Bear scare

A Ralston resident reported bear tracks on his property near the Shoshone River on Oct. 26.

Officials confirmed that it was a grizzly bear. The bear is wearing a radio collar and was bedded on Shoshone River near Willwood Dam on Oct. 27. Officials have not been able to locate the bear since.

Deer season opens on Nov. 1 in many of the hunt areas around Cody, Ralston and Powell, and Game and Fish is urging hunters to be careful.

Elk wasted

Game and Fish is seeking information on a bull elk killed and wasted in the Heart Mountain Hunter Management area north of Cody during the last week of October.

Anyone with information, or anyone witnessing a wildlife violation, can call the Stop Poaching hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP or go online at http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/enforcement/stoppoaching/submitTip.aspx. Tips may result in a reward and informants can chose to remain anonymous.

CWD found

Chronic wasting disease was discovered in another deer hunt area in the Big Horn Basin. The disease has now been found in deer Hunt Areas 37, 41, 42, 46, 120, 122, 125, 127 and 164.

There is no evidence that CWD is transmitted to humans, according to the World Health Organization. But to avoid risk, animals that look sick or test positive for CWD should not be eaten, officials said. Game and Fish will be testing animals at sampling stations throughout the fall.

There are two stations in the Big Horn Basin, open from 9 a.m. until dark: Cody Check Station, U.S. Highway 14-16-20, west of Cody Nov. 1-10, 15, 21-22, 28-29 and Dec. 5-6, 12-13; and Sunlight Check Station, Wyoming Highway 296, Nov. 15, 21-22, 28-29; Dec. 5-6, 12-13.

Fishing derby

The 21st annual HAWG Ice Fishing Derby is open for registration.

The Derby takes place Jan. 30 and 31 on Pathfinder Reservoir. Entry fee is $30 per person.

For more information call Bill Elmore at 307-262-6598, Jackie Martinez 307-266-0312 or 307-262-3271.

No fees for vets

The Bureau of Land Management will waive recreation-related fees for veterans and military personnel, along with their families, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The free day applies to public lands managed by the BLM, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service.

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center will host two presentations, free for anyone, by Eastern Shoshone cultural interpreter Willie LeClair at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the NHTIC theater about the traditions of his people and the importance of the warrior in Shoshone culture.