective and providing food source for many species (1:36) So this dry up period as we’re doing the maintenance will allow (1:40) Vegetation to grow within the bed of the wetland and then be flooded so you’ll see an increase in (1:45) Productivity after the project as well as the long-term benefits of having a better sustainable water source for it (1:53) so excited to get this one underway and (1:57) Just really happy for the area that we’ll see the benefits from this for years to come (2:01) Yeah, so I’m assuming this is happening right now while the water water water levels are already pretty low, right? (2:07) This is something that we’ll start seeing work on right away (2:11) Exactly yes, we’ll be drawing it the water is drawn down (2:15) and (2:17) Definitely. It’s the time to do it when they’re already low not in the spring when we’re kind of fighting against new water coming in (2:24) So this is the ideal time to work on the project and and is this project going to be wrapped up after this fall? (2:29) Or do you expect this to to continue to move on maybe into next fall as well? (2:34) Well, I hope we’ll be done with just one season here if everything goes correctly (2:38) There is a chance that it could carry over but we’re hoping it’s just for this season director (2:44) Angie Bruce why I’m a game and fish department this morning on the weekday wake up. Well director.
We’re into September (2:49) So we better start hunting (2:50) I mean we better just get that going right and the game and fish is (2:54) Released at 2025 hunting outlook and of course that brings up mule deer herds (2:59) And how things are looking we had that crazy winter a couple of years ago (3:02) I think it was 22 23 that winter that really did a number on the mule deer herd population things were looking better last year (3:09) How are things looking this year as far as those populations go? (3:12) Oh good question (3:14) So they are rebounding mother nature has been very good to us the last few years as everyone knows (3:19) And so we’re still being pretty conservative with those license numbers and folks see that (3:24) So just being a little bit overly cautious make sure they’re bouncing back like we want them to do (3:30) You know mule deer take a few more years than antelope to really rebound (3:34) So we’re seeing that however, you know (3:37) We are still concerned even though this short-term trend of bouncing back from that last winter is good to see (3:44) Long term since then 1950s and 60s. We’re not there. We had a peak in the 90s (3:50) but there’s an overall population decline happening throughout the West and (3:56) Duke if we could just pull a lover and have it bounce back we would (4:00) Right now we’re trying to pull a lot of little lovers (4:03) But there’s a lot of things out there on the landscape that are affecting them some within the department’s control and some not (4:10) and because of that what we’re actively doing right now is we’re putting together a statewide strategy to (4:16) Outline that say here’s everything’s going on (4:19) Here’s what we think needs to happen to try to reverse that long-term trend that we’re seeing (4:26) And anyway, it’s more to come on that (4:28) But we’re excited to at least put something together to carry that message and people can step up and do their part in helping us (4:35) With that as well.
Absolutely and you mentioned some of those we’ll watch for that (4:39) Of course, and and you mentioned some of the the small levers that you can pull (4:43) Per se and and hunting licenses and limiting them maybe those those permits one of those what are maybe some of the other? (4:49) Things that the game and fish is potentially considering or doing right now (4:54) Absolutely, so we’re always looking at predators (4:57) We’re trying to understand that relationship and how much of an impact they’re having on meal deer (5:02) We are also looking at (5:04) Habitat quality, you know, we’re fortunate the state that we have so much habitat (5:10) But what is the condition of the habitat and what else can we do now? We talked about (5:15) invasive grass species all the time cheatgrass we’re (5:19) Continuously fighting back cheatgrass. That’s one thing that we’re doing and always doing but then looking at those other habitat condition (5:27) Aspen stands conifer encroachment our trees encroaching where they’re covering up forage that they need to be pushed back (5:34) So all those habitat considerations (5:38) Predators effects that may be elk may be having in competition for meal deer forage (5:45) and (5:46) Really honing in then to an understanding more impacts of CWD (5:51) Again all these little lovers and some of them are bigger in some areas than the other but we’re very interested in (5:57) One of those that we put a lot of effort into is wildlife crossings (6:02) Exciting that our camera wildlife crossing project will be kicking off next week and construction is already underway on that (6:11) So we’re excited to celebrate that kickoff. Yeah, absolutely (6:14) In fact a little groundbreaking and everything happening with that next week just south of camera (6:19) That’s a that’s a big deal.
Maybe while we’re on the topic go ahead and discuss that with us and what’s happening there (6:24) Yeah, so this could not be possible without (6:28) Infrastructure Act grants through the Federal Highway Administration (6:32) We received under the first rounds of those funds that largest grant in the nation over 20% of the funds (6:39) Just over 24 million dollars. We also have so many local contributors (6:46) Two point seven I believe million dollars was contributed by foundations local (6:52) NGOs (6:52) And then we can’t forget about the landowners the local county that’s been involved in the project (6:58) In the federal land so lots of contributing folks to get this project underway to safely move a game from one side to the other (7:06) We’ll be doing an overpass and several underpasses in the project and along there (7:11) Also all the fencing so the fencing to guide them to those safe areas to cross and then to (7:18) Exclude them where we don’t want them to cross so excited to get this one (7:23) Completely under construction and to be finished. It will take a couple seasons on this one to finish.
It’s such a big project (7:31) So there is a few years in the construction plan to get it wrapped up (7:35) Again, we’re speaking with director Angie Bruce this morning with the Wyoming game and fish department (7:39) Director back to the the hunting outlook (7:42) We talked a lot about mule deer and how things are looking there some of the other big game animals though (7:46) Appear to be in pretty good shape. Is that correct? (7:49) Absolutely you know (7:51) You know elk is there’s lots of opportunities and specifically over there in a hunt area 84 we increased license (7:59) for type 1 and type 6 so definitely some (8:03) additional elk (8:04) Opportunities in the state and there’s also the idea of getting type 8. I think we talked about this last year (8:11) It was our first year doing this (8:13) But where we have over objective numbers so high numbers in the state (8:18) We’ve offered an additional license. You can go buy this over-the-counter.
It is for cow calf (8:24) Only and you have to be on private lands again (8:28) We’re trying to narrow in and target over populations with those special tags (8:33) But it is an opportunity we saw over 5,000 people last year take advantage of it (8:38) And we’re hoping that that will continue this year (8:40) Director Angie Bruce Wyoming game and fish director as always appreciate your time (8:44) I did want to ask just briefly here at the end we have talked about this a couple of times (8:48) But the advisory fishing board regarding commercial fishing guides and tours (8:53) I understand they recently met maybe give us a quick update on how things are looking there (8:59) Yes, they they did their job the advisory board advised us on what they thought our recommendation should be to the Commission (9:06) which will occur next week at our Commission meeting and so we really honed in on this piece of (9:12) certifying or (9:15) Just registering outfitters and guides and the conversation really wrapped around the fee (9:21) they recommended that we put a fee on there for (9:26) Each boat that represents the department’s cost much easier said than done (9:31) I wish we knew exactly what the department’s cost would be but we don’t know how many voters (9:36) Outfitters and guides there are and that’s part of this process is to figure out that data (9:41) Who’s coming where they’re going and how often and so we have recommended to the Commission (9:46) We’ll be talking about him it next week to have that cost instead of being what we first recommended around (9:52) $600 to back it off to 325 and we hope that represents our true cost (9:58) Director as always. Thank you for your time anything. We missed that you’d like to bring up today (10:02) No, I I just want to encourage people to get outside.
It’s a gorgeous week (10:06) I’m hoping for a gorgeous fall and encourage everyone to (10:11) Take full advantage of it Wyoming Game and Fish Department director Angie Bruce this morning. It’s the weekday wake up on SBI radio