Earlier this fall, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) partnered with the Buffalo BLM Field Office, Bighorn National Forest and the Powder River Fence Initiative (PRFI) to work on several fencing projects on the eastern slope of the Bighorn Mountains in north-central Wyoming. This project continued BHA's proud partnership with PRFI, formerly known as the Bighorn Fence Initiative, a group of organizations and people dedicated to improving wildlife movement and migration by removing or modifying fences. A list of smaller-scale fencing projects was compiled, and a plan came together to cross them off before winter and migration season set in for the year.
The Bighorn Mountains are a well-known and much-loved mountain range, encompassing the Cloud Peak Wilderness and providing a major source of outdoor recreation in northern Wyoming. They are home to a healthy population of moose, fishable creeks and high-country lakes, and include some highly regarded elk hunting areas as well. With the mountain range rising out of the surrounding prairie, the foothills provide access to the high country, along with ample upland bird and pronghorn habitat and wintering range for elk and mule deer. These projects took place along the eastern slope of the mountains, an area used by big game during migration from their high-country summer range to the prairie for the winter.
The Bighorns are a special place for me and my family; they served as our “close to home” high-country and wilderness respite during our time in Wyoming. It was where I went hunting with my very own elk tag for the first time and where I filled my most recent one with a nice bull. Our first overnight wilderness trip with our string of llamas was into the Cloud Peak Wilderness, and many of our favorite trips with friends and family followed. The eastern foothills, with their river and creek bottoms, are where I successfully filled a deer tag for the first time in the Cowboy State. The area is also home to some of my most precious memories of hunting pheasants with my beloved bird dog, who has since passed away. I was excited to be able to give back to the place that has given me so much.
This project took place over three days. Day one’s mission was to remove a woven-wire exclosure originally intended to keep grazing livestock out of a timber regrowth area. It ended in success, with approximately 1 mile of fence removed and hauled off the mountain for recycling. Day two involved teaming up to tackle two other exclosures. The first was about a quarter-mile of barbed wire in a riparian area, with trees and brush growing into the fence. The day ended with the removal of another quarter-mile or so of a different exclosure, this time an 8-foot barbed-wire and woven-wire combination fence. The third and final day involved four different work locations. At one, we modified approximately 100 feet of an eight-strand barbed-wire fence that was a literal death trap for wildlife trying to pass underneath. The other locations involved removing fences no longer needed for livestock management, allowing easier wildlife migration and better access to water and quality habitat.
It was a pleasure to work with some wonderful volunteers and fine folks from the Buffalo agency offices on these fence removals. A lot of high-quality work was accomplished, making a marked and immediate improvement in wildlife access in the area. I am looking forward to coming back to this area to continue working on these projects alongside PRFI and making more memories in the beautiful Bighorn Mountains, just one of many special places on our public lands.
If you are a BHA member interested in taking part in a stewardship event like this, keep an eye on the events page and your email inbox to RSVP. If you are not a member, consider becoming one today and know that your membership contributes to public land improvements and projects like this!