Each winter the number of Eagles in Wyoming are counted through government agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. But with the government shutdown, there wasn't going to be a count this year.

So the Bighorn Audubon Society and the Bureau of Land Management's coordinator hurried to recruit volunteers and hand out information packets as the shutdown was approaching.

The only thing not handed out were rout maps, and offices were closed before anyone could get to them.

But the volunteers knew the area and were familiar with the routes, so they went out and began the count. With nearly enough people, just one single route was not claimed.

The numbers will be turned in by the volunteers to be counted by the government agencies as soon as the shutdown ends.

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