Cheyenne Bottoms’ new manager already has years of experience

As a boy Jason Wagner spent many hours at Cheyenne Bottoms, making memories with family and friends.

As a man he’s spending even more time at the legendary wetlands working to help thousands of other hunters make their own memories this fall and beyond. He’s loving every minute of some extremely long days.

“I really don’t know how I can describe the feeling, getting to work at a place I’ve always been so extremely passionate about,” said Wagner, who was appointed Cheyenne Bottoms’ manager June 5. “I honestly never imagined I’d have this kind of opportunity, to work at some place that’s always been so special to me as Cheyenne Bottoms. Hopefully I’ll be able to leave some kind of legacy from all of my work out here.”

Wagner grew up in Otis, about 25 miles from Cheyenne Bottoms, and can’t remember when the world-class wetlands wasn’t a part of his life.

“My grandpa was hunting The Bottoms since the first days it was opened,” said Wagner, 34. “Both of my parents hunted out here and I spent a lot of time here when I was growing up. A lot.”

Along the way Wagner got his bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State and his masters from Sul Ross State in Texas. He studied wildlife/natural resource management at both schools. After about eight years of working in Texas, Wagner came back to Kansas four years ago. He was a district wildlife biologist based out of Hays.

He replaces Karl Grover, who worked 30 years at Cheyenne Bottoms. Wagner is already facing one of Grover’s biggest challenge at managing the wetland – too much water.

Wagner said when he took the job all of the pools at Cheyenne Bottoms were full from recent rains. His crews need dry soil so they can work in the area, doing things like removing problematic cattails and planting millet. Open soil also grows such natural foods as smartweed, wild sunflowers and barnyard grass. Ideally the pools grow lush with such plants, then either late summer rains or water stored by biologists are used to flood the areas. Last year Grover and his crew also suffered from too much summer water.

Wagner said he and area workers had made some progress during a dry stretch several weeks ago. They got 220 acres of millet planted, and sprayed 775 acres of cattails. He’s hoping things dry out enough he can burn the dry cattails. Cattails offer nothing to a wetland, other than a place for hunters to hide. Their roots suck up a lot of water, and produce no food for waterfowl to eat.

“We’re a little short on food, but we’re sure going to have enough water to flood all of the pools this year,” said Wagner, who is trying to get ready for the Sept. 9 opening of teal season.

“Since I was hired, if I get five hours of sleep, I’m lucky,” he said Friday morning, while working amid the wetland. “I lay awake thinking of what we can be doing next, what different management plans we can do that might work better. I promise you, nobody is putting more pressure on me, than me.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Cheyenne Bottoms’ new manager already has years of experience."