Quarter 3 2014 - Muley Fanatic Foundation Southeast Wyoming

Quarterly Newsletter : Q3 2014
Greetings All Muley Fanatics!
It’s getting to be our favorite time of the year... Not only have we been enjoying some pre-season scouting but we are getting closer to opening day! For most
hunting enthusiasts this is the time that we live for, but with the recent decline in
mule deer numbers across Wyoming it’s important to realize that conservation efforts must be put in
place in order to save this iconic symbol of the West.
Since 2012, MFF has allocated over $600,000 to the mission. There have been a wide diversity of projects thus far, including predator control, research, habitat restoration, water improvements, and
youth education. The 70/30 model, 70% to local funds and 30% to administration, is working! We have
some exciting things happening both at the local chapter level as well as through headquarters so grab
a cup of joe and sit down to hear about what we have been up to and what is currently in the works.
Perhaps most noteworthy is the establishment of the Deer-Elk Ecology Research (D.E.E.R.) study which
will begin next year. This project aims to put $1,313,745 of funds raised by the Muley Fanatic Foundation towards studying why mule deer numbers are on the decline. In order to raise these funds headquarters unveiled the Buck Fever 2 Raffle back in June, which (when all the tickets are sold) will fund
the entire first year of this monumental project. This project won’t go though if we can’t raise the
money, so we need your continued support to help spread the word. With such an awesome project,
it’s only fitting to have an equally awesome grand prize. You can purchase a $100 ticket for a chance to
win a LOADED (and lifted) Ford F-150 complete with custom Kuiu Camo wrap or you can donate any
amount to help this great effort. Tickets can be purchased directly through our website at
www.muleyfanatic.org
And last but not least– the time is drawing near for the 2nd Annual Southeast WY MFF Chapter Banquet on Saturday, November 15th at Little America in Cheyenne. This is an event not to be missed!
As always, we’re only able to do what we do because of you. This event and future projects would not
be possible without your generous support as an attendee, sponsor or volunteer. So we ask that you
mark your calendar and plan on attending this fun event. Tickets are on sale now and if you purchase a
$100 raffle ticket package before the early bird deadline of October 15th you will receive $160 worth
of raffle tickets and be entered to win a .257 Weatherby. This year we will be limiting the number of
banquet tickets to 600 people so you better get them before they are sold out!
Deer-Elk Ecology Research (D.E.E.R.) project sets out to be
Monumental Mule Deer and Elk Study
The Deer-Elk Ecology Research study is set to begin in 2015 and will continue over the next five years. It is
projected to cost a total of $1,313,745 and will be fully funded by the Muley Fanatic Foundation.
The main objectives of the project are:

Evaluate factors affecting reproduction of adult female mule deer, including pregnancy, litter size, survival and recruitment of young.

Evaluate relationships between habitat selection on seasonal ranges with
survival, reproduction, and dynamics of fat gain and loss for individual
female mule deer to characterize habitat quality on seasonal ranges, and
evaluate the relative influence of habitat use and presence of elk.

Monitor movement and distribution of mule deer and elk relative to seasonal migration and delineate important migration routes.

Evaluate seasonal diet composition and diet quality for deer and elk to identify key forage species in
this high-desert ecosystem and determine the degree of dietary niche overlap, and potential for competition between the two species.

Evaluate seasonal resource use of elk and mule deer to understand the potential competitive interactions between the two species given their sympatric range.

Identify what is limiting recruitment of adult male mule deer into the huntable segment of the population.
Buck Fever 2 Announcement-It’s not about the raffle, it’s about the CAUSE!
Those of you may remember our Inaugural Buck Fever raffle last year from MFF headquarters. The raffle
consisted of 49 firearms and the grand prize of a loaded CanAm Commander side-by-side. We had a lot of
local support from our side of the state which resulted in 5 lucky winners of guns from tickets that our
chapter had sold.
On June 19th the Muley Fanatic Foundation unveiled the Buck Fever 2 Raffle at First Choice Ford, which sets
out to raise the first years worth of funding for this monumental undertaking by one organization to fund
the entire research project by itself. A maximum of 5,000 tickets will be sold with the purchase price of
$100 each. This 2014 Ford F-150 features a custom Kuiu camo paint job and off-road accessories—it is a
must have for any outdoorsman!
All too often people get caught up in the prizes involved, our
belief is that it’s not about the
raffle, it’s about the cause.
Tickets can be purchased
online at
www.muleyfanatic.org
Pheasants Forever Days in the Wild School Program
Pheasants Forever hosted their annual ‘Days in the Wild’ event for over 450
elementary students from all corners of the Laramie County School District.
One of our Muley Fanatics had the opportunity to attend the event and came
away very impressed with what these students were treated to. Kids were
introduced to the basics of hunter safety, witnessed how a great bird dog can
perform, and even took part in a mock pheasant hunt. They shot air soft pistols, heard from K-9 law enforcement, were taught about habitat and conservation by the Conservation District and WGFD, introduced to live raptors and
even witnessed what power lines can do to a hotdog. The event was very
well organized and accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time while
maintaining smiles on all of the kids’ faces. Pheasants Forever has also done a
marvelous job of incorporating the young people of its club into leaders of
the Days in the Wild program. As you may know, MFF has made the decision to use ten percent of its current annual funds to aid youth programs that further the sport of hunting. The Fanatics look forward to teaming up with
Pheasants Forever in future events to become a greater force in recruiting the youth of this state into the greatest
sport of all time. Help us with this endeavor by taking a young person fishing or hunting and join the Fanatics!
Inaugural Spring Fling Update
We hosted our inaugural Spring Fling dinner and dance on Saturday, May
17th. A special thanks to Frank & Patrice from Guns & Gear who handled
the FFL and also Doug at the Albany County Fairgrounds who made us
feel right at home. Off The Clock band rocked the house and a few brave
souls made it out onto the dance floor. We gave away a lot of guns and
great prizes.
Not only did we have dinner and dancing, but also a
presentation of guns. The Muley Fanatic Foundation SE
WY Chapter was pleased to present Tasha Sorensen of
WGFD with 6 Ruger American rifles to be utilized in the
Forever Wild Families Program. The program participants
have had a busy
summer and have
been
enjoying
getting outdoors to
learn about the
sport of fishing and
are beginning to
learn about gun
safety and hunting.
Don’t forget about the Camo Cache Drive— 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. We
will also have a donation box at the November
15th banquet.
Pheasants Forever &
The Muley Fanatic Foundation
Present
Family Fun Day 2014
Saturday, August 23rd
10am to Quitin’ Time
Lunch & Shooting is on us!
Activities include: Airsoft, pistol,
revolver, rifle, archery paintball, shotgun still targets and sporting clays, 410,
20 gauge and 12 gauge
Please RSVP By August 20th by calling
(307) 245-3649 or email
[email protected]
Event to be held in Pine Bluffs. Follow the directions
from the Pine Bluffs Exxon Station at Exit 401.
Poachers Beware!
The Southeast Wyoming Chapter of the Muley Fanatic Foundation has started a
sign campaign, not to help someone get elected to office, but to attempt to
curb the poaching taking place in our region. After seeing the signs that Headquarters had made and placed in Southwest Wyoming we decided to try and
place some in our neck of the woods. A few of our chapter members knew local
landowners that were having problems with deer being poached. With deer
numbers continuing to decline, every buck and doe poached is even more devastating to the herds. We hope that by placing these signs around our area it
might accomplish one of two things; make poachers think twice because there
is a sign near the deer they are thinking about shooting, or get the stop
poaching phone number out there so that if someone does see something they have the number right at their finger tips.
YOUR NAME HERE!
So, if you feel the same way we do about poachers, please give us a call
and let’s talk about putting a sign up in your area. We have contacted
the authorities in charge of signage along roadways and have been provided with set procedures to follow— we cannot place signs along state
highways, but other roads are available. Or, we can place the sign on
your property, maybe right where your deer herd winters.
The best part is, if you choose to sponsor a sign for $250 we can put your name or business name on the sign so
everyone will know who is supporting wildlife in our area. The lower sign in the picture has a "Sign Furnished By"
area where we can place a decal with your name on it. We will do all of the leg work with the appropriate county
entity, dig the hole, and install the sign. So please contact us at [email protected] or call Megan
Rutherford at (307) 631-1250 if you are interested in being part of the solution.
Platte Valley Fence Project
You may recall that our last newsletter had an invite for
volunteers to join us at the 2nd Annual Platte Valley volunteer day which took place on June 14 th. We had 13
MFF volunteers that helped take out fence and install a
lay down fence in a crucial big-game migration corridor
near the French Creek campground. We enjoyed a cool
day with lots of work to be done and gorgeous views to
be had. A special thank you to Saratoga-EncampmentRiverside Conservation District, USFS, WY Game & Fish,
BLM, Bowhunters Of Wyoming, Inc., Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Platte Valley Habitat
Partnership. We look forward to participating
again next year!
The Pole Mountain Buck and Rail Fencing Project
A special thanks to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Trout Unlimited Curt Gowdy Chapter,
Laramie Bike Net, Laramie County Conservation District and the USFS for a fantastic work
day up at Pole Mountain installing Buck and Rail fence. Off-Road Vehicle use on nondesignated trails is a BIG DEAL—please help educate people to stay on designated roads
and not destroy the public lands that so many enjoy (including mule deer)!
Sheep Mountain Mule Deer Herd Management
Wyoming Game and Fish began holding a series of public meetings this August to discuss management of the Sheep
Mountain Mule Deer Herd (hunt areas; 61,74,75,76,77).
The meetings are designed to educate attendees on the basics of mule deer ecology, provide population data (past
and present) for the Sheep Mountain Mule Deer Herd Management (SMMDH), identify and prioritize the current
issues facing the herd, and to develop management strategies to address these issues. Two initial public meetings
were held in Cheyenne and Laramie.
The SMMDH provides opportunities for mule deer hunters from the nearby cities of Laramie and Cheyenne. Like
many places in the Western United States, the Sheep Mountain area has
experienced a decline in mule deer numbers over the past 30 years. In
1990, 2,500 hunters harvested 800 mule deer from this herd; while in
2013, 1,400 hunters harvested 200 mule deer.
While the declining mule deer population is the primary cause of this decrease in hunter numbers and harvest, the recent change to a short (6 day)
3-point or better season is also responsible for this decrease. In addition to
the Department’s mule deer data, public observations and comments support a declining number of mule deer within the SMMDH.
The combination of harsh winters, drought, increased human activity, and
poor fawn productivity has prompted the WGFD to initiate a focused effort
to manage mule deer within the SMMDH. Under average conditions a mule
deer herd needs to produce 66 fawns per 100 does to remain stable, the
current fawn ratio for the SMMDH is 55 fawns per 100 does, suggesting this
population is stable to decreasing.
The Muley Fanatic Foundation SE WY Chapter is proud to be involved in
being part of the solution to bringing back mule deer numbers in this herd
unit with your help. Please stay tuned for more updates as we embark on
getting a project off the ground.
Saying Goodbye to Good Volunteers
We are sad to say goodbye to our good friends and MFF volunteers Scott and Laura
Dias as they move back east—they have been instrumental in getting the Southeast
WY Chapter off the ground and are best known for their contributions up in the
Laramie area. Thank you Scott and Laura for all of your hard work and vision to furthering the MFF mission!
Teaching About the Great Outdoors
Did you know that 38 million Americans hunt and
fish? That leaves 262 million that don’t do either!
Help someone you know learn about the outdoors.
Local Hunting & Fishing Exhibit
Have you seen the new exhibit celebrating Wyoming’s outdoor
lifestyle at the Wyoming State Museum? "Art of the Hunt: Wyoming Traditions" features more than 70 hunting and fishing objects
by over 50 Wyoming artists. The exhibit showcases engraved firearms, hand-tied flies and hand-crafted bamboo fishing rods. The
exhibit is on display through June of next year.
Calling All Eastern Plains Area Projects!!!
We have a few ideas but we need your help. We know that mule deer need us all over this portion of our great state
so we are looking for project proposals or recommendations on projects out in the Eastern Plains area which includes
Pine Bluffs and beyond. Please email [email protected] or contact Megan Rutherford at (307)631-1250
with any suggestions.
Forever Wild Families Range Day
A great time was had by all. Forever Wild Families and a few MFF volunteers participated in a range day earlier this month. This was the first time that many got to
shoot a rifle and as you can see by the photos it was fun for all!
If you’d like to get more involved, please join
us for one of our next membership meetings.
August 25th
September 2nd
September 23rd
Each Tuesday in October through
November 11th
Time
5:30 pm - Project Committee Meeting
Upcoming Events
6:00 pm - Membership Meeting
Location
Trout Room @ Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.
Aug 23: Pheasants Forever & MFF Family
Fun Day in Pine Bluffs
Aug 30: Cowboy Football Kick-Off Event
with MFF Big Buck Truck in Laramie
5400 Bishop Blvd, Cheyenne
We’re ALWAYS looking for volunteers!
Nov 15: SE WY 2nd Annual Banquet
Little America, Cheyenne
Dec 13: Cowboy Christmas Ball,
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.
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
LIKE US!
Green River