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<title>Bonus Video 1: Friday, August 16, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Bonus Video 1: Friday, August 16, 2024

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Mark Heinz

Outdoors

The Powder River at Arvada in Sheridan County has essentially stopped flowing for nearly a month, encapsulating severe drought conditions persisting across the West.

The river’s flow levels there have been sitting at zero to near-zero cubic feet per second (cfs) since mid-July, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) communications specialist Cheryl Miller told Cowboy State Daily.

When the river hits 0 cfs, “there could be a little pool there, but it is not moving," Miller said. "There is no water going downstream from there.” 

The Powder River's main steam flows for 375 miles from the Bighorn Mountains into the Yellowstone River near Terry, Montana. It is susceptible to wild fluctuations because it is one of the last free-flowing prairie river systems in the country.

During a typical year, the Powder at Arvada is flowing at 135 cfs, Miller said. 

[{"type":"text","text":"On June 16, it was at 17.5 cfs."}]

When the river reaches zero cubic feet per second, native fish such as sauger, channel catfish and sturgeon chub have evolved to survive in deeper pools.

“This is not unheard of for that site," Miller said of zero cfs, "but it is uncommon.” 

Records dating to 1930 indicate the Powder River has hit a standstill at Arvada about a dozen times, though there are no records for length of time at zero flow. The Powder also reached 100,000 cubic feet per second in 1923.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Why So Low?"}]

Unusually light snowpack coupled with a relative lack of rain during the spring and summer have contributed to the scarcity of water this summer, Miller said. Irrigation has also taken water from its tributaries, 

fishing guide Gene Pruett told Cowboy State Daily.

Dry ground along the upper stretches can absorb some of the river’s runoff.

The main Powder River’s tributaries include the North, Middle and South forks, which are still flowing.

The Middle Fork is typically fishable until late June or early July, when the water becomes too warm for responsible angling, said Pruett, owner of the Thermopolis-based Wyoming Trout Angler fishing guide service.

He guides anglers on the North Fork in Outlaw Canyon above Kaycee.

Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart recently told the Legislature’s Select Water Committee that this is one of the 

“Over 83% of the state is in severe or extreme drought,” he said. "Luckily, no parts of the state are under exceptional drought, as of right now.” 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Time To Stop Fishing"}]

Flows along the upstream forks of the Powder River is “generally low,” said Mike Cassidy, fishing guide with Rock Creek Anglers, based out of Saddlestring in Johnson County.

It is probably weakest on the South Fork, he told Cowboy State Daily.

“We shut down our fishing on the Middle Fork because of high water temperatures,” he said.

Stretches of the North Fork on private property remain “fishable” because cold water from tributary springs has kept water temperatures lower, he said.

As a general rule, it’s best to stop even catch-and-release trout fishing once the water temperature hits 68 to 70 degrees because of stress to the fish, Pruett said.

In addition to shutting down his operations on the Middle Fork, Pruett said he’s limited trips to early mornings only on other rivers because of rising water temperatures.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department hasn’t mandated catch-and-release fishing shutdowns but is asking anglers and guides to suspend their fishing on numerous waters.

On the Bighorn, the Green, the Salt, the Snake, and the New Fork rivers, there are voluntary closure signs everywhere,” Pruett said.

“I think it’s the guides’ and the anglers’ responsibility to preserve the resource” and refrain from catch-and-release fishing when the water is too hot, he said.

As for the Powder, it was still near zero cubic feet per second at Locate, Montana, but picked up some water by the time it reaches Moorhead, where the flow was 10-12 cubic feet per second Thursday. 

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<title>Under Severe Drought Conditions, Wyoming’s Powder River Has Completely Stopped Flowing | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Powder River in Sheridan County has completely stopped flowing for nearly a month due to severe drought conditions and irrigation. During a typical year, the Powder at Arvada is flowing at 135 cubic feet per second, now it's at zero cubic feet per second.

Under Severe Drought Conditions, Wyoming’s Powder River Has Completely Stopped Flowing

Public Lands

The Bureau of Land Management is poised to round up about 1,800 mustangs from herds in central Wyoming, claiming the horses will starve if their numbers aren’t cut. 

“Without active management, herds continue to grow unchecked and can double in size every four to five years. Chronic overpopulation places both horses and rangeland resources at risk,” the BLM said Tuesday in announcing the plans for roundups in the Red Desert Complex.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The roundups are set to begin in the fall."}]

 “Saving wild horses from starvation, protecting America’s public lands,” the BLM describes the effort.

Wild-horse advocate Carol Walker told Cowboy State Daily she thinks the agency is using hyperbole to justify more roundups. 

“That’s baloney. I’m out there all the time,” Walker said. “I was out there about three weeks ago, and I didn’t see a single skinny horse.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Target Numbers"}]

Mustang management goes beyond just the horses, mule deer conservationist Bill Ames told Cowboy State Daily. 

He said he didn’t know enough about the Red Desert Complex to say how many horses should be there, but he thinks they're “overpopulated” throughout the state. 

And that can lead to competition with mule deer, pronghorn, and other wildlife, Ames said. 

“I don’t know if they compete for food so much, but they really compete for water,” said Ames, who represents the Wyoming Mule Deer Alliance. 

The roundups are planned in several horse management areas (HMAs) in the Red Desert Complex, including the Antelope Hills, Crooks Mountain, Green Mountain, Lost Creek, and Stewart Creek. 

The appropriate management level for the complex is 480 to 720 horses, meaning about 1,800 horses must be removed to “return herd sizes to sustainable levels,” according to the BLM.

The BLM also plans to use fertility control to trim Red Desert herds. 

“During gather operations, staff plan to treat around 75 to 150 mares with fertility control and release them back to the range,” the announcement said.  

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Ongoing Debate"}]

What's sustainable for the mustang population is a matter of debate. 

The BLM was given jurisdiction over mustangs under the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act. 

The agency contends that it’s managing mustang numbers according to the parameters established by the act, based on such factors as available forage for horses, conflicts with private landowners, and competition with wildlife. 

Wild-horse advocates argue that the BLM’s target numbers are a fraction of what the range can support and that the horses are scapegoats for overgrazing by sheep and cattle. 

They contend mustangs qualify as wildlife and should be respected and conserved as such. 

Others argue the horses are a feral, invasive species with no natural predators. They can damage the landscape and drive out native wildlife if their numbers go unchecked. 

After horses are rounded up, they’re sent to BLM holding facilities, such as those near Wheatland and Rock Springs. 

Many of the horses are put up for adoption, while others live out their lives in BLM facilities. 

Mustang advocates recently claimed to have evidence the BLM is also funneling some of the mustangs toward dealers who 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The BLM denies it. "}]

Nature already culled the central Wyoming mustang herds, Walker said. 

The brutal winter of 2022-2023 killed tens of thousands of pronghorn, deer, and elk in central and south-central Wyoming. 

An official tally of how many mustangs died wasn

t kept. Walker said she thinks the Red Desert Complex herds were cut by about half. 

So, it makes no sense to start a huge roundup of the herds, which are still recovering, she said. 

According to what she’s seen on the ground, the rangelands are healthy and there’s plenty of forage to go around for horses, livestock, and wildlife. 

“I see elk out there, I see pronghorn out there, and I see the little wildlife, like bunnies,” she said. 

The horses and other animals looked well-fed and healthy, she added. 

Ames said he’s concerned about mustangs leaving the HMAs. 

The BLM should round up horses that have strayed into prime mule deer and pronghorn habitat in the Pinedale area toward the south end of the Jonah Gas Field, he said.

“They’re actually in the antelope migration corridor,” he said. 

He worries that during the winter horses might drive deer and pronghorn off slopes that have been blown clear of snow and therefore vital for animals’ survival. 

“They (horses) just aren’t very good at sharing,” he said. 

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<title>BLM Says Red Desert Wild-Horse Herd Must Be Cut By 1,800 To Prevent Starvation | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Bureau of Land Management plans to round up about 1,800 mustangs in the Red Desert Complex of central Wyoming this fall, claiming that overpopulated horses are at risk for starvation. “That’s baloney," says wild-horse advocate Carol Walker.

BLM Says Red Desert Wild-Horse Herd Must Be Cut By 1,800 To Prevent Starvation

[{"type":"text","text":"Not everybody knows what every single word means...."}]

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<title>Bonus Video 1: Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Not everybody knows what every single word means....

Bonus Video 1: Thursday, August 13, 2026

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Dale Killingbeck

Dale Killingbeck

Crime & Courts

A Gillette man faces eight felony charges related to alleged sexual assaults and beatings he gave a woman, during which he reportedly called her his “little beat victim.”

Luke K. Busca is charged with five counts of sexual assault in the first degree and three counts of strangulation of a household member stemming from his alleged actions recently against a woman who had been living with him at his residence for a month, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing Tuesday before Gillette Circuit Court Judge Greg Steward.

Court officials released Busca's name late Wednesday after using his initials during the hearing.

The five sexual assault in the first degree charges all carry a penalty of not less than five years or more than 50 years in prison. The strangulation of a household member charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Gillette Police Department Detective Sgt. Ryan Mahylis testified Tuesday that when police initially contacted the woman Aug. 1 at a friend’s residence they found her with a black eye on the right side of her face and injuries along her left jawline. She also had bite marks and bruises, and was complaining about pain to her abdomen and rib area.

Mahylis said the incident on the evening of July 31 started with an argument about incense burning in a sink. Busca told the woman that he was going to a friend’s home. When he returned around 2 a.m., he found the door locked and became angry.

Once in the bedroom, Mahylis told County Attorney Nathan Henkes, the woman said Busca made sexual advances that she refused. He then allegedly grabbed her by the hair and threw her face down on the bed, put her in a choke hold and began to sexually assault her from behind with his fingers.

Mahylis testified that the woman told police after the sexual assault she was able to kick him off but during the struggle he tried to hit her and then head-butted her. She was then told to leave the residence.

“She had indicated that she had no ability to leave due to not having a ride and Busca had indicated to her that people have been shot for not leaving a residence,” Mahylis said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Message To Friends"}]

The victim then left the residence and walked to a park, where she tried to contact friends and was unsuccessful. About 3:30 a.m. she received a message from Busca to return to the residence.

Mahylis testified that police officers confirmed the victim had sent messages as well as photos of her injuries to others.

The woman returned to the residence, where it “became a continuation of the previous assault,” Mahylis said.

The woman told police he tried to force her to perform oral sex on him and then grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the bed. While she was in a chokehold, he allegedly used his fingers to assault her sexually and then turned her over and raped her, Mahylis testified.

Mahylis said the woman was told to stop fighting and when he threw her on her back to assault her sexually he also placed his hand around her neck and continued to strangle her. At some point, the woman told police, Busca asked her if she knew how easy it would be for him to “break” her neck.

The two then eventually fell asleep and the woman woke up and remained at the residence. She told police she was doing laundry when Busca woke up and told her that “he didn’t get to finish” and “wanted her to finish him,” referring to a sexual act, Mahylis said.

Mahylis said the woman also noticed a firearm that was normally on a nightstand and asked if he had thought about “murking”, or killing, her.

“He had indicated that he thought about it,” Mahylis said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'My Little Beat Victim'"}]

Mahylis also confirmed that as part of the conversation between the two after Busca awoke, he asked the woman: “How is my little beat victim? Did you learn your place?”

Gillette police learned of the incident after being called to the house of one of the woman’s friends Aug. 1, when she reported the incident.

The woman was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital for an examination by a qualified SANE nurse to obtain any evidence of a sexual assault. The woman complained of pain and vaginal bleeding, Mahylis said.

When officers went to Busca’s residence they found him outside. He initially told officers he had been at a friend’s house and returned about 2 a.m. He indicated he had taken medications and did not recall what happened after that, Mahylis said.

Mahylis said after Busca's arrest and a search warrant, officers searched the home and found a bottle of trazodone and a prescription for 45 pills. When they counted the pills, 45 remained in the container.

Mahylis testified that Busca changed his story and later admitted he lied about coming home, taking the medications, and passing out.

After the detective’s testimony, Henkes asked Steward to upgrade a reckless endangerment charge to strangulation of a household member. 

Defense attorney Ronald Wirthwein objected and said the affidavit did not indicate that breathing was impeded, it only referred to “shaking the throat and windpipe back and forth but no indication of an impeding of breathing or blood.”

The judge ruled the charge could be upgraded to strangulation.

Steward then told Busca he was sending the case to district court, where he would be arraigned and able to make a plea. He asked him if he had any questions.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“No, your honor,” Busca said."}]

Gillette police scaled

<title>Gillette Man Accused Of Raping Woman, Calling Her His 'Little Beat Victim' | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Gillette man who allegedly raped a woman and called her his “little beat victim” was charged Tuesday with eight felonies. Investigators say the woman had a black eye, bite marks, bruises, and rib and abdomen pain.

Gillette Man Accused Of Raping Woman, Calling Her His 'Little Beat Victim'

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<title>Today In Shopping: Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Today In Shopping: Thursday, August 13, 2026

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