Quarter 1 2014 - Muley Fanatic Foundation Southeast Wyoming

Quarterly Newsletter : Q1 2014
Hello Muley Fanatics!
Is it cold enough out there yet?? I imagine the answer is YES when the
weatherman on the radio says it’s not likely to get above zero for the rest
of the day and it might hit a high of zero tomorrow! In any case, regardless of what the thermometer looks like outside, things are staying heated up here in Cheyenne as we charge forward into the new year.
Our Southeast Wyoming Chapter 1st Annual Banquet was a HUGE SUCCESS, thanks to
you and your generous donations. We put the Holiday Inn banquet room to the test, with a
sold-out crowd of 324 attendees and 43 volunteers who contributed to raising a grand total of
$36,235.23 for mule deer conservation right here in Wyoming! We could not have done it
without your help and the outstanding support from our event sponsors, so THANK YOU again
for your generosity!
After cleaning up, counting beans, and catching our breath, we formed our Project
Committee and have started reviewing the funding request proposals that have been submitted. We’ve known for a few years now that Wyoming mule deer need our help and it has
been very exciting to see the well thought out habitat improvement projects laid out before
us. We’ve also received funding requests from local youth organizations to assist their groups
with procuring equipment to enhance their teaching opportunities. The best part of all of this
though is that YOU’RE making it possible for us to say YES to these requests!
We hope you enjoy the updates in our first quarterly newsletter and we look forward to
seeing you again at our volunteer opportunities and fundraising events in 2014!
Photo by Jason Faigl
Each regional Chapter of the Muley Fanatic Foundation contributes 30% of monies raised to the MFF Headquarters
in Rock Springs to support running the non-profit organization and fund additional mule deer projects. In 2013,
fundraising banquets were held in Rock Springs, Kemmerer, Casper, Cheyenne, and Green River, Wyoming, in addition to Loveland and Denver, Colorado. This allowed the Muley Fanatic Foundation to allocate over $311,000 to
various mule deer projects in our region! Approximately half of this allocation was awarded to the University of
Wyoming to continue conducting a three-year study of mule deer herds on the Wyoming Range (click photos for
full articles and a video about the project).
Photos by Mark Gocke, Casper Star-Tribune correspondent
In addition to the $20,000 donation by MFF in 2012, successful fundraising in 2013 allowed the MFF to allocate an
additional $150,000 (for a grand total of $170,000!) to the University of Wyoming to complete this study. The “big
check” was presented to the University project team at the MFF 2013 Cowboy Christmas Ball held in Green River.
We can’t forget to mention a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Mike Morris, the Buck
Fever Super Raffle winner, who went home with a brand new, LOADED, Can-Am
Commander! We also had several local winners of firearms in the raffle, including:
Jeanette Foster
Mac Wilson
Jason Meyers
Dave Coleman
Russ Boyle
Part of our mission as Muley Fanatics is to provide supporting services to further the sport of hunting and
sound wildlife management. To help make
this mission a reality, we’re committed to supporting our local youth and their involvement in conservation, hunting (or related activities), and teaching them about
proper management techniques. Through the generous
donations collected at our first annual banquet, we were
proudly able to meet the needs of the Laramie County 4-H
Shooting Sports group by presenting them with an engraved
muzzleloader. While the weather (-4 degrees and blowing
snow) may have kept some of the kids from attending their
air rifle practice on February 4th, we are told that the current enrollment in the club is 70+, which is a record! With
that many kids in the program, their current equipment inventory just wasn’t enough to support teaching all interested how to use muzzleloaders. It was very humbling to meet
the coaches and see youth excited about shooting sports
and getting to use their new equipment. A big THANK YOU
also goes out to Guns & Gear, LLC for their support in helping us procure the muzzleloader!
In addition to showing support
for our local 4-H clubs, the Youth
Committee has been developing
several other outreach projects. Partnering with the Wyoming Game & Fish,
we’re working on teaming up with local schools to get
hunter education offered as an after school program.
Meetings with the WY Game & Fish will commence in
the near future as they begin introducing the program
that will eventually go into all schools across the state,
with initial piloting of the program starting here in
Laramie County.
We are also teaming up with the Pheasants Forever High Plains Chapter out of Pine Bluffs to help them
with their well established youth programs. On May 1920, they’re organizing a two day event at the Pine Bluff
School called “Days in the Wild” where Kindergarteners
through 6th Graders will participate in outdoor and
hunting related activities. They also have a summer
camp for kids (stay tuned for details!). They are having
their fundraising banquet on April 12, 2014 and we look
forward to supporting them in their efforts.
As evaluation of habitat project proposals continues, we’re excited to announce that the Big Creek
Ranch Upland Habitat Enhancements project has been allocated $5,400 from the Muley Fanatic Foundation in 2014. This sum joins a total of
$102,400 already allocated to the project
by six other donors (ranch owners included) to improve mule deer habitat in the
Platte Valley.
This project will include Aerial Spike herbicide application on 920 acres of upland
mixed shrub habitats (antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sage, Wyoming big
sage), mechanical and prescribed fire
treatments on 30 acres of aspen, restoration of 200 acres of sagebrush habitats through sagebrush thinning and re-seeding with native grasses
and forbs. All treatments to be conducted on the Big Creek Ranch serve to improve overall plant
health, vigor, and age class diversity of aspen, mixed shrub, and sagebrush habitats to support mule
deer populations utilizing the property for important Summer, Transitional, and Winter ranges. Habitats mentioned provide important foraging, fawning, thermal, and hiding cover values for mule deer.
Observations of the Platte Valley have shown that mule deer populations vary greatly throughout the
year on areas proposed for treatment, from 50+ (resident) to 800-2000 deer during peak migration periods. Intensive project monitoring will be completed by Wyoming Game & Fish Department personnel
to measure individual plant/vegetative community responses to treatments, as well as mule deer herd
response. Data gathered in-field will be shared with project partners and area landowners to further
interest in mule deer habitat improvement projects, and provide justification for additional treatments.
As mentioned before, there are numerous project partners involved, all contributing to the success of
the program and ultimately, recovery of the Platte Valley's mule deer herds.
If you’d like to be involved in helping us select future projects for funding, please join us at our Project
Committee meetings on the third Tuesday of every month (more info on the Meetings & Events page).
Jeff Geyer, one of our proud Muley Fanatics in Cheyenne, has taken a
few trips over to the Platte Valley winter range to shoot some video
footage of our Wyoming mule deer in action. This winter range provides much needed high quality feed during the long winter months and
is one target of our habitat improvement projects. Better habitat means
higher survival rates and higher quality deer! Click the icon to watch!
The MFF Southeast Wyoming Chapter is cohosting the upcoming Sportsmen’s Legislative
Reception at Little America on Monday, February
17th. For over a century, hunters and anglers
have been the beneficiaries of Wyoming’s userpay model of wildlife conservation. They have
also been its staunchest defenders. That has
never been truer than during the current debate
over whether or not the Wyoming Game & Fish
Department should have its funding restored
after the legislature failed to pass a license fee
bill last year. Valuable programs like Wyoming’s
groundbreaking Access Yes program have been
cut, reducing hunting opportunities for everyday
sportsmen and women. The Access program
currently enjoys an overwhelming amount of
support: 85% of the state’s population, according to a recent poll. Across Wyoming, hunters and anglers are stepping up to
voice their support for restoring funding for the scientific management of wildlife and our access programs. In order to restore
the programs that were cut, two bills must be introduced by a 2/3’s vote of Wyoming’s House of Representatives. Our Representatives need to know that Wyoming’s sportsmen and women want to see a return to sensible funding levels to ensure that
Wyoming’s hunting and fishing traditions will continue for the next generations. Join us and add your voice to those of sportsmen from across the state in telling your legislators how important Wyoming’s hunting and fishing traditions are to you, and
why we need to ensure that our Game & Fish Department has the funds it needs to ensure those traditions are preserved for
future generations. (Click on the image above to go to the Wyoming Sportsmen’s Alliance website for more information.)
1st Annual Muley Fanatic Foundation
Spring Fling
Enjoy an evening of dinner, dancing and FUN!
Saturday, May 17th, 2014
Albany County Fairgrounds, Laramie, WY
Doors open at 5pm
Dinner at 6pm
Beef Brisket dinner
No-host bar
Dancing, Fun Games & Prizes
Tickets: $40 Single, $75 Couple
Sponsorship opportunities & Tables available
Dance the night away to a
mix of classic rock and
country music provided by
Off The Clock Band
Purchase tickets by calling:
Scott Dias (307) 399-0588
Megan Rutherford
(307) 631-1250
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:
February 18
March 18
April 15
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
Feb 17: Sportsmen’s Reception
6:30pm, Little America, Cheyenne
Feb 22: MFF of Colorado Dinner/Auction
We’re ALWAYS looking for volunteers!
4:00pm, “The Ranch”, Loveland
Mar 1: Rock Springs Chapter Banquet
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.
Sweetwater Event Complex, Rock Springs
Mar 7-9: Eastman’s 2014 Deer Tour
Sportsman’s Warehouse, Cheyenne
Apr 12: Kemmerer Chapter Banquet
Lincoln County Events Center, Kemmerer
May 17: SE WY Chapter Spring Fling
Albany County Fairgrounds, Laramie
Nov 15: SE WY 2nd Annual Banquet
Southeast Wyoming Chapter Co-Chairs:
Megan Rutherford (307) 631-1250
Tony Rutherford (307) 631-1418
sewyoming@muleyfanatic.com
Rock Springs Headquarters: (307) 875-3133
josh@muleyfanatic.com
joey@muleyfanatic.com
http://muleyfanatic.com
Little America, Cheyenne
LIKE US!
The Muley Fanatic Foundation’s Southeast Wyoming Chapter gratefully acknowledges the contributions made by the
following individuals and businesses in 2013. 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.
3TC Builders, LLC
Ace Hardware- Laramie
Guns & Gear, LLC,
Sam’s Club
Frank Gerstenkorn & Patrice Gapen
Scott & Laura Dias
Al Noraker
Havalon Knives
Scott Hampel
Altitude Chophouse & Brewery
High Country Motor Sports
Sears Auto Center
Allwayz Manufacturing, Dean Bowman
Home Depot
Senator John Barrasso
BH Contracting
Ian and Kristen Tator
Seven J Outfitters
Big 5 Sporting Goods
Joseph’s Journey
Shadows Pub & Grill
Black Velvet
King’s Soopers
Silver Wing Sporting Club,
Boot Barn- Cheyenne
Laramie County Shooting Sports Complex
Boot Barn- Laramie
Laramie Tire Factory
Sportsman’s Warehouse
Boy Scout Troop 221 Cheyenne, WY
Larry Porter
Stallion Oilfield Services, Inc.
Bullseye Archery, Wilburn Bean
Lorrie Colbert, Scentsy
Stan and Carolyn Lueck
Butch Manasse Outdoor Adventures,
McCormick Junior High Jazz Choir,
Steve Price
Butch & Joan Manasse
Wendy Dryden Choir Director
Justin Lovercheck
TC Berry
Butcher Block
Midway USA
The Chiropractic Clinic, Dr. Ryan Benne
Capital Lumber
Miller Insulation
Todd’s Concrete, LLC
Cheyenne Beverage Company
Monteith Taxidermy, Dr. Kevin Monteith
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Mr. Jims Pizza
Tommy Burke
Cheyenne Trap and Skeet
Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply
Tony & Megan Rutherford
Cory Cole
Napa Auto Parts
University of Wyoming
Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort
Northridge Discount Liquors
Vino’s
DeMartin Family
Northview Chiropractic
Walmart
Dick Edgar
Oak Stone Outfitters
Warren Federal Credit Union Foundation
DT’s Liquors
Old Chicago Pizza
West Laramie Fly
Four Seasons Anglers
O’Reilly Auto Parts
Wheatland Country Store
Freedom Hunters
Outerwall/Redbox
Wildlife Inspirations Taxidermy, Steve Knox
Furniture Factory Outlet
Pain Consultants of the Rockies, Dr. Ribnik
Wildwood Casino Cripple Creek
Gary Reese
Pheasants Forever, High Plains Chapter
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Governor Matthew H. Mead
Pike Made Knives, John S. Pike
Wyoming Wildlife Memories
Great Guns Sporting, LLC
Rocky Mountain Gun Trader
Wyoming Work Warehouse
Todd & Hillary Killorn
Another thank you goes out to the committee
members who completed the behind-the-scenes
work to make the first year of MFF’s Southeast
Wyoming Chapter a great success (almost left to
right):
Brian Stecklein, Brian & Jeanette Foster, Frank
Gerstenkorn, Scott & Laura Dias, Butch Manasse,
Megan & Tony Rutherford, Derek Foster, Jeff
Cowley, Todd & Hillary Killorn, Jeff Geyer and
Scott Hampel