On Friday, June 8, thirteen volunteers headed up BLM Ridge outside of Dubois to remove old barbed wire fencing from important wildlife habitat. The project was led by the National Bighorn Sheep Center in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The old barbed-wire fencing has been down along the ground and unused for many years, creating challenges to wildlife moving through the area, which is within the Whiskey Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Approximately 900 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep winter in this area, along with elk, mule deer, and antelope. Removing the old wire ensures that wildlife, especially young animals, do not get tangled up in the wire. The crew worked together to remove a pickup load of wire from the area, rolling wire and hauling it down to the Whiskey Creek trailhead by hand.

“We are so grateful for the volunteer support we had for this project. It is satisfying and fulfilling to see the wire rolled up and the habitat enhanced to allow for safer wildlife movement. We offer many volunteer opportunities such as this, and we could not do this work without volunteers and partnership with the agencies.” quoted Sara Domek, Executive Director of the National Bighorn Sheep Center.

The National Bighorn Sheep Center regularly hosts volunteer opportunities that include research opportunities and stewardship projects. If interested in future projects, please contact Sara at 307-455-3429. For a full list of upcoming events at the National Bighorn Sheep Center, visit www.bighorn.org.