CHEYENNE  - As Wyoming moves toward what is anticipated to be an exceptionally dry summer, Game and Fish would like to remind the public of ways to mitigate risks and adapt to dry conditions. These active measures protect Wyoming’s wildlife and the habitats they rely on, and the public can play a vital role in these stewardship efforts:

• Be fire mindful: Dry conditions mean fire danger is extreme. Avoid driving in tall, dry grass and ensure all campfires are completely extinguished.
• Adhere to closures: Respect seasonal range closures and any temporary emergency closures. These are established to minimize stress on animals that are already struggling to find quality forage and water.
• Stay on trails and roads: Driving off-road can spread noxious weed, invasive annual grass seeds and damage fragile, dry vegetation and soils that may take years to recover. It also removes forage from the mouths of wildlife.
• Protect aquatic health: Always Clean, Drain, and Dry your gear to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and diseases that thrive in low-water environments.
• Mind the heat: If you are fishing, do so in the early morning. If water temperatures approach 70 degrees, consider stopping for the day to protect fish populations from lethal stress. Harmful cyanobacteria may be blooming earlier this year. Find more information on the Department of Environmental Quality page.
• Secure all attractants: Properly store food, trash and other attractants whether at home or in the field. Access to human food sources is detrimental to wildlife health and can lead to bold, habituated behavior that creates potentially dangerous situations for both people and animals.
• Volunteer: Join local efforts like fence pulls or habitat restoration projects. These volunteer actions directly promote habitat resilience and help wildlife move more easily across the landscape. Reach out to your local regional office or biologist to find out about opportunities. 
• Respect wildlife space: As water sources dry up, wildlife will concentrate. Give animals extra space near remaining water holes to reduce unnecessary stress and energy loss.
• Keep gates open: To find the resources they need this year, wildlife will be moving more frequently across the landscape. Please keep gates open when possible to facilitate these movements.
• Thank your neighbors: Recognize that Wyoming’s private landowners and agricultural producers provide essential refuge habitat and water sources that act as a lifeline for wildlife during drought. A simple "thank you" for their contribution to our state's wildlife heritage goes a long way.

For more information, please visit wgfd.wyo.gov and reach out to your  regional office.

-WGFD-