Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 4

Legislature leadership changes tives from the western part of the state could get into the leadership ranks. The Republican: Senate leadership, vote contained no major surprises. Rep. Steve Harshman of Casper was named chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, succeeding Berger. Teeters, meanwhile, was reappointed chairman of the House Education Committee.

The Legislature convenes at noon on Jan. 8 for the TtiaYimiim 40-day general and budget session. Republicans control the House 52-8 and the Senate 26-4. Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at 307-632-1244 COYOTE, Continued from page A3 The program will continue one Saturdayamonrnuntflits $10,000 budget runs out, GMland said. At $20 per coyote, that means bounties for up to 500 kfQs.

Board member Don Garrison said he hopes the program encourages "the ordinary citizen" to get out and hunt The target audience, he said, is the uncle who takes his nephew; the dad who takes bis son. "That'swhowewanttopayTGarrisontaioV "We always shoot coyotes," Michelle Dye saidafterher husband and three kids handed over thefr set of coyote ears Saturday. "It's kind of like a fanriry deal, bored, we get in the truck and we go drive in the meadows and shoot coyotes." The coyotes around their home on Hat6Roadareget-ting "gutsy? Dye said. She wagers the coyote she saw 20 feet from her house last week was after her two cats. Her husband, Matt, has tried trapping.

But "there's a trick to it" that he hasnt yet figured out, he said. Three trappers hunt coyotes full-time in Natrona County. Setting snares, raiding dens and sometimes shooting tardea and 1,700 Natrona County coyotes each year. Even so, Natrona County ranchers say 1 coyote prob-lems persist "Natrona County has what would be considered by many people an extreme infestation of coyotes," GiJJiland said. That's due in large part to the abolition of Compound 1080, a poison used to kill coyotes and other predators until 1972, when then-President Richard Nixon issued an executive order banning the chemical.

Trappers would plant Compound 1080 in randomly scattered carcasses, killing any critter who took a bite of the tadc meat In a flurry of ecological concerns about just how long the chernical stayed infhe food chain past its firstkul, the Environmental Protection Agency revoked the compound's registration asapredacide. "We can no longer poison them," GflHand said. "It's the No. 1 reason why we have coyotes now that we didnt Most wildlife officials agree that accurately tallying a region's coyote population is next to impossible, and therefore no real population count exists for Natrona County coyotes. But Gfflflanrl estimates the district's trappers kill 10 to 15 percent of Natrona County's coyotes each year.

Reports from livestock producers to the National Agricultural Statistic Service suggest 17,500 sheep were killed in Wyoming by predators in 2011, Of those sheep deaths, 10,900 were due to coyotes. Coyotes are a "necessary evil" to our ecosystem, said the Predator Management Board's community-at-large internal issues." Gingery said the debate should focus on the lowest leadership position, the whip. "Then whoever gets that position can expect to move on up," he said. "I'm hoping with this really good crew with Kermit, Rosie and Stubson, nobody tries to knock them out," he added. The Senate Republicans, he said, train their leaders better and then support them as they move up the ladder.

Gingery said he is pleased to be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee again, a position he held earlier. He said he also told the Republican House Caucus that he wished representa Casper; Matt Greene, Laramie; Dan Kirkbride, Chugwater; Jerry Paxton, Encampment; Ruth Petroff, Jackson; Dan Zwonitzer, Cheyenne. Transportation: Dave Zwonitzer, chairman; Stan Blake, Green Riven Dave Blevins, Powell; Rita Campbell, Shoshorii; Lynn Hutchings, Cheyenne; Allen Jaggi, Lyman; Lloyd Larsen, Lander Bunky Loucks, Casper; Robert McKim, Afton. Minerals: Tom Lockhart, Casper, chairman; Jim Byrd, Cheyenne; Richard Cannady, Glenrock; Mike Greear, Worland; Norine Kasperik, Gillette; Lloyd Larsen, Lander; Tom Reeder, Casper; Albert Sommers, Pinedale; Nathan Winters, Thermopolis. Labor Elaine Harvey, Loved, chairman; Eric Barlow, Gillette; Kathy Coleman, Sheridan; Lee Filer, Cheyenne; Matt Greene, Laramie; Norine Kasperik, Gillette; Tom Reeder, Casper; Mary Throne, Cheyenne; Sue" Wilson, Cheyenne.

The Senate Republican and Democratic caucuses made the following committee assignments for the 62nd Legislature: Judiciary. John Schiffer, Kaycee, chairman; Bruce Bums, Sheridan; Leland ChristenseaAlta; Floyd Esquibel, Cheyenne; Larry Hicks, Baggs. Appropriations: Eli Bebout, Riverton, chairman; Dan Dockstader, Afton; John Hastert, Green Riven Curt Meier, LaGrange; Drew Perkins, Casper. son they moved there in the first place. Sparse, they said, is exactly howthey like it.

"We felt secure in the fact that things weren't going to get a whole lot more developed than they are now," said Megan Lock-wood, a neighbor to Morrison. Lockwood is "grateful for the zoning that's been in place," she said, because it has prevented any smaller, higher density lots from sprouting in a district whose icpicacuiauvc una fuuiiiigivu. nuug niui uuiu icua tors, the canines help keep antelope, deer, rabbit and sage grouse populations in balance. "The Predator Management Board was never established nor are they looking to obliterate coyotes in the county," Harrington said. Public money does not fund Natrona Countybounty program.

Instead, the program is paid for by revenues collected from a $i-a-head livestock producer's tax to House ByJOANBAMON Star-Tribune capital bureau State Rep. Keith Gingery is calling on Wyoming House Republicans to return to the traditional system of allowing a lawmaker to following the path to House speaker once he or she has attained a leadership position. The Jackson legislator's comments came during and following last weekend's Republican House Caucus in which Rep. Ker-mit Brown of Laramie was appointed majority floor leader over Gingery, the former speaker pro tempore. Both are attorneys with eight years' experience in the House.

In a telephone interview Monday night, Gingery said Wyoming House Speaker of the House: Tom Lubnau, Gillette. Majority Floor Leader Kermit Brown, Laramie. Speaker Pro Tempore: Rosie Berger, Big Horn. Majority Whip-Jim Stubson, Casper. Minority Floor Leaden Mary Throne, Cheyenne.

Minority Whip: Jim Byrd, Minority Caucus Chairman: Cathy Connolly, Laramie. Wyoming Senate President Tony Ross, Cheyenne. Majority Floor Leader Phil Nicholas, Laramie. Vice President Eli Bebout, Riverton. Minority Floor Leader Chris Rothfuss, Laramie.

Minority Whip: Bernadine Craft, Rock Springs. Minority Caucus Chairman: John Hastert, Green River. Committee Assignments The House Republican and Democratic caucuses made the following committee assignmentsforthe62nd Legislature: Judiciary: Keith Gingery, Jackson, chairman; Mark Baker, Rock Springs; Cathy Connolly, Laramie; Marti Halverson. Etna; Kendeli Kroeker, Evansville; Sam Krone, Cody; David Miller, Riverton; Tom Walters, Casper; Stephen Wart, Rock Springs. Appropriations: Steve PLANNING Continued from page A3 would create a slippery slope for his department, jeopardizing the integrity of the planning and zoning system en masse.

"You can't subdivide an already nonconforming lot. If you allow that to occur, it breaks down the whole zoning apparatus," Wallace said. Casper real estate agent Milton Green agreed at Wednesday's meeting that ANSWER Continued from page A3 most popular way to cook a turkey on Thanksgiving Day and deep frying comes in third. Smoking it is the fourth most popular turkey cooking method and also the most difficult. When it comes to roasting, there are several techniques used to keep the bird moist.

Some cover it with tin foil, while others may roast it in an oven cooking bag. (Using a brown paper grocery bag is a huge no-no, because chemicals can leech into the turkey.) But the National Turkey Federation says the best way to cook moist, tender turkey is to use the open pan method, which involves cooking the turkey in an oven preheated to 325 until the meat thermometer reads 180 Fin the thigh or 170 Fin the breast. "The open pan dry heat cooking method is the easiest and most reliable of all cooking methods and that while he believes the leadership by new House' Speaker Tom Lubnau, Brown and new Speaker Pro Tempore RosieBerger of Big Horn will be good, he didnt agree with the appointment process. Rep. Matt Teeters of Lingle was also ousted from the leadership, replaced as majority whip by Rep.

Tim Stubson of Casper. In his speech to the Republican House caucus last weekend, Gingery said his point was that the House is hurting itself every time a member is knocked off the ladder that leads to the House speaker's seat. "We are sort of eating our own," he said in Monday's telephone interview. "We build our leaders up, train them and then have Harshman, Casper, chairman; Donald Burkhart, Rawlins; Ken Esquibel, Cheyenne; Glenn Moniz, Laramie; Bob Nicholas, Cheyenne; Tim Stubson, Casper; Sue Wallis, Recluse. Revenue: Michael Madden, Buffalo, chairman; Gregg Blikre, Gillette; John Eklund, Cheyenne; W.

Patrick.Goggles, Ethete; Dan Kirkbride, Chugwater; Bunky Loucks, Casper; David Northrup, Powell; Ruth Petroff, Jackson; Education: Matt Teeters, Lingle, chairman; Cathy Connolly, Laramie; John Freeman, Green River; Hans Hunt, Newcastle; David Northrup, Powell; John Patton, Sheridan; Jerry Paxton, Encampment; Garry Piiparinen. Evanston; Albert Agriculture: Mark Semlek, Moorcroft, chairman; Stan Blake, Green River; Rita Campbell, Shpshoni; John Eklund, Cheyenne; Mike Greear.Worland; Hans Hunt, Newcastle; Robert McKim, Afton; Nathan Winters, Thermopolis; Dan Zwonitzer, Cheyenne. Travel: Kathy Davison, Kemmerer, chairman; Dave Blevins, Powell; Richard Cannady. Glenrock; John Freeman, Green River; Gerald Gay, Casper! Lynn Cheyenne; Allen Jaggi, Lyman; Sam Krone, Cody, Garry Piiparinen, Evanston. Corporations Rosie Berger, Big Horn, chairman; Gregg Blikre, Gillette; Jim Byrd, Cheyenne; Gerald Gay, the minimum lot size stipulation should be upheld.

"Where do you end it?" Green said. "I do have a concern about the integrity of the entire zoning process if we can't maintain this minimum lot size." They like it sparse Neighbors, too, voiced their opposition to one proposal, citing the region's low population density as a rea results in a juicy, tender, flavorful golden brown turkey," Sherrie Rosenblatt, director of public relations for the National Turkey Federation, said on its website. For more turkey-cooking tips, see eatturkey.com. Hey, Answer Girl, How much turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving Day? -Amber Dear Amber, The National Turkey Federation estimates that 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thantegfving Day and says that turkey is the Thanksgiving food of choice for nearly 88 percent of Americans. Answer Girl tackles questions about Casper, the universe and everything else.

Submit your questions by email to Caroi Seaveyatcarol.seaveytrSi. com. call her at 307-266-0544 or write to Answer Girl, P.O. Box80.Casper.WY82602.' Natrona County's Predator Management District Kent Drake, predator management coordinator for the Animal Damage Management Board (ADMB), said a bounty is not the only tool available to a predator management team. On its own, Drake said, a bounty program "is not the most effective use of federal funding.

A Cheyenne-based arm of the Department of Agriculture, the ADMB channels about $180,000 per year'to the Natrona County Predator Management District, ac- cording to GiMand. The ADMB refuses to fund bounty programs, preferring to target "individual problems" and eliminate predators as needed, rather thanenmasse. Chad Erdman hauled his two coyote carcasses to Sportsman's Warehouse on pallets in bis truck bed Saturday. When Predator Management folks told him all they needed for proof were the coyotes' ears, he walked back out to the parking lot with his hunting knife, sliced off four velvety ears and carried them inside barehanded. "It's a total redneck thing," Erdman said as he opened the hatch of his truck.

He kept the dogs' bodies because hunters "hava a bad name anyway," he said, and leaving dead coyotes to rot on the side of the road does not help with that reputation. The two little bodies sans ears, of course -lay facing each other, wine-colored blood pooling near one com. Revenue: R. Ray Peterson, Cowley, chairman; Jim L. Anderson, Casper; Cale Case, Lander; Fred Emerich, Cheyenne; Michael Von Flatern, Gillette.

Education: Hank Coe, Cody, chairman; Jim D. Anderson, Glenrock; Paul Barnard, Evanston; Bill Landen, Casper; Chris Rothfuss, Laramie. Agrkairture: Gerald Geis, Worland, chairman; Ogden Driskill, Devils Towen Fred Emerich, Cheyenne; Larry Hicks, Baggs; Wayne Johnson, Cheyenne. Travel: Bruce Burns, Sheridan, chairman; Paul Barnard, Evanston; Leland ChristenseaAlta; Ogden Driskill, Devils Tower; Bernadine Craft, Rock Springs. Corporations: Cale Case, Lander, chairman; John Hines, Gillette; Wayne Johnson, Cheyenne; Leslie Nutting, Cheyenne; Charles Scott, Casper.

Transportation: Michael -Von Flatern, Gillette, chairman; Stan Cooper, Kemmerer; Floyd Esquibel, Cheyenne; Bill Landen, Casper; John Schiffer, Kaycee. Minerals: John Hines, Gillette, chairman; Jim D. Anderson, Glenrock; Hank Coe, Cody; Stan Cooper, Kemmerer; Chris Rothfuss, Laramie. Labor Charles Scott, Casper, chairman; Jim Anderson, Caspen Bernadine Craft, Rock Springs; Leslie Nutting, Cheyenne; R.Ray Peterson, Cowley; John Schiffer, Kaycee. minimum lot size is a roomy 35 acres.

"I would be concerned that if you do this for Mrs. Morrison, then you'll have to do it for the other lot that was brought up," Lockwood said. "Andatthatpoint, where do you stop?" Reach county reporter Leah Todd at 307-266-0592 or leah. toddtrib.com. Follow her on Twitter leahktodd.

trib.com 0 trib.com Hntf 's midriff rlarfc artifact the Htrtit unwl nf fhp naflpt Reach county reporter Leah Todd at 307-266-0592 or leah. toddtrib.com. Follow her on Twitter RETAIL i Publication Date Wednesday, Nov. 21 Friday, Nov. 23 Tuesday, Nov.

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