The end of the year always prompts a flurry of stories about the previous year. Wyoming's outdoors generated some big news in 2004, including a massive elk die-off and a number of actions in court that promise to affect wildlife and outdoor recreation:

*Elk die-off on the Red Rim: February 2004 brought the distressing news that hundreds of elk had been found dead or dying on winter range south of Rawlins.

Speculation on the cause of the die-off produced a wealth of rumors. Coal-bed methane discharge water was blamed by some. Others felt spraying was the culprit or thought the elk were being run to death by wolves or ATVs.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department researchers eventually determined the elk died after eating a type of lichen - a plant made up of alga and fungus that grows on rock - that produced toxic acids in their stomachs.

The lichens eventually claimed more than 300 animals, so you can bet wildlife biologists will be keeping an eye on the area this winter to see if there is a repeat episode.

"We're doing several things to watch and monitor," confirmed Green River Game and Fish wildlife supervisor, Steve DeCecco.

*Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame: In the feel-good story of the year, the inaugural class of the Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame was inducted during a September ceremony at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds. The inductees were honored for contributions to Wyoming's outdoors through volunteerism, environmental restoration, educational activities, the arts and media, and individual leadership.

The inductees included one of America's great Presidents and a pioneer Wyoming game warden:

*President Theodore Roosevelt, the driving force behind much of the original conservation legislation.

*Authors and conservationists Olaus and Margaret (Mardy) Murie.

*Wyoming legislator and game warden D.C. Nowlin.

*Emmy-winning broadcaster and outdoorsman Curt Gowdy.

*Bird advocates Frank and Lois Layton.

*Pioneer Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife biologist Cal King.

Nominations for the next class are currently being submitted.

*Nice shot, honey: Kinnear resident Cathy Keene harvested one of the biggest mule deer ever taken in Wyoming in October. According to Keene's husband Gary, who accompanied her on the hunt, the nontypical buck officially scored a net of 285 3/8 and will soon be officially recognized by Boone and Crockett as the second largest mule deer from Wyoming.

The state record was taken by J.B. Marvin Jr. in 1924, and scored a whopping 293 7/8.

Keene bagged the buck in the Owl Creek Mountains of northwest Wyoming.

*Game and Fish funding: The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission continued to try and find other ways to pay the bills. The commission proposed in November that the State Legislature appropriate $10 million annually from the state's General Fund as a standard budget item.

All Game and Fish programs have been historically funded by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.

In a related development, Gov. Dave Freudenthal proposed a wildlife trust fund to pay for future habitat projects.

*Wyoming sues Feds over wolf plan rejection: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected the State of Wyoming's plan to manage wolves. The state is seeking to reject the rejection.

The federal government, as part of its plan to remove wolves from the list of endangered species, requested Montana, Idaho and Wyoming submit management plans. Wyoming's proposal to manage wolves under a dual classification - as both a trophy and predatory animal - was rejected by the USFWS in January, prompting the state to file suit in federal court in April.

A coalition of more than two dozen Wyoming sportsmen; and agricultural, predator control and county government groups also filed suit in September seeking damages from the federal government for failing to follow its own wolf recovery plan.

*Some welcome moisture

The drought continued to shrink reservoirs, but some areas got some relief from a wet summer and fall.

Winter also seemed well on its way to an early start, with many snow sites recording snowpack earlier than has been seen in years. Recent weather patterns, however, have brought dry weather. The northwest, in particular, has a less than normal snowpack going into the new year. The Snake River drainage was at barely 70 percent of normal as of Tuesday.

*Judge orders reconsideration of Yellowstone cutthroat petition

In response to a lawsuit by several environmental groups, a federal judge in Montana ordered the Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider an endangered species listing for the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

U.S. District Judge Philip Figa ruled in December that an earlier petition to list the trout was illegally rejected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2001.

The Yellowstone cutthroat trout is found primarily in northwest Wyoming. Federal protection could result in restrictions on activity, including fishing, where the species is found.

*Snowmobiles spark a barrage of lawsuits

The debate over snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park became even more absurd as more lawsuits were filed by both sides.

In February, Judge Clarence Brimmer overruled a Washington-based judge's ruling upholding the Clinton Administration's plan to eventually bar snowmobiles from Yellowstone.

Brimmer officially threw out the Clinton plan in October, leaving it to the National Park Service to draw up a plan for the 2004-05 season. The Park Service's plan appeared to satisfy no one, as the State of Wyoming joined a Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association lawsuit claiming the new rules were "arbitrary and capricious."

The Bluewater Network and Fund For Animals countered with a suit claiming the Park Service failed to study the impact of groomed roads on wildlife. The groups also called for a boycott of Wyoming products and services until the state drops its suit.

Any derbies out there?

Having endured a year's worth of legal battling, it's time for some outdoors fun. Next week's Open Spaces will focus on ice fishing, and the many derbies put on by Wyoming towns and fishing clubs.

If you are putting on an ice-fishing derby in the coming weeks, please let us know with an e-mail or call. Include dates, entry fees, contact information, and any other activities surrounding the event.

Happy New Year!