Second Quarter Newsletter - Muley Fanatic Foundation

Quarterly Newsletter : Q2 2014
Hello Muley Fanatics!
It’s officially spring in Wyoming, marking it’s arrival with 11 inches of snow in
May here in Cheyenne! Even with the finicky weather, it has been quite a busy
quarter since we last reported with a lot of good mule deer conservation efforts going
on across our great state. There have been four highly successful MFF banquets through the other
chapters, we’ve seen major results from the University of Wyoming with their mule deer research
projects, we’ve gotten a little involved in politics to preserve our outdoor heritage, and through
your generous contributions we’ve been able to donate to the Alta Vista Elementary School Archery
Club, the Laramie County 4-H Shooting Sports program, and the Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Forever Wild Families program as it’s just getting started over in Laramie. We’ve also been supporting the state-wide STOP POACHING program and participating in collaborative outreach efforts
with other organizations — and we still have more to come with the weather getting nicer!
Speaking of nice weather, it’s almost bar-b-que weather, and what goes great with a good
grilled burger? Well, Muley Fanatic beer of course! This past February marked the unveiling of
Gray Ghost Amber Ale, produced in cooperation with San Luis Valley Brewing just for the MFF, with
net proceeds going to support our conservation efforts. Be on the look out to try this tasty beverage at one of our next fundraising events!
We’ve also partnered up with the Saratoga-Encampment-Riverside Conservation District to
help them tear out old range fence in our big game migration corridors in June, so we’d love your
help if you can make it out to Saratoga for a day. Finally, for all Muley Fanatics, we’re asking for you
to take a VERY quick survey about our current deer hunting regulations here in Wyoming — do you
think the WGFD could be doing something different? Please spend one minute of your time to let
us know your thoughts. You can find more info about why we’re conducting this survey on page 4.
As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your help supporting our Wyoming mule deer!
The University of Wyoming continues to forge ahead with outstanding
research, recently allowing the Wyoming Migration Initiative to release a new video detailing the 150+ mile annual migration of mule
deer herds from the Red Desert to the high mountain slopes in Hoback
Basin. This is the longest mule deer migration ever recorded and the
second longest land migration in the United States! Be sure to check
out their website to watch the ~4 minute video, you’ll be glad you did!
Several MFF volunteers also helped out with the University’s Dr. Kevin
Montieth and his crew as they teamed up with WY Game and Fish for
a great day of Deer Captures in March.
The MFF is proud to continue to support the University in their efforts
to learn more about our mule deer so that we can help them to flourish once again in Wyoming.
Banquet Season Success!
February 8th- Casper, WY - A tremendous and outstanding
group of volunteers for the MFF Casper Chapter organized
a fantastic fundraiser and the results tripled from last year!
The 3rd Annual Rock
Springs Banquet took
place on March 1st and
was a huge success
with a chuck wagon
theme and dutch oven
cuisine, no one left hungry. A few of our local chapter members were also
able to attend and lend a hand.
The new Flaming Gorge Chapter held their 1st Annual banquet in Washam,
WY which equaled sold out attendance on March 22nd.
The 3rd Annual Kemmerer banquet on April 12th did a special CLUE theme
which received rave reviews.
A big THANK YOU goes out across the state for your generosity and support!
It's a great day to be an MFF'er! Gray Ghost Amber Ale, in cooperation with San
Luis Valley Brewing and MFF, made its official "wet your whistle" debut at
the sold out MFF Greeley Chapter event in February. A big thank
you goes out to Tyrel Bramwell for facilitating the idea within his social circle of grad students and helping propel this
idea to support conservation into a reality. The process
has been educational, intriguing and contagious. We’re
now looking forward to "drinking the right thing"
knowing that net funds will be used to further the MFF
mission. Any guess as to the deer featured on the label?
We are still working out the details of distributorship into
Wyoming. Stay tuned for more info!
The Archery Club at the Alta Vista Elementary School in Cheyenne has been working hard at developing their skills this past year, and it’s paid off! They’re part of
the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) which is the largest youth archery program in the world. These students hone their skills before school so that no time is taken away from their academic
curriculum, and are required by the coaches to keep their grades up to be able to participate in training. They are a dedicated
group of students and volunteers and this year the Muley Fanatic Foundation was proud to help send 17 qualified students to
compete in the 2014 NASP® National Tournament — the Largest Archery Tournament in the World! We would like to sincerely thank all of the volunteers that made this happen as they give so much of their time to help coach the youth and support their interest in archery.
Our chapter also presented the Laramie County 4-H Shooting Sports with a
matched contribution in order for them to acquire an Orion Target Scoring
System, used to scan and score targets. This purchase allows the club to conduct youth shooting matches and will be made available for the annual County Shoot held each year in June in Pine Bluffs where more than 150 youth
from across the county test out their shooting skills. This system also enables
match and practice scores to be accurately accounted for and eliminates the
need to travel long distances to a match when it can all be recorded via the
scoring system without any travel involved. The Laramie County 4-H program
provides youth from age 8 to 18 with opportunities to learn safety and skills
in a variety of shooting disciplines including air rifle, air pistol, shotgun, .22
rifle, .22 pistol, muzzleloader and archery.
Finally, the MFF Southeast WY Chapter is proud to be a sponsor of the Forever Wild Families program, partnering with the WY Game & Fish Dept. to get a new group of Laramie
area families into the great outdoors. Through this program, the WGFD provides a safe
environment and patient mentors for families with little to no previous hunting or fishing
experience. Participants who desire to recreate outdoors learn skills to do so safely, ethically, and (eventually) independently, together as a family. You can click here to watch
the video and visit the website to learn more about this terrific opportunity. Our MFF
chapter is thrilled to have been able to donate six hunting rifles to the program and is
now working on helping them establish their Camo Cache — a collection of gently used
outdoor and hunting gear to provide to the Forever Wild Families. If you have gear you’d
like to donate, please contact Megan Rutherford at (307) 631-1250.
Our chapter is pleased to help STOP POACHING. We have had
special signs made to put up in Laramie, Albany, and Platte
counties to draw attention to this matter and to make the public more aware that it is an illegal activity. If you would like to
sponsor one of these signs as an individual, business or organization please contact Tony Rutherford at (307) 631-1418.
Photo: Warden Wilbur and Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Director Scott Talbott. STOP POACHING 1-877-WGFD-TIP
We’ve also taken action on making our voices heard regarding
the Invasive Plant Management Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Medicine Bow – Routt National Forests and
YOUR NAME HERE!
Thunder Basin National Grassland (March 2014). This is the first
step toward getting approval for the U.S. Forest Service to tackle the invasive weeds that crowd out the forbs and shrubs
needed to make prime habitat for our mule deer. Our chapter submitted a formal letter of support for the proposed action of aerial herbicide application, among other control measures. We’ll keep you updated as this project
moves from the planning and approval stage to action!
On March 31st the Wyoming Game and Fish Department held a public meeting in Cheyenne to discuss hunting season date setting and license allocations. Management objective and population estimate numbers were briefly
discussed, and of the utmost importance to the Southeast Wyoming Chapter of the Muley Fanatic Foundation
were deer herd numbers in the large public land areas of Southeast Wyoming. The following is a summary of the
numbers highlighted during the meeting:
Herd Unit
Management Objective
Current Population Estimate
% of Objective
Laramie Mountains
29,000
15,800
54.5%
Sheep Mountain
15,000
6,471
43.1%
Shirley Mountain
10,000
5,800
58.0%
Platte Valley
20,000
8,823
44.1%
74,000
36,894
49.9%
Total:
Please note that the numbers presented were only for
“deer.” No distinction was made as to the quantity of
Whitetail vs. Mule Deer within each herd unit. It is no
secret that Mule Deer continue to struggle in our area.
Given the above information, and an overall estimate of
less than 50% of the objective, do you support some
change to the current deer hunting season structure?
Changes could include anything including but not limited
to the following:
Changes to Season Dates / Duration
Reduction of License Allocations
Buck Deer Only Licenses
We want to hear from you! Please visit: https://
www.surveymonkey.com/s/JQWM57Z and take our survey so that we can get an idea of what sportsmen and
women in the area want.
The Wyoming Sportsmen’s Alliance
(Photo of Tony Rutherford, MFF Southeast WY Chapter Chair with other WY
Sportsmen’s Alliance Organization representatives and Governor Matt Mead)
Wyoming Sportsmen are "Forever
West" — Wyoming’s state slogan conjures up images of our wide open
spaces, rugged mountain ranges, pristine trout-filled rivers and rolling sagebrush dotted with antelope as far as the eye can see. Wyomingites cherish all of these
things as essential to preserving our hunting and angling traditions. From Yellowstone
Park in the northwest, to the capitol Cheyenne in the southeast, every resident of the
Cowboy State benefits, either directly or indirectly from our fish and wildlife populations
and world class sporting opportunities. Fish and wildlife related activities are Wyoming’s
second largest industry, bringing approximately $1.1 billion annually to the state. However, the challenges inherent in an increasingly complex world are threatening the future of
our outdoor heritage. An expanding suite of pressures, both natural and human induced,
are having a significant impact on Wyoming’s fish and wildlife and sporting opportunity.
There is a pressing need to increase the voice and influence of Wyoming’s sportsmen
leaders by creating a unified sportsmen’s conservation agenda. It is the responsibility of
Wyoming’s sportsmen to ensure that they have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect our traditions and opportunities, and to see that the policies enacted
have meaningful input from those who are affected most. Historically a fractured community, the sportsmen and women of Wyoming can ensure they are heard by uniting and
speaking with one voice on issues of mutual concern.
Behind every thrilling hunting tale are the policies and politics that govern, how, when and
where we can pursue our passions. The Wyoming Sportsmen's Alliance was formed to be
a voice in such arena. Sportsmen must stand up today to preserve and enhance the important hunting and angling traditions upon which our state was founded, and which still
provide significant economic engine to Wyoming. By remaining silent we may lose the
opportunity to pass along the values this rich heritage imparts to the next generation. As
fellow MFF-ers we’re asking you to check out this link and become engaged. While the
alliance brings attention to such conversations of merit for sportsmen and sportswomen,
the individual must be heard.
Lady Fanatics
A few of the Lady Fanatics representing MFF
at Sportsman's Warehouse’s Ladies Night —
what a fun evening! Thank you
to Sportsman's Warehouse for
allowing us to be part of such
a great event to benefit the
Susan G. Komen Foundation!
If you’d like to get more involved, please join
us for one of our next membership meetings,
which are held on the third Tuesday of every
month:
May 20
June 17
July 22
Time
5:30 pm - Project Committee Meeting
6:30 pm - Membership Meeting
Upcoming Events
Location
Trout Room @ Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.
5400 Bishop Blvd, Cheyenne
May 21: Forever Wild Families Kickoff
Location TBA
May 31: Deadline for Resident Deer,
We’re ALWAYS looking for volunteers!
Elk, and Antelope tag applications
Jun 14: Platte Valley Volunteer Day
For the most current updates, be sure to follow us on Facebook by clicking on the small
icon below. You can also find more information about Muley Fanatic Foundation
events throughout the state by visiting the
headquarters website or by contacting us
through phone or email.
Town Hall Parking Lot, Saratoga
Jul 14-20: Nat’l High School Finals Rodeo
Sweetwater Complex, Rock Springs
Aug 9: Kemmerer Chapter ATV Poker Run
Kemmerer
Nov 15: SE WY 2nd Annual Banquet
Little America, Cheyenne
Dec 13: Cowboy Christmas Ball
Southeast Wyoming Chapter Co-Chairs:
Megan Rutherford (307) 631-1250
Tony Rutherford (307) 631-1418
[email protected]
Green River Headquarters: (307) 875-3133
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://muleyfanatic.com
Green River
LIKE US!
The Muley Fanatic Foundation’s Southeast Wyoming Chapter gratefully acknowledges the contributions made by the
following individuals and businesses as Sponsors of our Spring Fling Dinner & Dance in Laramie. Their concern for
conservation and mule deer is expressed through their generous donations; please remember to patronize these
businesses and show your appreciation for their support.
Ace Hardware
Brown & Gold Outlet
Cable Channel 11
Dr.’s Lorrie & Gary Poteet
Fresh Flower Fantasy
Guns & Gear
Hits 106
J. Vasquez Construction LLC
Money Raised in
Wyoming,
Stays in Wyoming!
Jeff Cowley
Jeff Geyer
Laramie Boomerang
Laramie GM Auto Center
Monteith Taxidermy
Mountain Cement Company
North Ridge Discount Liquors
Off the Clock Band
Operating Engineers Local No. 800
We would like to extend a special thanks to
our FFL Dealer that is handling the Spring Fling
gun transactions:
Scott & Laura Dias
The UPS Store– Laramie
Todd & Hillary Killorn
Tony & Megan Rutherford
Vortex Optics
Warren Federal Credit Union
West Laramie Fly
* We apologize for any errors or omissions from this list. We are truly grateful to all of our supporters!

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