May 2023 - 11

NEWS
Prescribed burns on the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area near Lovell benefit habitat for migrating and nesting waterfowl. (WGFD photo)
Prescribed burn benefits waterfowl
at Yellowtail WHMA
LOVELL - Earlier this year the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department worked cooperatively
with the Bureau of Land Management
and the National Park Service to burn
approximately 65 acres of cattails on Yellowtail
Wildlife Habitat Management Area to benefit
migrating and nesting waterfowl.
The 19,288-acre WHMA near Lovell is
managed primarily for waterfowl production,
and was established in the early 1960s.
Prescribed fire is part of an ongoing cattail
management program aimed to increase wetland
productivity and health.
Noelle Smith, Game and Fish migratory
game bird and wetland biologist, said the
Yellowtail WHMA offers diverse habitat for
waterfowl from permanent marshes and seasonal
wetlands, to river and reservoir habitats.
" Yellowtail is an important stop-over
point for waterfowl during spring and fall
migration and also provides year-round habitat
for nesting and brood rearing, " Smith said.
" During migration you will see the highest
number and diversity of waterfowl. Several
species of waterfowl nest there, including
other birds that need wetlands for breeding
like sandhill cranes. "
Eric Shorma, Game and Fish habitat and
access biologist who is responsible for the
day-to-day management of Yellowtail, said
shallow, open water provides important habitat
for waterfowl. If that habitat isn't managed,
cattails can take over open-water areas
and reduce areas for birds to nest and feed.
" Game and Fish has been using prescribed
fire on Yellowtail for multiple years, along
with draw downs of water levels in ponds
to control cattails on the northern portion
of the unit, " Shorma said. " These efforts
improve waterfowl habitat by removing old
vegetation, increasing plant diversity and
providing nutrient rich forage for waterfowl
and shorebirds. "
To conduct prescribed burns on this
WHMA, Game and Fish relies on a cooperative
partnership with the Bureau of Land
Management and the National Park Service.
The BLM's Wind River/Bighorn Basin District
takes the lead in conducting prescribed
burns on Yellowtail.
" Prescribed burns take a considerable
amount of planning and coordination, and
Game and Fish would not be able to undertake
these efforts without help from cooperating
agencies, " Shorma said.
This spring Game and Fish plans to work
with Big Horn County Weed Pest District
to use an herbicide certified for use in open
water to treat regrowth of cattails.
- Tara Hodges, WGFD
Wyoming Wildlife | 11

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/WHMA/WHMA/Yellowtail

May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2023

May 2023 - 1
May 2023 - 2
May 2023 - 3
May 2023 - 4
May 2023 - 5
May 2023 - 6
May 2023 - 7
May 2023 - 8
May 2023 - 9
May 2023 - 10
May 2023 - 11
May 2023 - 12
May 2023 - 13
May 2023 - 14
May 2023 - 15
May 2023 - 16
May 2023 - 17
May 2023 - 18
May 2023 - 19
May 2023 - 20
May 2023 - 21
May 2023 - 22
May 2023 - 23
May 2023 - 24
May 2023 - 25
May 2023 - 26
May 2023 - 27
May 2023 - 28
May 2023 - 29
May 2023 - 30
May 2023 - 31
May 2023 - 32
May 2023 - 33
May 2023 - 34
May 2023 - 35
May 2023 - 36
May 2023 - 37
May 2023 - 38
May 2023 - 39
May 2023 - 40
May 2023 - 41
May 2023 - 42
May 2023 - 43
May 2023 - 44
May 2023 - 45
May 2023 - 46
May 2023 - 47
May 2023 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com