Landowner of the Year

The nearly 20,000-acre Banner Ranch is located in Natrona and Converse Counties, 10 miles southeast of Casper. The family history of ranching, stewardship, and love of wildlife make them an easy and most deserving selection for this award.

The Banner Ranch has welcomed hunters and anglers for as long as Mike McCleary and Shelly McCleary Trumbull can remember. Their ranch is home to a diversity of wildlife, including pronghorn antelope, mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, sage grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkey, black bear and mountain lion. Mike and Shelly are always supportive of hunting and believe it is important to maintain healthy wildlife populations. They also understand the goal of hunting and the revenue it brings to the local communities.

During Mike’s early years on the ranch, he can only remember a few elk running around. Today he often enjoys hundreds of elk wintering on Banner Mountain and the surrounding foothills. Banner Ranch continues to support large numbers of wintering elk despite the hardships they cause, especially with fences. Wintering mule deer above the ranch at one time numbered around one to two thousand in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The Banner Ranch has also shown their generosity when they initiated the development of a permanent access easement with the Department allowing fishing access to lower Deer Creek Canyon. This beautiful canyon and pristine stretch of water offers some of the best stream fishing opportunities in all of central Wyoming.

The Hellyers take pride in their livestock and land management programs and those efforts have carried over to benefit wildlife throughout their deeded and leased public lands.

The Hellyers run a cattle operation with its main base along Willow Creek south of Lander. In the summertime, they run cattle on their Burnt Ranch property along the Sweetwater River in southern Fremont County. The ranch is comprised of 7,100 acres of deeded land as well as many more thousands of acres of state and federal leases. The ranch supports mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, elk, moose, sage grouse, pheasant, chukar, Hungarian partridge, and every form of waterfowl that flies through the region.

The Hellyers consistently make improvements throughout their holdings and public land pastures to benefit wildlife including fence modifications, water storage improvements, and riparian protection. It is clear when working with them that they hold wildlife and Wyoming’s wild places in high regard.

The Hellyers recognize the value of high quality wildlife habitat, and have worked with the Department in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in order to remove encroaching juniper from sagebrush habitat. The project is designed to enhance sagebrush and bitterbrush habitat for sage grouse, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope on the fringes of Table Mountain which is classified as crucial winter range for mule deer.

The Burnt Ranch property along the Sweetwater River also supports a unique assemblage of trout and native fish species. The Hellyers have restored approximately 12,100 feet of altered river channel to its historic channel using a series of dikes, instream structures, and irrigation headgate repairs.

John and Vanessa are the third generation to live and work on the Buyok Ranch near the old mining town of Monarch in Sheridan County.  ohn’s uncle began putting the ranch together in 1946 as coal companies sold off parcels. His uncle finished purchasing the current ranch in 1953 with the closing of the coalmine. John and Vanessa began purchasing portions of the property in 1990 and finished assembling the total acreage in 2006.

The Buyoks are true stewards of the land and have implemented several habitat projects to improve forage and cover for livestock, game animals and game birds. They have added water tanks to distribute livestock grazing and installed fencing to protect sensitive riparian areas.

In 2010, the Buyok’s partnered with the Sheridan Community Land Trust (SCLT) to implement a conservation easement on their property to protect their portion of the Tongue River Valley from development. At the time, it was the largest conservation easement in SCLT history. 

The day the easement was signed, John and Vanessa  said “Although our ranch is small by Wyoming standards, we have been fortunate to share it with an amazing variety of wildlife and native plants. Sometimes being rich has nothing to do with money. We’re rich because of the biodiversity and productivity of our small corner of the planet along the Tongue River in Sheridan County.”

Camp Guernsey is a premier Joint Training Center consisting of more than 78,000 acres of maneuver area, training ranges, and 64 square miles of air space which provide for combined arms training using multiple scenarios over varied terrain.   

Aside from their main duty of training soldiers, Camp Guernsey has been a formal partner of the Department since 2003, when it entered into an agreement to create the “Broom Creek” Hunter Management Area, providing the public with access to hunt pronghorn antelope, deer, elk, mountain lion, predators, turkey, waterfowl, small game, and doves.

The camp is probably best known for its spring turkey hunting. Every spring, numerous  hunters convey onto the camp to try and call a big gobbler within shotgun range. Camp Guernsey’s unique habitat is perfect for Merriam’s turkeys; it has just the right amount of topography, conifer cover, and grasslands needed for them. The camp recently approved the release of 73 Merriam’s turkeys from the Black Hills to help bolster the existing population.

The camp sits within the Rawhide Elk herd unit and provides opportunity for hunters in an area that is 90% private land. The camp also accommodates disabled hunters by sectioning off parcels of land to provide opportunities to harvest mature bulls for hunters confined to wheelchairs.

Camp Guernsey is more than deserving of this award. They are instrumental in our nation’s safety and have been an incredible partner with the Department for over 20 years.

The E.O. Bischoff Ranch has a long history in Lovell and is a family owned ranching operation in northern Big Horn County. They readily allow access on and through their property for a variety of big game and game bird species. Most notably has been their work and cooperation with the Department on the successful management of the prized Devil’s Canyon bighorn sheep herd.

The Devil’s Canyon bighorn sheep herd began to flourish approximately 11 years ago after receiving transplants of bighorn sheep from the Missouri River Breaks in Montana, and reached a high count of 263 sheep in July 2016. The Bischoff’s have worked closely with Department personnel for a series of bighorn sheep transplants out of the Devil’s Canyon herd to augment an existing population of bighorn sheep in the Ferris and Seminoe Mountain Ranges in central Wyoming.

The ranch provides additional hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the year. Access to deeded and public land for mule deer, elk, black bear, and mountain lion hunting in Hannan’s Coulee, Dugan Bench, and Granary Ridge is readily granted as well as some excellent trout fishing in Porcupine Creek within Devil’s Canyon. The E.O. Bischoff Ranch also owns farm ground east of Lovell where they provide access for deer and waterfowl hunters. 

The E.O. Bischoff Ranch has worked cooperatively with the Department to build and maintain strong working relationships. Their cooperation and involvement on wildlife issues, particularly bighorn sheep conservation, should be noted and applauded. The Bischoff’s support for Department projects and wildlife and habitat conservation are commensurable for their recognition as Landowner of the Year.

The Jackson Hole Hereford Ranch (JHHR) was created in the late 1920s by Robert Bruce Porter and remains a family operation to this day. The family takes great pride in being stewards of the land throughout five generations. Robert Gill currently continues the family tradition of running a cow/calf operation with the assistance of his family and a pair of great ranch hands, Steve Hardeman and Alex Renova.

The Gill family and employees of the JHHR clearly demonstrate an understanding of wildlife and their habitat needs. The ranch has allowed the Department to operate an elk feedground on their property through the winter months for the last half century. In recent years, approximately 800 elk utilize the Dog Creek Ranch property owned by the JHHR during the winter feeding season.

The ranch has also been instrumental in assisting the Department’s management of the ever growing private land elk herds in the Snake River Bottom in and around the South Park area.

The JHHR has been more than generous by hosting a Wounded Warriors hunt in recent years. This program gives a veteran injured in service an all expenses paid elk hunt on the ranch. Past recipients of this program have been taken aback by the kindness and generosity  the Gill family and employees of the ranch have shown them.

The Warner family operate the Sage Creek Ranch in southeastern Uinta County. Buzz Warner purchased the Sage Creek Ranch ten years ago, and since then has worked to make it one of the most wildlife friendly landscapes in Wyoming. The Sage Creek drainage is home to nearly every wildlife species found in southwest Wyoming, and provides crucial winter range for hundreds of big game animals each year. Although this drainage has provided quality wildlife habitat for many years, Mr. Warner has changed the landscape on the ranch through projects and livestock grazing practices to greatly improve the wildlife habitat. The amount of time, money and effort Mr. Warner has given to the wildlife of Wyoming in just ten years far exceeds what most people do in a lifetime.
 
Every project Mr. Warner has completed has been geared solely towards aiding  wildlife on the ranch and those benefits have spread to the National Forest lands, BLM lands, and other ranches surrounding his property. One of the first changes Mr. Warner made were to replace nearly every fence on the ranch with wildlife friendly fencing and to limit livestock grazing. Only 80 grazing pairs are allowed on the entire 6,100-acre ranch and they are limited to one small meadow at the lower end of the ranch near the ranch house.             
 
None of the projects  undertaken on the ranch would have been possible without the hard work of Ranch Manager Trevor Gillman. He has put in countless hours working to benefit wildlife that use the Sage Creek drainage. He spends a lot of time away from his family to complete this work at the ranch, and has been highly involved working with the Department on various projects.

Bud and Betty Jean Reed, owners of the 77 Ranch, have actively worked with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Office of State Lands and Investments, conservation groups, and others to enhance lands they own or lease.  Their stewardship and love of wildlife make them an easy and most deserving selection for this award.
 
The 77 Ranch was founded in the late 1800s and has a rich history of record sized roundups, gunfights and over 140 years of raising cattle wearing the 77 Brand.  The brand is believed to be among the oldest in the state of Wyoming.  The previous owner, A.A. Spaugh, lead the largest roundup ever recorded in Wyoming near Hat Creek in 1884.  Other notable historic events involving the ranch occurred when Dudley Champion, the brother to Nate Champion, the first man killed in the Johnson County War, was shot and killed in a shootout on the ranch.
 
The 77 Ranch has been cooperating with the Department for many years by allowing hunter access. Hunters have always been welcome on this ranch and the Reeds have been participating in the Department’s Access Yes Program since its inception in 1998.  They have instituted Walk-in hunting on nearly the entire ranch because they believe it is the right thing to do. The diversity and quality of hunting found on this ranch contributes to thousands of hunter days per year.
 
Bud and Betty Jean are most deserving of this recognition, as they clearly are stewards of the land and wildlife. Their range and habitat conservation practices currently benefit their livestock operation and improve habitat for wildlife. In addition, they have graciously and unselfishly opened their land to hunters. It is our pleasure to nominate the 77 Ranch for this prestigious award.

The Gates Family, the A-A Ranch (Lissa and Justin Howe and Benjy Duke), and Big Creek Ranch (Mark Dunning) have been an integral partner in managing the aquatic and terrestrial resources in the Platte Valley for many decades. Their conservation ethic and proper land management benefit their operations and provides healthy habitats for wildlife. Their attention to detail for riparian conditions, stream habitat, stream flow, fish passage and water temperatures have allowed them to properly conserve and protect the wild fisheries on their properties.  
 
The Big Creek and A-A Ranches are located in extremely important terrestrial wildlife habitats in the Platte Valley. These habitats include critical ranges for mule deer, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse. Mark Dunning has not only been supportive of the Platte Valley Mule Deer Initiative as the Big Creek Ranch Manager, but has also been active in identifying and participating in large-scale habitat projects with the Platte Valley Habitat Partnership.

It is fair to say it would be extremely difficult to manage wildlife in the upper North Platte River valley without the cooperation of these ranches. The ability of these ranches to continue to balance the dynamic needs of wildlife and fisheries, while operating a successful livestock and guest ranch operations, is nothing short of amazing.

The Bitterroot Ranch is a 2,150 acre ranch split between locations near Dubois and Riverton.  Bayard Fox, his wife Mel, along with their son Richard and daughter- in-law Hadley operate this unique ranch that blends a working cattle ranch and dude ranch that provides important wildlife habitat and world class horse riding experiences for their guests.  Their ranch provides excellent habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout, pronghorn, mule deer, elk, moose, waterfowl, and other wildlife.  Grizzly bears and wolves also frequent the Dubois ranch.
 
Since 1971, Bayard and family have been operating the Bitterroot Ranch as a working guest ranch giving people from around the World a unique experience participating in cattle drives and the work involved in western ranching. 
 
The East Fork that flows through their property and adjoining lands support a robust population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout along with other species such as mountain whitefish.  Over the past 6 years, Bitterroot Ranch has been very engaged and active improving aquatic habitats to support this important fishery. 
 
Once autumn’s colors disappear and the Ranch’s cattle and horse herds have been rounded-up from the Dubois country, they head to 1,522 acres near Pavillion that provides the forage needed during the cold winter months to sustain the herds.  This low land ground also provides a smorgasbord for pronghorn, mule deer, and waterfowl throughout the calendar year with irrigated hay fields, wet meadows, and wetland areas.
 
Bitterroot Ranch’s dedication to sustain quality wildlife and fisheries habitat, their cooperation with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and their overall love of wildlife and open spaces proves they are well deserving of this award.

The Fayette Ranch is comprised of over 14,000 acres of irrigated agricultural lands, sagebrush uplands and open space located directly east of Pinedale. The Ranch contains important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including mule deer, moose, elk, pronghorn, sage grouse, waterfowl, raptors and songbirds. The Fayette Ranch’s cattle operation employs methods that help maintain fish and wildlife habitat. Mr. Wolaver along with the owner, Richard Boelte, has long partnered with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in wildlife management efforts.
 
A permanent public access easement through the Fayette Ranch to the Half Moon Wildlife Habitat Management  Area provides hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities at Half Moon Mountain and Little Half Moon Lake. This area is frequently visited by the public to witness the renowned Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration.
 
 The Fayette Ranch has allowed the Department to construct and maintain a permanent fish trap on their property along Meadow Creek at Meadow Lake for grayling spawning operations for over 40 years. Mr. Wolaver and the Ranch allow Department personnel to set up a base camp for several weeks each spring on their property which includes boat, camper and equipment storage. This permission allows personnel to intensely monitor grayling spawning operations which remain so critical to not only Wyoming but other surrounding states.
 
Mr. Wolaver and his family are active in the community, avid sportspersons, and regularly participate in agricultural organizations. They are a respected and honored part of the community and we are pleased to nominate Roy Wolaver for the Pinedale Region Landowner/Manager of the Year.

Jason and Maureen operate their family ranch along the banks of Bitter Creek in northwest Campbell County, near the Montana state line.  The Oedekoven’s have always viewed conservation as a staple of ranch management, and it is apparent if you have stepped foot on their ranch. Their stretch of Bitter Creek is full of native birds, reptiles, amphibians, pheasants, and deer raising their fawns. The forests on the ranch are also teeming with wildlife, including mule deer, wild turkeys, and the occasional elk. This is a testament to their passion and commitment to managing the land in a manner that benefits not only livestock, but wildlife alike.
 
The Oedekoven’s not only are dedicated to practicing conservation stewardship on their ranch, but they have always been huge advocates for conservation in the community. Jason served on the Campbell County Conservation District Board of Supervisors from 2008 to 2012. During that time, Jason learned about the wide array of conversation programs that different natural resource land management agencies had available for private landowners and spread the word to all of his neighbors. Many terrific conservation projects have come about at as a result of Jason putting in a good word for conservation. 
 
Jason and Maureen are highly deserving of this award, not only for the conservation actions that they practice on their ranch, but also for their dedication to spreading the word to their fellow neighbors. They have been terrific partners in spreading the word of conservation in northern Campbell County.