Angi Bruce, Director of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Tuesday, April 7 for her monthly report. Director Bruce summarized the season setting public meetings that were recently held throughout Lincoln County, the construction process of the wildlife crossings on Highway 189 south of Kemmerer, amount of CWD testing that occurred in 2025 and the recently released Mule Deer Conservation Strategy.

(0:00) Wake up in your weekday. This is Duke Dallin Dan and the weekday wake up (0:05) It is 836 this morning on SVI radio Swift 98 and the spur time to touch base with the Wyoming game and fish and director (0:12) Angie Bruce on the air live this morning with the monthly report director Bruce. Good morning (0:17) How are you on the other side of the state of Wyoming today? (0:20) Good morning, Duke.

I am wonderful today. The Sun is shining and it’s a wonderful spring day (0:27) That it is well appreciate your time as always and a lot going on with the game and fish as always and I wanted to (0:34) Start with these season setting meetings that have been held (0:37) Those have kind of happened around at least in Lincoln County and and around other places of the state (0:42) So wanted to have you provide a summary on those and and what the feedback from the community has been and if we might see (0:49) Any changes to the hunting season from these meetings? (0:52) Yeah, thanks Duke it’s that time of year again when we are looking at our hunting seasons very busy (0:58) I think there were over 30 some meetings across the state (1:01) To get that public input and more valuable. I think for the public to hear each other, too (1:07) I think that is really about what these local meetings are about to hear all sides of the issue (1:13) Yeah, especially over in Lincoln County at the meeting over there.

We had 14 individuals (1:19) You know, I wish there was 50 individuals, but I’m really for glad for those 14 who did come out and share their thoughts with us (1:27) Specifically over in that area (1:29) There’s been a lot of conversation regarding the Wyoming range mule deer and if it’s the right time or not (1:36) following the bad winter of (1:38) 2223 to increase those license and increase that opportunity available to for mule deer hunting over there (1:46) We have gotten a lot of comments a lot of people weighing in and that’s exactly what we want (1:53) Some of those thoughts is it premature? Is it not do we you know, people are evaluating that and giving us there’s those thoughts (2:00) So that’s one definitely a proposed change the other changes around the state (2:06) Are sort of expected again following that rebound of the bad winter. You’ll see increases proposed for (2:15) Antelope and mule deer throughout the state in different areas where we had a really (2:20) Conservative before so those were the primary (2:23) focus (2:24) Overall that we see with the changes proposed (2:27) So it’s not too late to get your comment in if you missed one of those public meetings (2:31) You can go online and comment written comments (2:34) I will tell you that our commissioners read every single one of those and take them to heart and then our commission meeting is (2:42) April 22nd in Riverton (2:45) It’s a 21st and 22nd (2:46) But the 20 seconds where we’ll be focused on the season setting and the Commission will vote on next year’s season (2:54) Excellent. All right (2:55) And so I guess after that point then we’ll kind of know what to plan and prepare for and those will those decisions will be (3:01) made correct (3:02) Absolutely.

April Commission meeting is where those decisions will be made and moving forward then we’ll know what the fall will look like (3:09) Director Bruce with the Wyoming game and fish on the weekday wake up a director highway 189 (3:14) Construction is really ramping up as we head into the spring and summer on those wildlife crossings the underpasses and overpasses (3:21) We’ve seen a lot of the fencing posts already go up (3:25) Walk us through what’s going to happen next and what people will begin to start seeing happen over the next few months on that project (3:32) Well people will notice especially if you drive that route (3:35) You will you will probably be a little bit annoyed by having to wait some extra time to get through there (3:41) I ask for your patience because at the end of the day this will make a safer passage for humans and (3:48) For wildlife, so it will take people’s patience as that construction happens primarily in (3:54) 2026 so this year they will do six underpasses (3:59) There’s going to be seven total (4:00) The box culvert type underpasses is what they’ll be putting in and then they’ll move into an arched culvert (4:07) That arched one will allow more antelope to move under they like high visibility. So the box ones don’t (4:14) Necessarily attract them. They need lots of clearance and then they’ll be after that (4:20) There’ll be the construction of the one overpass (4:22) So majority of the work will be done in 2026, but then they’ll be finishing up next year director (4:29) We’ve had various conversations with some of our local representatives from why dot on this project and one thing they mess (4:36) mentioned that I wanted to further follow up with you on is is the (4:40) placement of these underpasses and overpasses and trying to get them as close to the migratory patterns of the wildlife and (4:48) being part of the game and fish maybe walk us through that process and and what the game and fish does to (4:53) To track the movement of the wildlife and try and put these crossings underpasses and overpasses in is in the best possible location (5:03) Excellent question Duke because that is you know, we just don’t guess but if you rot if you drive that road all the time (5:09) You probably have a good understanding of where those areas are as well (5:13) But we we really look hard at the science (5:16) So we have collared animals in the area over the years (5:20) And so we know exactly the areas of that segment that they’re using to cross (5:25) We also look at other data collision data crash data.

Where are the animals getting hit? (5:32) We take all of that and then we look at things like (5:36) land ownership (5:38) Geographical features so we try to put them as (5:43) Engineering and possible in the exact locations that are they are currently using we believe then that gives them the greatest chance (5:50) To continue using those areas in a safe way (5:53) However, there is what we call exclusionary fence (5:57) So a high six-foot fence that you’ll see running along that highway that then funnels them to those overpasses and underpasses (6:04) So if it’s not the exact area that they used in the past, they’ll be funneled to one of the safe passage areas (6:11) again a great example of (6:13) Science meets engineering meets practical application all in one (6:18) Director Bruce Wyoming game and fish on the weekday wake up this morning (6:21) Director of game and fish recently released some numbers in regards to chronic wasting disease testing from (6:27) 2025 last year (6:29) 5,370 samples total from the course of the year multiple animals elk deer moose and over (6:37) 840 of those samples (6:40) Confirmed CWD, maybe maybe touch on that some more if you would (6:45) Yeah, definitely. It’s really important for us to continue to collect CWD samples (6:50) It gives us indication about what the disease is doing on the landscape and how much it’s moving to areas of the state that it (6:57) Hasn’t been in before (6:59) You know with a deer we pretty much have it across the state. It hits whitetails very hard (7:06) and out of those samples (7:09) 32% were in whitetails that were tested positive for CWD 21 in mule deer and then in those (7:16) Elk that were harvested and turned in (7:18) 2.4% so quite a bit of difference you can see the majority is in (7:25) deer (7:26) None at CWD and moose we have had it in the past in a very rare occasion (7:32) But this time this past year none of that and so we really appreciate the hunters that are turning in these samples to us (7:38) Again, it’s a disease that we will live with for some time.

I do not see a cure or (7:45) Or a vaccine on the near horizon. We are helping Canada with working on one and (7:51) Continuing to do research to how do we manage and live with this disease? (7:55) but you know (7:57) Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be around for the rest of my career (8:00) So it’s important for us to continue to collect the data understand what it’s doing (8:04) And manage with it and as as you do manage this game and fish also just released the 2026 mule deer (8:11) Conservation strategy tell us what this strategy is for and what it’s meant to do and what’s maybe included in it (8:19) well (8:20) You know everyone in Wyoming. I think loves mule deer (8:23) I mean it it is the iconic species that we all want to see more on the landscape over the last (8:29) 2025 years we’ve seen a decline not only in Wyoming but across the West it sort of breaks my heart (8:35) you know, what can we do if we could just pull a trigger pull a level and (8:40) Have a rebound in the populations we would but it’s going to take a whole lot more (8:44) And so this plan is about trying something and it’s trying it collectively with everyone at the table our partners (8:51) There’s a lot of people who want to do something.

So what is that? (8:55) So this is our first phase of a mule deer strategy. I call that phase one because it’s very high level (9:00) It starts the conversation (9:02) It’s really about a collaborative approach that involves a lot of extra funding and a lot of extra (9:09) Policymaking if we’re really going to move the needle (9:12) We are looking at taking this the next step. We’re rolling it out.

We want input from everyone (9:17) We want to ask you do you see yourself in this and if not, where do you think you play a role? (9:22) But on November 13th in Casper, we are going to have a statewide mule deer summit (9:29) Everyone’s invited but this is a collective effort to say, okay (9:32) What actions do we need to take and who’s going to take them to move this plan forward? (9:38) So excited for it, you know, we’ve done so much work in mule deer conservation over the years (9:44) We’ve put millions of dollars into the effort (9:47) This is just to build on that and continue that but do it in a very collaborative way across the state (9:52) So we’ll continue to see this develop. That’s Game and Fish director Angie Bruce on the weekday wake-up director (9:58) Anything we missed that you’d like to touch on today. I (10:02) Think that kind of wraps it up except for the fact that you know (10:05) I don’t know about you guys, but I’m I’ve got fishing on my mind and getting outside (10:10) So I hope other people do and take advantage of the nice weather (10:15) It is dry and we’re very concerned about the drought that we’re in (10:19) But I hope folks will get outside and take advantage of some good fishing starting to happen.

Absolutely (10:24) That’s director Angie Bruce with the Wyoming Game and Fish. It’s all part of the weekday. Wake up this morning on SBI radio