Domestic Livestock in the Bighorn National Forest

[birdseye]

Made a swing through the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming a while back. I've never seen so many Cattle (and Sheep). They were everywhere, including IN the North Tongue River. Isn't this stream some blue ribbon fishery? Most of the range was parched due to a prolonged drought, very little grass growth that would of provided feed to both Cattle and Wildlife but yet the mountains were fully stocked with livestock. The creeks and rivers have been pounded down to nothing. Campgrounds filled with cows and cow poop. Virtually no feed or cover left for wildlife. Is this the new norm since Jan. 20, 2025? Are there no National Forest range monitors? I'm not sure an atomic bomb blast would create as much habitat destruction as I witnessed.

 

[wytex]

Wait til they roundup. I bet you'll start a "they are herding elk thread" then, lol.
Joking but yes, probably more forage on the mountain than the lower range.
Cows have to eat so we can eat, if you buy beef that is.

Range monitors, haven't heard of any for the FS.
The cattle will grub it down to nothing, private or public lands.

 

[birdseye]

Wait til they roundup. I bet you'll start a "they are herding elk thread" then, lol.

what is that supposed to mean?

 

[buckbull]

Made a swing through the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming a while back. I've never seen so many Cattle (and Sheep). They were everywhere, including IN the North Tongue River. Isn't this stream some blue ribbon fishery? Most of the range was parched due to a prolonged drought, very little grass growth that would of provided feed to both Cattle and Wildlife but yet the mountains were fully stocked with livestock. The creeks and rivers have been pounded down to nothing. Campgrounds filled with cows and cow poop. Virtually no feed or cover left for wildlife. Is this the new norm since Jan. 20, 2025? Are there no National Forest range monitors? I'm not sure an atomic bomb blast would create as much habitat destruction as I witnessed.

What policy change did the current administration do that you are blaming this on?

 

[beagle001]

There were plenty in there the few times I’ve been up there, too. They were bringing them down already early September in 2023 when I was in there last.

 

[SAJ-99]

A large part of that area burned last year.

 

[shb]

I think ranchers and farmers should go on strike. And truck drivers that pull diesel transports. They should go on strike too.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Trashing public land with unmanaged livestock that over graze is a tale as old as time. And transcends political admins.

It isnt dealt with like that everywhere. But pretending it doesnt happen is just as bad as pretending everyones doing it.

 

[hank4elk]

Common problem in central Sierra's and here in the NM mtns.
Bare hills in the Gila and dry mud holes.

 

[wytex]

what is that supposed to mean?

It means the rancher will have cowboys up on horseback rounding up cattle here in about a month or less and pushing the cattle down to private land, no doubt some elk will move with them and many times folks complain they are pushing elk to private, which some do.

 

[NECALI]

We’re seeing the same thing hunting up here in the Wyoming range this year. Grazed down more than normal. Don’t know if it’s because of little rain this summer or? There’s still pockets with lots of grass, but the easy to get to stuff is gone.

 

[birdseye]

without quoting anybody, it appears that a few here have no problem with livestock pummeling the already drought stricken public land. Let'em shit in the streams, too, while we're at it. This isn't the first go-about in the Bighorn Nat'l Forest, every year it gets the bejesus pounded out of it. What is the grazing lease? I think it's 4.5 cents per Day for each cow/calf pair.

 

[Bc1992]

I wish they would graze on our FS land in the southeast.

 

[Bob-WY]

They are rounding up right now where I hunt in the bighorns. Last night was first night we didn't hear bugles from campfire. We did get bugles while hunting

 

[Forkyfinder]

without quoting anybody, it appears that a few here have no problem with livestock pummeling the already drought stricken public land. Let'em shit in the streams, too, while we're at it. This isn't the first go-about in the Bighorn Nat'l Forest, every year it gets the bejesus pounded out of it. What is the grazing lease? I think it's 4.5 cents per Day for each cow/calf pair.

I certainly do. I'd try reaching out to the authorities who manage the lease, show them pictures, and document your concerns.

The solutions are pretty scarce for a lot of reasons - but its been debated many times here. You could probably save yourself some ribbing and time to go read one of those threads, i started one a while ago - probably in a similar vein of frustration.

Awareness is one of the bigger things you can do about it, at least in my opinion. I've ran into other hunters who commented that the cattle are not being managed and destroying ecology - many don't know that the the herd of 100 cows on the blm is less expensive ($135) than their monthly power bills and easily less than 10 percent of the market rate.

 

[birdseye]

I certainly do. I'd try reaching out to the authorities who manage the lease, show them pictures, and document your concerns.

The solutions are pretty scarce for a lot of reasons - but its been debated many times here. You could probably save yourself some ribbing and time to go read one of those threads, i started one a while ago - probably in a similar vein of frustration.

Awareness is one of the bigger things you can do about it, at least in my opinion. I've ran into other hunters who commented that the cattle are not being managed and destroying ecology - many don't know that the the herd of 100 cows on the blm is less expensive ($135) than their monthly power bills and easily less than 10 percent of the market rate.

Believe me, the "leaders" of the Bighorn N.F. have been notified...by myself and others...many, many times...this year and years past. The result? Even more cattle and sheep turned loose. Almost every waterway and riparian zone is inundated with cows. This is the same N.F. that has allowed the Bighorn Range to be overrun with ATV's and out of control dispersed camping.

BTW, did I mention that the "leaders" have been advised of this situations...for years?!

 

[Oak]

Here's an interactive map of the USFS grazing allotments on the Bighorn NF. You can click on an allotment and get the class of livestock permitted and the managing Ranger District.

This link has folders of the grazing permit annual operating instructions. The AOI will tell you where, when, and how many cattle/sheep can graze each allotment. I see that the 2025 folder only has about a 3rd of the permits, but I've heard that the federal agencies are pretty short-staffed this year.... The 2024 AOI are likely not substantively different than this year.

 

[BearLakeHunter]

Here's an interactive map of the USFS grazing allotments on the Bighorn NF. You can click on an allotment and get the class of livestock permitted and the managing Ranger District.

This link has folders of the grazing permit annual operating instructions. The AOI will tell you where, when, and how many cattle/sheep can graze each allotment. I see that the 2025 folder only has about a 3rd of the permits, but I've heard that the federal agencies are pretty short-staffed this year.... The 2024 AOI are likely not substantively different than this year.

Believe me, the "leaders" of the Bighorn N.F. have been notified...by myself and others...many, many times...this year and years past. The result? Even more cattle and sheep turned loose. Almost every waterway and riparian zone is inundated with cows. This is the same N.F. that has allowed the Bighorn Range to be overrun with ATV's and out of control dispersed camping.

BTW, did I mention that the "leaders" have been advised of this situations...for years?!

Do you have any sources that show more cattle and sheep are grazing than years past? Genuinely curious because an increase in permits virtually unheard of where we graze here in southwest Wyoming and northeast Utah. The more common occurrence is a reduction in permit #’s.

 

[WesternCO68]

No changes that I know of have been made to cattle grazing on our forests under the new admin. Anything going on this summer would've been determined prior to the January 2025.

 

[antlerradar]

Do you have any sources that show more cattle and sheep are grazing than years past? Genuinely curious because an increase in permits virtually unheard of where we graze here in southwest Wyoming and northeast Utah. The more common occurrence is a reduction in permit #’s.

The Ashland district of the Custer has been cut 10,000 Aum's in the last thirty years. I can not imagine an increase in the Big Horns.