Wyoming
Blowing Up Dead Horses No Longer an Option for Wyoming Forest Rangers, Thanks to Climate Change
In the dry, fire-prone backcountry of Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest, U.S. Forest Service rangers have temporarily put an end to a controversial method of disposing of dead horses. Thanks to drought and rising temperatures combined to heighten the risk of wildfires, all thanks in large part to climate change, the carcasses of dead horses will no longer be exploded to prevent grizzly bears from hanging around their remains.
Rangers usually use this very delicate tactic of blowing a dead horse to smithereens to protect hikers. But recently, after two horses died on a steep trail near Cody, WY, officials decided to eschew the use of explosives to blow that dead horse straight to hell so they could cut down the risk of sparking a wildfire in the surrounding dry grass. The officials decided to move the carcasses downhill and reroute the trail, thus creating a wide buffer zone to cut down on bear encounters.
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The practice of exploding dead horses as a means of disposal has been around in Wyoming since 1995 where a manual with the hilariously straightforward title “Obliterating Animal Carcasses with Explosives” details exactly how to obliterate animal carcasses with explosives. It’s a two-page manual that you can download right here. I highly recommend it.
The first page of the manual provides the reader with a picture of a horse that has long planks situated around its body. Those planks are explosives and the entire diagram is telling you where to best place those explosives to effectively obliterate the dead horse. In the case of Figure 1, where time is not a factor and the horse isn’t too big, the explosives should be placed under the horse in specific locations, like its torso, head, and legs.
Figure 2 goes comically overboard with the explosives. It’s exclusively for exploding horses in situations where it’s not practical to move it or when “total animal obliteration is necessary,” like when it keeled over and died in an area heavily trafficked by humans. In that case, nearly every bit of exposed horse is blanketed in explosives and blown to kingdom come.
As a side note, opening the link to the document I provided above will open it in a separate tab that is titled “fun stuff.” Downloading the document will bring up the “autosave” window that has a pre-filled-in name for the document. That name is “Boom-Boom-Boom.”
Wyoming
Explore small streams of Wyo. with WGFD XStream Angler challenge
Wyoming
Governor Gordon attends signing of Wyoming’s Healthy Choice Waiver in Washington D.C.
Wyoming
March 31 Deadline For Wyoming’s ‘Becoming An Outdoor Woman’ Workshops
Gaining the knowledge to become an outdoorsy type of person isn’t easy. It takes time, dedication, and the desire to sometimes get out of your comfort zone. Sure, if you grew up in the outdoors, but it’s been a while since you’ve actually been out hunting, fishing, hiking, or camping, you may be a little rusty, but you have a leg up on those who haven’t.
If you’re in Wyoming, there’s a good chance that taking advantage of the incredible outdoor activities we have available has crossed your mind, but where to start is the big question. Asking others for help is one way, but there’s sometimes an element of intimidation or embarrassment involved.
If you’re a woman looking for that help and want to avoid the intimidation, you should really check out the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) workshops this summer. It’s held at the Whiskey Mountain Conservation Camp near Dubois, and everything you need to learn about the outdoors is provided, including food and lodging.
The registration deadline is March 31, meaning you have just a couple of weeks to apply for one or all of the offered workshops.
There are multiple options available depending on your level of outdoor knowledge.
Basic BOW Workshop: Introductory level camp teaching outdoor survival, basic fly fishing, backpacking, how to shoot, outdoor photography, and more. There will be two of these workshops, June 5-7 and August 7-9. $150
Fly Fishing Beyond BOW Workshop: The focus here is on fly fishing. Learn the basics and then put them to use. This workshop runs July 30 – Aug 2. $150
Backpacking Beyond BOW: This workshop is all about backpacking, hiking, cooking on the trail, adjusting to the trail, and preparing for the trip. You’ll learn how to properly pack your bag, set up camp, and then head out on an overnight trip. July 30 – Aug 2. $150
Become a BOW Instructor: Here’s where you put your years of experience to work by sharing your skills and knowledge with others, helping them learn the tricks and tips of the outdoors.
Not only will these workshops help get you started on a life in the outdoors, but you’re likely going to gain some street cred with your family when you can teach them the skills they’ll need to get out and celebrate a Wyoming lifestyle.
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