CODY- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is planning a prescribed burn on Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area in the coming weeks to benefit migrating waterfowl.

Game and Fish will work cooperatively with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service on the project. Crews plan to target approximately 100 acres of wetland vegetation around Ponds 1-4 on Yellowtail north of the Shoshone River. 

Prescribed burns may be conducted between Feb. 23 and April 30, 2026, and only when weather and fuel moisture conditions allow for a safe, effective operation. Smoke may be visible at times during the burn.

Prescribed fire, in addition to the seasonal drying out of wetland complexes, is part of an ongoing cattail management program that aims to increase wetland productivity and health for the benefit of migrating waterfowl. Yellowtail is an important stop-over point for waterfowl during spring and fall migration and also provides habitat for nesting and brood rearing.

Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area is located approximately six miles east of Lovell and comprises 19,288 acres. Through a cooperative agreement between the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, National Park Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Bureau of Land Management, this area was established in the early 1960s for the primary purpose of enhancing waterfowl habitat.