Around the 307
News, commentary, and other items of interest from the greater Wyoming landscape.
Here are some items of interest from around the state of Wyoming during the week of October 15th, 2023:
The winter of 2022-2023 was a tough one for Wyoming wildlife—no doubt! Now that hunting season is in full swing hunters are coming across big game carcasses in the field from last year’s massive winterkill. While a bonus trophy head or antler set might sound great—there are rules that must be followed including documenting where each dead head is found and reporting it to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department before taking these tragic gifts from Mother Nature home. Read more here.
This photo (courtesy of Zachary Key) depicts a mule deer buck in the Upper Green River Basin, one of many casualties from the brutal 2022-2023 winter. The buck likely laid down, froze to death, and was blanketed by blowing snow until spring. The National Park Service (NPS) posted its Yellowstone National Park (YNP) visitor statistics for the month of September earlier this week—Yikes! The park saw a 48% increase in visitors when compared to September 2022 and a 21% increase over September 2019. Remember when September was the quiet month following the summer rush and a favorite time for locals to go? Alas, looks like those days may be gone. Lots of news articles on this topic out there this week—here’s one from Jackson Hole Radio if want to read more.
Bison on the road in YNP. Last but not least—in the run-up to Halloween—here’s a little folklore on how Death Canyon in Grand Teton National Park got its name. Seems there are a number of stories, everything from pioneers who entered the canyon and never came out, to landslides, ghosts, and lost surveyors. You can read more at Buckrail or at Don Rick’s Wyoming History in the First-Person webpage.
A view of the ominous looking Death Canyon Trail ascending through the cliffs along the mouth of Death Canyon in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. That’s it for now. Have a good week ya’ll!
