Saturday, September 14, 2024

Today In Wyoming's History: September 14, 1919. The murder of Wyoming Game Warden Buxton.

Today In Wyoming's History: September 14: 1919.


1919  Game Warden Buxton was shot in the course of his duties.

Violence against Wyoming Game Wardens has been incredibly rare and very, very few have lost their lives in the performance of their duties.  Buxton was one of them.  He responded to reports of gunshots near Rock Springs, encountered two  individuals, and after informing them, Joe Omeye, that the hunting season confiscated a rifle from him. The day being a Sunday, Buxton reported to the incident with his wife.

While putting the rifle in his car he was called by Omeye who shot him with a pistol that he'd been carrying concealed.  The shot wounded Buxton who called for his wife to give him his gun.  Omeye then shot at Buxton's wife but missed, and she fled for help.  Help arrived too late and Buxton died on the way to the hospital. 

Omeye was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree and served time in the Wyoming State Penitentiary to twenty years in the penitentiary.

He initially served only four years before being paroled, providing proof that the common perception of serving being light only in modern times is wrong.  He violated his parole, however, and was returned to prison to be released again in 1931.

Omeye's companion, John Kolman, was not arrested and must not have been regarded as implicated in what occurred in any fashion.  An Austrian immigrant, he died in Rock Springs at age 93 in 1968.

Friday, September 6, 2024

Anthrax detected in a moose near Elk Mountain

 

Headquarter news

Sept. 4, 2024  

Anthrax detected in a moose near Elk Mountain


CHEYENNE — On Sept. 3, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, through the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead moose in Carbon County. The Wyoming Livestock Board recently informed Game and Fish that cattle near Elk Mountain have tested positive for anthrax.

 

Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacterial disease that can be transmitted between livestock, wildlife and humans. It is most commonly seen in herbivores, including cattle, deer and bison (elk, moose and pronghorn are also susceptible). Carnivores tend to be less at risk and may display higher resilience to the disease. The spores can persist in the ground for decades and emerge when the ground is disturbed or flooded. Disturbance is common in summer months when conditions may alternate between rain and hot, dry weather, allowing spores to be released from contaminated soil and ingested by livestock or wildlife.  

 

This recent detection in a moose is the only documented case reported in wildlife at this time. The last confirmed case of anthrax in wildlife in Wyoming was in 1956 in Sublette County. 

 

Game and Fish is advising hunters and the public to take the following precautions:

  1. If you encounter dead cattle or wildlife, do not approach, handle or move carcasses.
  2. Do not harvest an animal that looks sick. Early signs of anthrax can include respiratory difficulty and disorientation. After death, infected animals tend to bloat very quickly and you may see black, tarry blood coming out of natural body openings (e.g., nose, mouth, anus).
  3. It is always recommended to wear gloves while field dressing or handling harvested animals.
  4. Do not pick up roadkill or fresh deadheads in the Elk Mountain area.
  5. Keep dogs, horses and other pets away from animal carcasses you come across in the field.
  6. If hunters encounter deceased wildlife, note the location or take a GPS pin and report findings to Game and Fish. You can report a wildlife disease incident online or by calling the Game and Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory at 307-745-5865.
  7. Human cases are rare but precautions are warranted. If you have concerns that you may have come into contact with an anthrax-infected animal, please contact the Wyoming Department of Health and seek medical attention.

Game and Fish will continue to monitor the situation and assess impacts to wildlife. If changes occur that require further action, hunters will receive updates through emails and posts on the Game and Fish website. 

 

For questions, please consult the following list of resources:

 

Agency

Topics Covered

Contact Information

Wyoming Livestock Board

Occurrences in cattle and area affected

307-777-7515

Website

Wyoming Department of Health

Human health and safety concerns

307-777-7656

Website

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Wildlife and hunting concerns

Wildlife Health Lab: 307-745-5865

Regional Office: 307-745-4046

 

— WGFD —

 

footer_2017-Conserving Wildlife Serving People

 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department manages and conserves more than 800 species of fish and wildlife across Wyoming.  For nearly 120 years, we’ve carried out our mission to conserve wildlife and serve people. Through these efforts, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ensures the public continues to enjoy Wyoming’s vast fish and wildlife resource  through  hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife watching and other forms of outdoor recreation. Hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers contribute over a billion dollars to Wyoming’s economy each year.


A flooded mine.