Game & Fish

Family, youth overnight summer camps offered at Whiskey Mountain

By Sara DiRienzo, Wyoming Game and Fish

Get away to Whiskey Mountain with your family this summer or send your youth for a week of summer fun. The best part? The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has all the details handled. Game and Fish is hosting a series of overnight family camps – as well as overnight camps for youth – this summer at the department’s top-notch outdoor educational facility near Dubois.

“There’s no place more fun to learn about the outdoors than at Whiskey Mountain Conservation Camp,” said Ashley Leonard, Game and Fish conservation educator coordinator. “You’ll learn more about hiking, fishing, canoeing, archery, native plants, fish, wildlife and more. No one gets too old for camp!”

Full details, packing information, a listing of activities and registration forms are available on the website.

Family Camps

Family camp is a four-day overnight experience for family groups to build confidence in their outdoor skills. Attendees will explore nature and learn new recreational outdoor activities, such as canoeing, archery, birdwatching and fishing together as a family.

New this year – families can learn about hunting together. Similar to Family Camp, the Hunter Education Family Camp is a five-day overnight camp that enables families to enjoy the outdoors together while incorporating hunter education and bow-hunter education curriculum. Participants will complete these courses as a part of the camp.

The cost to attend either camp is $150 per person, which includes meals and lodging. Childcare is not provided, and participants must be age 9 and up. The deadline to register is May 15.

Youth Camps

Youth overnight camps, offered for boys and girls, are for students 14-16 years old. Camps will teach youth about nature exploration, conservation principles and fun in the outdoors. Transportation to and from camp is not provided. The fee to attend is $150 for the 5-day, 4-night experience, meals included. Scholarships are available and applications are due by March 20. The deadline to register is June 1.

For questions about camp, contact Ashley Leonard at ashley.leonard@wyo.gov or (307) 777-4535. n

Family Camp Dates Date Camp description

June 9-12 Family Camp #1 June 23-26 Family Camp #2 June 28-July 1 Family Camp #3

4-day 4-day 4-day July 6-9 Family Camp #4 4-day July 28- Aug. 1 Family Camp/Hunter Education #5 5-day

Youth Camp Dates Date Camp description

July 12-16 Girls conservation camp 5-day July 19-23 Boys conservation camp 5-day

Youth in the Big Horn Basin can win free lifetime hunting licenses

The application period for the Tom Easterly Memorial award is now open and youth in the Big Horn Basin are encouraged to apply. Recipients of this award will receive a free lifetime Wyoming game bird/small game license and lifetime conservation stamp, valued at $496.50. Applications are due by April 1.

Youth ages 14-17 can apply by submitting an application and essay describing why the applicant hunts and why wildlife is important to that individual.

To be eligible, applicants must reside within the boundaries of the Greybull Biologist District which include Basin, Burlington, Cowley, Greybull, Lovell, Manderson, Ten Sleep and Worland and be a resident who has continuously resided in Wyoming for at least 10 years immediately preceding the date of application.

The Tom Easterly Memorial Award was established in the spirit of former Greybull biologist Tom Easterly’s belief in our future generations of conservationists. This is the eighth year the award will give area youth a chance to win a lifetime Wyoming game bird/small game license and lifetime conservation stamp.

Tom Easterly served as the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Greybull area biologist from 1992 through 2014. Tom’s passion was introducing young hunters to the sport of bird hunting and sharing the importance of wildlife habitat with them.

Applicants will be judged by their application qualifications and the content of their essay by a committee of five. Applications may be downloaded at wgfd.wyo.gov and are available at the Cody Region Game and Fish office. n