Wyoming Game and Fish Department Launches Wildlife Safety and Trout Protection Measures

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is holding a free public workshop titled “Living in Large Carnivore Country” on August 5 at its Casper Regional Office. Department Large Carnivore Section Supervisor Dan Thompson will lead presentations on bear and mountain lion behavior, attractant management, use of bear spray, and how to safely navigate encounters.

In parallel, the department has asked anglers to fish earlier in the day to safeguard trout populations amid unusually warm summer temperatures. A voluntary warm‑water catch‑and‑release closure is in effect from noon to sunrise on sections of the North Platte River, Deer Creek, and other nearby waters where water temperatures regularly exceed 70 °F. Anglers are encouraged to fish between sunrise and noon, when water is coolest, to improve trout survival rates.

Both initiatives aim to reduce human‑wildlife conflicts and protect native fish species as climate‑driven heat and drought conditions affect Wyoming’s outdoor recreation areas.