CODY, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming city decided to continue to kill off its urban deer herd as part of its deer population management program.

The Cody Enterprise reports Cody City Council on Tuesday voted to go ahead on a motion directing local police to continue its plan to harvest 50 female deer from the roughly 241 deer living within city limits by Feb. 15.

Police implement the program under a Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chapter 56 Permit, which allows the “lethal taking” of in-town deer under detailed conditions to prevent property destruction and protect human health and safety.

Police will follow the same plan developed for Cody’s first culling of 50 deer in 2017. The process includes baiting deer to safe locations and using night vision equipment if warranted.

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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com

WASHINGTON — U.S. government offices may be locked and most federal employees sent home, but the Trump administration has a plan to blunt the pain of a federal shutdown: It will keep many national parks and monuments open.

President Donald Trump will keep the sites accessible even if rangers and other federal employees aren’t working. That is in contrast to the last shutdown when the Obama administration chained off playgrounds, barricaded monuments and even turned away veterans from the World War II memorial in Washington.

The U.S. Interior Department plans to let the public visit most open-air monuments, wilderness-type restrooms and facilities that don’t depend on government staffing. Gift shops, restaurants and other concessionaires inside parks may be permitted to continue operations as long as they remove snow and trash without government staff.

“The American public and especially our veterans who come to our nation’s capital should find war memorials and open air parks open to the public,” said Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift. “Additionally many of our national parks, refuges and other public lands will still try to allow limited access wherever possible.”

The Trump administration’s approach could dampen any public outcry over a government shutdown, at least for the people camping, hiking or even getting married at national park sites such as Death Valley and the Everglades now in peak season.

In the political brinkmanship over whether to allow federal funding to lapse, the national park sites are perhaps the most vivid illustration of what’s at stake when the government closes its doors. They are popular with local businesses as well as the hundreds of millions of tourists who visit them annually — and turning visitors away is a potent way to highlight how the government shutdown is hurting real people.

During the last shutdown in October 2013, the Obama administration had an incentive to convey that message to the public, after some House Republicans and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, insisted on addressing health care in exchange for continuing federal spending. This time around, with Republicans in control of the White House as well as both chambers of Congress, the Trump administration wants to tell a far different story.

And critics are crying foul.

“The National Park Service’s mission shouldn’t be held together by duct tape and bailing wire in order to lessen the public’s blowback,” said Kate Kelly, a former Interior Department official under Obama. “Trying to run national parks without park rangers not only creates unnecessary dangers for visiting families, but puts the parks’ natural, cultural and historic resources at risk.”

The administration may keep other popular sites and services open during a shutdown too. National forests will remain accessible, but are not officially open, said Agriculture Department spokesman Tim Murtaugh in an interview. Visitors centers will be closed and rangers will not be on the job. Still, law enforcement will continue to be present in the forests for visitors who enter at their own risk, he said.

Park closings can deal a big blow to local economies that depend on tourism dollars tied to visits — from the vendors inside the facilities to the hotels, stores and restaurants outside of them. Local economic considerations were such a big factor during the 2013 government closure that five governors ultimately agreed to pick up the tab for reopening at least a dozen national parks.

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney says the current administration isn’t going to “weaponize” a shutdown as the Obama administration did. “We’re not going to try and hurt people,” he said in a briefing Friday with reporters.

“They chose to make it worse,” Mulvaney said. Any shutdown under Trump would “look very different,” he said.

In an interview with The Atlantic, the former Interior secretary under Obama, Sally Jewell, said the administration ultimately decided it couldn’t keep park sites open because of concerns about security and public safety.

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(With assistance from Alan Bjerga and Jennifer Epstein.)

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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): SHUTDOWN-PARKS

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ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Both Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks have reported a record number of visitors for 2017.

The Spectrum reported Thursday that Zion National Park saw more than 4.5 million visitors last year, which is up 5 percent from 2016. While Bryce Canyon National Park recorded 2.6 million visitors — a 9-percent increase.

The figures come just as park service officials are considering a controversial fee hike and a potential online reservation system for Zion.

The National Park Service released a plan this fall recommending that entrance fees more than double during the peak season at some of the nation’s most popular parks.

The idea has been controversial, however, with opponents arguing it would price out lower-income Americans and make only a small impact on a growing maintenance backlog.

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Information from: The Spectrum, http://www.thespectrum.com

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Grand Teton National Park recorded its busiest year in 2017 — the fourth consecutive year of record attendance.

According to the National Park Service, the western Wyoming park had more than 4.9 million visits last year, a 3 percent increase from the prior year.

Officials say the park had 3.3 million recreational visits last year, a count that excludes most traffic on the highways running through the park.

Officials say the visitation in June, August, September and October hit monthly records with an extra boost in August due to the total solar eclipse. In that month, the park had 65,000 more visits than the record set for the month the year before.

Park managers say the eclipse weekend was estimated to be the busiest period in the park’s history.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — The National Park Service says it found some of the 52 bison that escaped from holding pens in Yellowstone National Park after someone cut the fence.

The bison were found in the Mammoth Hot Springs area on the northern end of the park. However, the Park Service says no effort will be made to recapture the bison unless they return to the holding facility.

Park staff discovered Tuesday that 52 bison had escaped the Stephens Creek facility near Gardiner, Montana, when someone cut the fence.

The bison were being isolated to assure they were free of brucellosis, a disease that can cause livestock to miscarry. Bison confirmed to be free of the disease were eventually to be set free on tribal land.

The Park Service has opened a criminal investigation.

BOISE (AP) — An environmental group is asking Idaho officials to prosecute a trapper who killed a wolverine and ban lethal traps in areas inhabited by wolverines, but state officials say they will do neither.

The Center for Biological Diversity made the request Tuesday in a letter to Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore.

The group also sent a copy to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is considering federal protections for wolverines.

The group says documents obtained through a public records request show Fish and Game investigators reported the snare that killed the wolverine in December lacked a required device intended to prevent the killing of non-targeted species.

Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips says wildlife officials have discretion when it comes to prosecuting possible violations.

ST. ANTHONY — Merlin Skuse isn’t your ordinary senior citizen. 

The 91-year-old Michigan native walks the Henry’s Fork Greenway almost every day as a way to stay fit and take his dog Skipper out for exercise. He can be often seen with his walker and Skipper enjoying the scenery along the Greenway. 

“I really enjoy getting out to walk,” he said. “My dog is responsible for it.”

When snow fell last week, most people would stay indoors and find another way to exercise. 

However, the snow didn’t stop Skuse. 

“I had a welder take a pair of cross-country skis put on where the wheels used to be,” Skuse said, referring to his walker. Already he says he loves being able to be out in the snow instead of watching it fall from inside his house.

“I’ve been walking the greenway for 10 years, though this is the first year I’ve been able to walk in the wintertime,” he said.

Skuse said the problem of walking in the winter weather hit him soon after his wife died last fall.

“My wife passed away in October, and I realized I’d have to walk him (Skipper) when winter comes,” he said. “I can’t push the wheeled walker in the snow.”

Skuse realized that if he could get ahold of skis, maybe he could find someone who could turn his idea into a reality.

“I got some cross-country skis from Deseret Industries, and my friend Roy Parker welded them onto the wheels,” he said. “They work perfectly.”

In addition to having a ski-walker, Skuse uses a pair of ice grips on his shoes to maintain his balance on the slippery path. 

“There’s a little hill on the Greenway, and I wouldn’t try to walk it without my ice grips, downhill or uphill,” he said.

Being able to walk the Greenway path is very important to Skuse. He said walking with his dog on the path next to Henry’s Fork is a way for him to reconnect with the world around him.

“I just love to get out there and smell the fresh air,” he said. “On the Greenway you can see eagles and moose and other wildlife.”

Skuse praised the city of St. Anthony for all the work they’ve put into the Greenway over the years.

“The west side of the Greenway, it looks really nice with the work they’ve done on it,” he said. “They’ve got some adequate parking over there. They’ve got an indicator out there that tells you how maintained the trail is.”

Though Skuse doesn’t walk the entire length of the Greenway these days, he encourages those who haven’t explored it to check it out for themselves. 

I love crow hunting. It surprises me the lack of people who participate in this sport.

They are a super-smart bird. In fact, I think they are the smartest bird out there. You hear all kinds of rumors like, if five people go into a brush pile and only four come out, then the crows know one is still in there. It is said that you must do this two to three times before you confuse them.

While I don’t know if the old wives’ tale above is true, I do know that they are smart and hard to hunt. And yet, if you do a proper set-up, you can put the hurt on them. I’ve never been in a spot where you shoot hundreds per day like you hear about in some of the spots back East or down South. But still I’ve had some fun hunts and gotten into enough shooting to make it worthwhile.

The first thing is to do a proper set-up. When you start calling and they start coming in, if they see you, they’ll scatter. At the moment I’m down in Texas crow hunting, so I’ll tell you how I’m doing it here.

I like to find a super thick clump of cedar trees and hide in them. The ultimate is to only have an open spot above you. You want it so when you can see them that they’re in shooting range. Otherwise, they’ll see you as soon as you see them and scatter.

Camo up good, including a face net. Step back in the shadows so you don’t stand out. It doesn’t always work out, but it’s best to hide in a stand of shorter trees because they will come flying in over the top. If the trees are super tall, they might be out of range.

Using an electronic call is the ticket for multiple reasons. First off, it is hands-free. Second, all of the recorded calls I’ve used have a whole flock (a flock of crows is called a murder) of crows calling at once. On a hand call, there’s only one crow calling. And thirdly, you can place the call a little ways away from you so they’re not focused right on you when they come in.

Usually when I set up to call, I’ll start off with a hawk call or maybe an owl. They are both mortal enemies to crows, so that gets them excited. Crows love to get in on a fight or free food. So I’ll hit the hawk whistle for a few seconds and then start calling.

Sometimes they’ll come in silent, but 95 percent of the time you’ll hear them cawing as they come in so you can be ready. I’ve noticed a lot of times they’ll come in and do a wide circle of you first. I’ve always been tempted if there are more than two of us hunting to hide one guy out 40 yards. I think they’d get half the shooting.

If they’re too far, just like duck hunting don’t shoot or you’ll just scare them off. Two things will mess you up. One: If you shoot and miss, you’ll bugger up the set. The second deal is if you’re not concealed well. If they come in and see you, they’re going to book it.

Another thing that will help your shooting is to use decoys. I use the Mojo Crow decoy, which has the fluttering wings to draw attention. They come with a small pole to set them on, but it’d work better if they were more elevated. They have a hole in back in which you could tie a string and tie them up on a limb. I haven’t tried that yet but I think it’d work better.

Another scenario that I’ve nearly always had crows come in is when I’m set up right at daylight calling coyotes. They hear the squalling rabbit call and come in, but I’ve also noticed that they like the waggler-type of electronic decoys. So I’d suggest using one of them, too. I use a semi-auto 12-gauge and Aquila 6-shot on this hunt. They aren’t an exceptionally hard birds to kill but they are a big bird.

Crows are not good neighbors. They harass all manner of wildlife and eat the eggs and tear up the nests of a lot of the birds that we like to hunt and are not good on agriculture. So you’re doing the environment a big favor if you help thin them out.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — How does a bighorn sheep say “cheese?”

Some charismatic critters caught by motion-detecting wildlife cameras seem to know how to strike a pose. But it’s not just show business. As these devices get ever smaller, cheaper and more reliable, scientists across the U.S. are using them to document elusive creatures like never before.

“There’s no doubt — it is an incredible tool to acquire data on wildlife,” said Grant Harris, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Remote cameras have photographed everything from small desert cats called ocelots to snow-loving lynx high in the Northern Rockies.

Harris cited photos of javelinas, pig-like desert mammals, and coatimundi, members of the raccoon family, taken at higher latitudes in recent years. That could mean global warming is expanding their range northward, he said.

Other scientists deploying remote cameras include researchers with the Wyoming Migration Initiative, who use global positioning to map the movements of elk, mule deer and antelope in and around Yellowstone National Park. They only have so many collars to track animals, meaning there’s a limit to the GPS data they can gather, said Matthew Kauffman, a University of Wyoming associate professor and initiative director.

“You see one animal migrating, you don’t know if it’s migrating by itself, if it’s migrating with a calf, or if it’s migrating with 40 other animals,” Kauffman said.

Remote cameras — which can be left in the backcountry for days, weeks or even months — help fill in blanks by showing how many animals are on the move over a given period, he said.

Where to position them requires careful forethought. Clustering several around a watering hole, for instance, might produce many images but not a thorough profile of a population. But a purely data-driven approach might not yield any useful photos.

“There’s this tension between subjectivity in where you put your camera and where it’s statistically sound,” Harris said.

Sometimes smart-alecky humans turn up among the images. “I’ve seen people moon cameras, and that’s always funny,” he said.

Remote video can also reveal details about animal behavior, including the mewling sounds of migrating mule deer. And live-streaming cameras for everything from bison in Saskatchewan, Canada, to the underwater kelp forest off California’s Channel Islands are always popular.

As with all human intrusion into nature, remote cameras have downsides. Animals such as wolverines and bears have been known to attack them, though whether out of curiosity or aggression is hard to say.

Also, remote cameras have become popular tools to help hunters scout for game, prompting a debate over fair-chase ethics. Then there’s the whole subjective thing about going into nature to get away from it all, including surveillance cameras.

But to answer that original question: A bighorn sheep that looks like it’s smiling probably isn’t saying “cheese” but sniffing pheromones and other scents in what’s called a flehmen response, said Harris.

In other words … bleats us.

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Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver