Wyoming Cutt-Slam

I promised ya'll details about the WY Cutt-Slam hosted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. You can find the full details at http://gf.state.wy.us/services/customers/cuttslam/index.asp but I'll give you a brief rundown of the program. There are two basic purposes behind the installment of this program. First to "encourage anglers to learn more about Wyoming's cutthroat sub-species". Secondly, for people to "develop more appreciation and support of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's cutthroat management program". The concept is very easy. Catch one of each sub-species in their native ranges in WY, complete the application and receive a certificate from the WY Game and Fish Dept. Below is what the certificate will look like. The four sub-species include the Colorado River cutthroat, the Bonneville cutthroat, the Snake River cutthroat, and the Yellowstone cutthroat. The application itself simply requires the anglers information, a verifying biologist's name and signature, then the location and date when each of the sub-species were caught. 

I think this is a very effective way to encourage anglers to get out and fish the waters. It gives them a specific goal to catch certain species of fish, as well as enables them to receive a certificate to show off their hard work. I think some people may be intimidated by having to get the verification from a biologist in order to submit their application. On the Wyoming Game and Fish Dept website about the Cutt-Slam, they do break the state down into regions designating what regions are home to the different sub-species. It also includes a list of contacts within each region. These contacts would enable the anglers to locate a biologist to verify their species, either by having the fish or by presenting a photograph. Although this is a great way to encourage anglers to get out and experience the different waters of Wyoming and become more familiar with the Game and Fish Dept., it also involves traveling all over the state. Few people have the time, or money to spend to put into state wide angling. Speaking from a college student perspective, I would love the opportunity to catch these four species and receive a certificate, but I don't have the resources to allow me to take time off classes and dump money into my gas tank to drive all over the state in search for these fish.

Fishing - WY Dept. of Travel and Tourism's take on the subject

          Since this class and final project in general have sparked such an interest inside me to research the possibilities of working for the Wyoming Department of Travel and Tourism, I thought I'd take a gander at their website. While clicking around going from page to page I discovered an article about Fishing under the Activities category. At the top there is a slide show of about 5-7 different pictures of people fishing and catching fish all over the state. To the right of that there is a map of the entire state with several different pins in various colors signifying different places to hike and lodge. The opening line starts with a couple statistics that would catch any angler's attention. "With  4,200 crystalline lakes sand 27,000 miles of blue-ribbon, fishable streams, Wyoming is the ultimate fishing and fly fishing destination." The author, who is not mentioned anywhere on the page, did a fantastic job at including numbers to draw the attention of the reader, yet still presenting it in an approachable manner. It is evident that the target audience of this article is for travelers and tourists. It presents Wyoming as a place for all levels of anglers from beginners to experts. It mentions a couple well known locations to go trout fishing including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National park. It also reiterates the fact that Wyoming is not home to just trout, we have over 22 different species of game fish.
                 I think this targets is audience very effectively, it presents all the necessary information but yet has a very inviting tone that encourages people to come check out the fishing in Wyoming. I really enjoyed the fact that although they do mention fly fishing and some possible places to catch cutthroat trout, they also discuss all the other types of fish we have within the state and the reservoirs they can be found it. Even salmon can be caught within northern lakes in Wyoming which many people are unaware of. This does contrast with their pictures, since all the images pertain to fly fishing. The Dept of Travel and Tourism also makes a reference to the Wyoming Game and Fish Dept.'s Cutt-Slam. If an angler catches all four native subspecies of cutthroat trout they are able to earn a certificate. I will look up the full details later and inform ya'll. If you would like to check out the Wyoming Dept of Travel and Tourism's article on fishing, please check it out at: http://www.wyomingtourism.org/overview/Fishing/1517

My Grandmother and the five trout she caught in a lake nearby Laramie, WY.

Press Release: National Hunting & Fishing Day

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Press Release on September 20, National Hunting and Fishing day was September 25. They state, "Most Wyomingites realize the values of hunting and fishing to family and tradition, but few people understand the conservation and economic benefits Wyoming sportsmen and women contribute to our wildlife heritage." Passed by Congress in 1942, National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates the efforts of sportsmen and the history of wildlife conservation and management in North America. President Franklin D. Roosevelt contributed greatly to this cause. He passed "the first laws restricting commercial slaughter of wildlife and transportation of wildlife and created 51 wildlife refuges and 5 new national parks." He also "signed the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, which places a federal tax on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment. The money is then returned to the states to be used for wildlife and habitat enhancement projects." "Hunters and anglers annually contribute $76 billion to the American economy through taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, more than the annual revenues of Microsoft, Google, Ebay, and Yahoo combined. In Wyoming alone, the 113,000 active sportsmen spend $676 million a year on hunting and fishing, 89 percent of Wyoming's cash receipts for cattle. Contributions from sportsmen directly support 9,500 Wyoming jobs and pump $1.8 million into the state's economy daily."

I found this Press Release intriguing because it relates directly to my topic of encouraging fishing in Wyoming to contribute to our economy. The stats that they provided to support the fact that hunters and anglers greatly contribute the Wyoming economy. I was unaware of the acts that Roosevelt had put into effect during his presidency that have influenced wildlife management and conservation. If you would like to read the entire press release, please go to http://gf.state.wy.us/services/news/pressreleases/10/09/20/100920_5.asp

P.S. The picture is of Crater Lake, that I just took this past Friday, after a 2.5 mile hike down to the lake. For a grand total of 5 miles round trip, to only get two bites, and not land a single fish. It was still gorgeous up there! Any day at the lake is better than a day in the office.