Agencies Unite for Pronghorn

The Carter Mountain Pronghorn herd east of Cody will have an easier time accessing crucial winter range after several local agencies collaborated to modify a fence.
In the spirit of shared conservation stewardship on public land, the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office came together with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Friends of a Legacy to replace the bottom strand of barbed wire with smooth, wildlife-friendly wire on about 3 miles of fence along Highway 32 on the eastern edge of the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area.
BLM Wildlife Biologist Destin Harrell, who organized the workday, said that last year, thousands of pronghorn were unable to cross that fence. With the modifications, which include raising the bottom wire to 16 inches to allow the pronghorn to crawl under, he says that the migrating Carter Mountain herd now has better access to its crucial winter range and an improved chance of surviving harsh winters.
FOAL Executive Director Marion Morrison added that the project was a win-win for all parties, including wild horses of the McCullough Peaks. And Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist Leslie Schreiber says that eliminating this obstacle opened up about 100 square miles of habitat for wintering pronghorn.