The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
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The Fireworks Over the Lake celebration has received a green light from the state fire warden to move forward this year. The excitement starts at dark on Saturday, July 2. The pyrotechnic display is the largest yearly fundraiser for the Pine Haven Volunteer Fire Department with planning by both the department and town council started months in advance. The around 40 different types of firework bundles have been ordered at a cost of approximately $10,000, according to fire chief TJ Gideon. Fred Negebauer and associates is volunteering their...
Last Tuesday morning began a perfect sunny day for the annual Northeast Wyoming Walleye Association's Kids' Education Day at Coulter Bay on the Keyhole Reservoir. The six station event hosted 126 fifth graders from around the county, "The largest one yet," volunteer Sharon Coleman later reported. Among the minnow races, knot tying and casting classes, more serious lessons were taught as well. Powder River Energy conducted power-line safety and Wyoming Game and Fish demonstrated water safety and...
The Wyoming Sportsman Group Hulett Youth Field Day is an anticipated annual event drawing over 100 youth and their families from northeast Wyoming and surrounding states to participate in outdoor activities related to hunting, marksmanship, fishing, wildlife, conservation and personal safety. The group's mission is to introduce and keep youth interested and involved in outdoor and wildlife related activities. The event will take place right outside of Hulett on Hwy 24, Sat., June 4 beginning at...
Black Hills National Forest campgrounds are scheduled to open Friday, May 13 and seasonal gates will all be open Monday, May 16, 2022. The Forest offers 30 campgrounds with more than 680 individual sites. Many of the campgrounds are operated by a Forest Service recreation service partner, Forest Recreation Management, (FRM) Inc. based in Hill City, SD, under a concession permit. The fees in the Forest campgrounds range from $16 to $28.50 per night. Group camping is also available with advanced reservations near Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan...
Curious Major thinks he might like to explore inside the truck, though Beulah the dog isn't convinced he's going to fit. Both four-legged friends belong to Jennifer Pierson of Moorcroft....
While recreational shooting is allowed, it is unlawful to shoot at or use exploding targets anywhere on the Black Hills National Forest. A regional closure order prohibits the use of exploding targets on National Forest System Lands. The order states, “The following act is prohibited in Region 2 – using an explosive, which is any chemical compound, mixture, or device that has the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion (including exploding targets). 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(b).” Persons shooting at exploding targets can face a...
Workshops about invasive grasses and weeds are scheduled in early May in Gillette, Sheridan and Sundance. Sponsored by University of Wyoming Extension, the free public workshops – all covering the same topics – are scheduled for 3-6 p.m. in: • Gillette: Tues., May 3, George Amos Memorial Building Cottonwood Room • Sheridan: Tues., May 10, UW Extension Center, 1090 Dome Loop • Sundance: Tues., May 17, Crook County Courthouse Community Room The workshops are for those wishing to learn more abou...
SHERIDAN — Starting in July, Wyoming hunters will have increased chances to hunt the big five game animals in Wyoming: moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bison and grizzly bears. During its recently completed session, the Wyoming Legislature passed House Enrolled Act 10, which aims to increase local hunting opportunities for some of Wyoming’s rarest and most coveted animals. It does this through a two-prong plan. The first prong is to limit big five hunting licenses to once-in-a-lifetime events: once you receive a license for one of the...
The 22-person Montana Conservation crew has split into two teams with one working in the classroom and the other on the ground in Pine Haven, clearing the area between the bigger trees. This is done so that ladder fuels won't carry the fire up the trunks of those trees to create "crown" fires at the top that can jump from crown to crown quickly and cannot be fought from the ground. These crown fires can only be conquered from the air. Residents could hear the chainsaws Monday morning as the...
Beginning April 1, 2022, Devils Tower National Monument will be accepting entrance fee payments via card and digital payments only. Reducing cash collected in fee operations allows a park unit to be a better steward of our visitor's dollars. It allows our park unit to: 1. Reduce the amount of time park staff spend managing cash (i.e. reduce our administrative burden); 2. Increase the amount of fee revenue available to support critical projects and visitor services; 3. Improve accountability and...
This rare white (or smoky gray) wild hen has been a resident of Pine Haven for a couple of years, says Sunny Schell. About one in 100 wild turkeys are thought to be this color. While not as rare as an albino, these birds are noteworthy. Schell also said that this particular hen had hatched a black poult. If this is, in fact, an entirely black unbarred bird, it is considered extremely rare and is, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, melanistic: "a rare genetic pigment mutation that...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will once again be holding public open houses around the county this month to discuss the proposed hunting seasons for 2022. Meetings are scheduled in both Sundance and Hulett and comments will be accepted until April 1. The first of the two meetings will take place in Sundance on March 21 in the courthouse basement from 4 to 6 p.m. The next day, March 22, the Greater Hulett Community Center will host a meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The intent is to gather public input on general hunting regulations, as...
Black Hills National Forest officials are asking the public to avoid parking in front of closed Forest gates. Gates are closed to provide a seasonal refuge for wildlife, protect road surfaces and other resources, and provide for public safety as some of the roads are converted into part of the snowmobile trail in the winter. Seasonally closed roads and trails are identified on the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). “We would like to remind Forest users that even though a gate on a road might not look like there is any activity occurring b...
With ice forming on lakes and reservoirs throughout the state, the Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails reminds anglers of potential dangers on the ice. Ice fishing and other ice-related activities are a great way to enjoy Wyoming’s state parks and sites in the winter. However, ice is always in a state of flux, so anglers and other recreationists are reminded that driving any kind of motorized vehicle, and in some instances even walking on the ice, is risky. Pressure ridges can cause thin patches in the ice that cannot s...
Though flurries have passed through the area fairly regularly over the last couple of weeks, Wyoming’s snowpack is lower than usual so far this season – and Crook County is almost at the bottom of the list in terms of how much snow has accumulated in this area. While the overall average for the state is 88% of the median for this time of the year, Crook County has just over half the snowpack it would normally see. Only South Platte has a lower percentage at 31% of median. According to the Water Resources Data System and Wyoming State Cli...
The Crook County Natural Resource District (CCNRD) is encouraging the public to read two documents that outline both the past and future: an annual report and a plan of action for the year ahead. These documents have been published as a guide to the work that was accomplished over the last twelve months, and the accomplishments CCNRD will be aiming for in 2022. Road Ahead In 2022, CCNRD will continue its work to improve water quality by focusing on impaired stretches of the Belle Fourche River and Donkey Creek, according to its plan of action....
Keyhole State Park Superintendent Wade Henderson updated on conditions at Keyhole Reservoir, closing out the year. With varying thickness of four to six inches, Henderson warns guests, "Use extreme caution venturing out on the ice. You can walk on it, but I would keep vehicles off of it – I don't think the ice is quite there yet." Several pressure ridges and spots of open water can be seen from shore. Henderson cautions those who choose to walk on the ice, to pay attention to these weak p...
As of January 1, 2022, Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails will begin collecting sales and lodging taxes to comply with Wyoming State Statutes 39-15-101 and 39-15-201. Tax rates vary by county and will be collected on fees for overnight camping, annual camping permits, reservations and overnight rental facilities such as cabins, lodges, yurts and treehouses. “Wyoming State Parks has worked closely with the Department of Revenue to determine where taxes need to be applied to our fees in order to comply with state law,” Deputy Dir...
With the advent of winter on the reservoir, Keyhole State Park superintendent Wade Henderson talks about what to expect on the water this season. Temperatures in the Keyhole Reservoir have been reading in the high 30s as the fishing season enters December, however, diehard fishermen are not stymied by the lack of ice. "We still have people out and about who are fishing as the weather permits, catching walleye, crappy and pike, but everything else, right now, is kind of slow," notes Henderson....
Crook County Weed and Pest had another productive 2021 and has been successfully carrying out our programs over the course of the seasons as best as possible. The district dealt with many of the same issues all landowners and business owners dealt with in the area, especially the severe drought, which had an impact on many aspects of our programs. Wyoming statutes require the district board to hold a tour to annually evaluate programs. The board tour this year will be a mixture of an actual field tour to a prairie dog treatment site and a...
Black Hills National Forest Christmas tree permits are available for purchase either online at Recreation.gov, from your local Forest Service office or from private vendors throughout the Black Hills. Details about where to cut your tree and height restrictions may be found at Recreation.gov. To purchase a Christmas Tree permit online, visit Recreation.gov and search for Black Hills National Forest Christmas Tree Permit. It is important to carefully read the overview and need-to-know information prior to purchasing the permit. Visitors will...
The drainage to the west of the MK-8 playground in Moorcroft was momentarily roaring with the influx of water last Thursday, on its way to the detaining pond. But despite the welcome rain, by that afternoon, the drain and pond were again empty. Even so, the all-day rain and cooler temperatures brought relief and beauty as the air freshened and the ground drank deeply....
The Black Hills National Forest will conduct its third Moon Walk of the year on Sat., Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. The activity will take place at the Sundance Horse Camp, located about five miles from Sundance. Participants will learn how to identify some common constellations and hear stories about various star clusters. Speakers will also share some of the science related to star brightness, distances and other night sky observations. If you are looking for ways to engage your family on future campouts, especially after dark, this public event might in...
Major improvements to the accessibility of trails, exhibits, parking and restrooms were completed in July at Devils Tower National Monument. It is the first major upgrade to the park’s infrastructure since the mid-1950s, when annual visitation was about 130,000 compared to about 500,000 now. The project enhanced accessibility for visitors with disabilities and brought the park into compliance with federal accessibility laws and regulations. Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski said, “We want all...
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