Hunting Outfitter in WYOMING

[TERMINATOR]

That is REALLY BAD! I've never heard of that extreme weather happening before in Wyoming since I've lived here in Colorado. I REALLY FEEL sorry for the wildlife there! Maybe this upcoming hunting season should be cut really short and with drastically reduced tags especially for the does and cows? Seriously!

This is the full report...

Well, we have gone from what I called, “a good old-fashioned winter” to a harsh winter over the past three or four weeks. With snow packs piling up and low temperature records being shattered, this winter in Wyoming has been one for the records books.

The town of Pinedale has reported almost 60 straight days with a low temperature of below zero degrees Fahrenheit. That has to be some kind of record. Earlier in January my personal weather station recorded a low, Windchill temperature of -51, a personal record for me and certainly an extreme for my home in Park County, Wyoming. And have you seen the images of the snow drifts in the neighborhoods of Casper? Although alarming, they are impressive in a painful kind of way. It brings me back to my roof shoveling days as a kid in Jackson.

As for the wildlife, nothing is known for sure at this point, other than the outlook does not look good. I have gotten reports of die offs in pretty heavy numbers in western and southern Wyoming: massive herds of antelope smashed by trains, elk and deer hung up in fences and trapped along the freeway and elk desperately trying to survive in neighborhoods and on golf courses around Jackson and Star Valley. The aftermath of this winter could be something to behold. So far, this winter has only been eclipsed by that of 1982 some are saying, and that was a bad one, unless you were an eleven-year-old skier.

As for areas of relief, there aren’t many. The northwest corner of Park County, where I live, seems to be the lone standout for cold temperatures and right about 100% snowpack, leaving us with a winter that is just a tick worse than average. The rest of the state however is not as lucky by a long shot.

With a statewide snowpack sitting about 130% of average, Wyoming is going to be a very, very green place in a few short months. Whatever does manage to survive will have plenty of green to munch on. Talking to folks around the state, particularly in Lincoln and Teton Counties, the recorded snowpack levels are far from an accurate representation of the true snow pack levels. As a good friend in Jackson told me on the phone the other day, “Man it’s like when we were kids over here, we haven’t seen one of these winters since high school.” Next summer will be my 35th high school reunion if that puts anything into perspective.

As for the wildlife itself, as I mentioned earlier, we don’t have a good gauge on the damage just yet. April and May will give us that data to digest. I have a feeling the elk will see a slight die off in some areas, mostly in the West and Southwest corners of the state. The remainder of the state should be somewhat normal, or a tick below that for elk survival, with maybe a hot spot or two around the Laramie and Rawlins areas.

As for the deer, it’s just not looking great. The entire western side of the state should be affected. And this is very bad news, as if our deer herds haven’t suffered enough from the drought over the past few years, this should add insult to injury on that front. I think we will see drops in deer numbers pretty much statewide.

I have a gut feeling the antelope herds may be the hardest hit by these weather events. We lost over one third of our antelope to the drought conditions of the past few years, and now, this could knock another 20-30% off of that. This means we could lose about half of our antelope or more in Wyoming. This could be devastating. Keep in mind, this is coming off of a nearly all time low for antelope harvest during the 2022 hunting season in Wyoming where we clocked the lowest harvest since I have been keeping records for over 25 years and counting.

We will have another winter range update, a late spring edition, coming in May that will detail, with better data, what we are actually facing for winter die off. Make sure you read this before applying for your tags this year. Until then, prepare to buy points for the 2023 hunting season for most areas and hunts in the Cowboy State. Until then, I will leave you with this quote from my friend Doug with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regarding the Wyoming winter so far.

“Harsh winters are not uncommon in the West, but it has been a while since we have experienced winter conditions like this in western Wyoming,” -Doug Brimeyer, deputy chief of the Game and Fish wildlife division.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The pronghorn are EXTREMELY hardy animals. They survived the Ice Age here when the North American cheetah did not. Still, it pains me to see them suffering like they are this winter.

 

[TERMINATOR]

The pronghorn are EXTREMELY hardy animals. They survived the Ice Age here when the North American cheetah did not. Still, it pains me to see them suffering like they are this winter.

Yes

But it doesn’t matter how tough they are when a train is plowing through a herd…

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yes

But it doesn’t matter how tough they are when a train is plowing through a herd…

Yep! Wyoming really needs to consider cancelling at least the pronghorn and deer seasons in those areas hardest hit. I know it is and always has been about the money, but this is an EXTREME event and may require an extreme response from the Wyoming DOW. The few tags issued anyway wouldn't make a difference in their coffers and may allow them to issue more tags NEXT hunting season? Just my 2 centavos.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Yep! Wyoming really needs to consider cancelling at least the pronghorn and deer seasons in those areas hardest hit. I know it is and always has been about the money, but this is an EXTREME event and may require an extreme response from the Wyoming DOW. The few tags issued anyway wouldn't make a difference in their coffers and may allow them to issue more tags NEXT hunting season? Just my 2 centavos.

I agree.

It is really bad for NR hunters, many of which are getting desperate to use their points...and now when they want to use them....there won't be any animals.

I am scheduled to do a 1x1 guided Mule Deer hunt in Sept 2024 in the Wyoming range west of Pinedale. Not a cheap hunt. Now I am worried if I should not push it out but if I push it out they make cut the value of my points in half and take me from a sure draw (which I currently am) to not being able to draw. Never mind the huge price increases for the tags. I got a laugh out of their State Senator Hicks who sponsored the bill to raise the fees on NRs again. His exact wording was that this was "needed in order to bring Wyoming's fees in line with the market value compared to other states" Gimme a F'ing break. The Wyoming NR Special Elk tag was already the most expensive state drawn elk tag (not Landowner tag or auction tag) in the U.S.....and now they make it 2x-3x the cost of all the other states elk tags...in order to "bring it in line with other states". Have another drink Hicks

Wyoming is a mess right now for NR Hunters

 

[LivingTheDream]

Very sorry to hear this about Wyoming's wildlife. I don't think we have had many losses here in Colorado this year. In the '90s, Wyoming had some 400K pronghorn. One (nonresident) could buy up to 5 doe tags for $25 each and the buck tags were $100. The last time I hunted pronghorn there in about 2016, the tags were $55 for a doe and $250 for a buck. I wonder what the pronghorn population is there now?

Heard the NW corner on Colorado is having a rough winter. I haven't witnessed it but know so guys have been talking about it.

 

[gillettehunter]

NE WY is having a rougher than normal winter. It was maybe 7-8 yrs ago we had places around me that lost over 50% of their pronghorn. G&F still had a hunting season with a small reduction in tags. There will be a season again this year. Harvest could be pretty low tho.......
Bruce

 

[flatwater bill]

At least Wyoming will attempt to assess animal numbers before deciding on how many tags to offer. Idaho, on the other hand, will look at budget necessities and decide that way. Those of you NR who have thoughts of hunting out West this year, may want to look to Africa or So America, and wait for a better year. If you're young enough, that is...................This is the critical time for ungulates, when March should bring some relief in weather and allow access to food......instead, a hard frozen crust of ice lies below the snow in many places, and will prevent access until late Spring. Some herds that still look ok will disappear in 3 weeks............FWB

 

[TERMINATOR]

At least Wyoming will attempt to assess animal numbers before deciding on how many tags to offer. Idaho, on the other hand, will look at budget necessities and decide that way. Those of you NR who have thoughts of hunting out West this year, may want to look to Africa or So America, and wait for a better year. If you're young enough, that is...................This is the critical time for ungulates, when March should bring some relief in weather and allow access to food......instead, a hard frozen crust of ice lies below the snow in many places, and will prevent access until late Spring. Some herds that still look ok will disappear in 3 weeks............FWB

I’m covering all the bases lol I got hunts in Scotland in Sept for Red Stag and Elk 1st Rifle in Southern Colorado Gunnison Basin. I don’t think the winter hit is bad in southern Colorado.

Want to hunt the Gunnison basin before the elk get wiped out by wolves that they’re getting ready to plant there.

 

[CoElkHunter]

WTF! They're going to cut the value of your point in HALF because you push your voluntary draw out! What the HELL is going on there! I have 27 preference points here for a muzzleloading bull elk in area 201. That's 27 YEARS for those unfamiliar with the point system in Colorado. I could have drawn last year, but I went to Africa last June and am recovering from those costs. LOL. Anyway, I keep applying and adding to my PP with no penalty. Colorados' 2023 NR fees are $456.14 for a deer or pronghorn and $760.99 for an elk. That's doe, cow, bull or buck. Outrageous enough! The does or cows should be half that! I know NR who would like to come out here and hunt, but those tag fees are causing them pause. I don't blame them. I wouldn't partake either. Time for the Rocky Mtn. states to come up with an AFFORDABLE fee schedule TOGETHER for NR hunters or we're going to lose this whole big game hunting thing here in the West. Just like hunting everywhere else, the 1% that can afford it aren't going to keep this game going for much longer.

 

[Firebird]

Friend of mine has been knocking the socks off the coyotes in utah and Wyoming. I guess That and the diminished drought are the silver linings

 

[CoElkHunter]

At least Wyoming will attempt to assess animal numbers before deciding on how many tags to offer. Idaho, on the other hand, will look at budget necessities and decide that way. Those of you NR who have thoughts of hunting out West this year, may want to look to Africa or So America, and wait for a better year. If you're young enough, that is...................This is the critical time for ungulates, when March should bring some relief in weather and allow access to food......instead, a hard frozen crust of ice lies below the snow in many places, and will prevent access until late Spring. Some herds that still look ok will disappear in 3 weeks............FWB

Yep, with the heavy snow and extended below zero temps in Wyoming, MANY of those animals haven't been able to eat ANYTHING for several months. The die off has just started. VERY sad!

 

[CoElkHunter]

I'm now rambling because I've been up since 0300, but that's what I tend to do. Graveyard shift sucks even on my days off. LOL. Anyway, Montana was charging $550 for an elk license in the '70s. My father in law bow hunted in Idaho in the early '80s and told me his NR license cost $600 when all fees were paid. He would hunt the Salmon River Wilderness area by himself with his two horses for two weeks. One crazy SOB! So, looking at the online US inflation calculator for 1982, his $600 license would cost $1,860 in todays' dollars. Crazy!

 

[TERMINATOR]

I'm now rambling because I've been up since 0300, but that's what I tend to do. Graveyard shift sucks even on my days off. LOL. Anyway, Montana was charging $550 for an elk license in the '70s. My father in law bow hunted in Idaho in the early '80s and told me his NR license cost $600 when all fees were paid. He would hunt the Salmon River Wilderness area by himself with his two horses for two weeks. One crazy SOB! So, looking at the online US inflation calculator for 1982, his $600 license would cost $1,860 in todays' dollars. Crazy!

That is right about where Wyoming wants to set the nonresident special elk tag

 

[375er]

Back to Africa I go!!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Back to Africa I go!!

Me too! LOL

 

[TERMINATOR]

Back to Africa I go!!

All this whining from resident hunters in Colorado and Wyoming is hilarious in the fact that if they get their way, their license fees will go through the roof

And while Colorado resident hunters were so busy fighting against nonresident hunters they took their eye off the ball and let the f’ing Libtards Pass a bill to introduce wolves into their best elk herds

If they would’ve spent 1/10 energy working against the liberals as they did nonresident hunters, they wouldn’t have their elk and moose herds about to get decimated

 

[375er]

Let's see.....pronghorn, Mule deer, Elk. Over 3k in licenses IF you can get them.

Kudu, Gemsbok, Eland. Not impossible to get all 3 in a weeks time if you work at it.

Wyoming legislators......epic fail.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Let's see.....pronghorn, Mule deer, Elk. Over 3k in licenses IF you can get them.

Kudu, Gemsbok, Eland. Not impossible to get all 3 in a weeks time if you work at it.

Wyoming legislators......epic fail.

Especially when they try to tell you that they’re raising the fees to “keep in line with the other states” when they already were the highest in the US lol

 

[WAB]

That is REALLY BAD! I've never heard of that extreme weather happening before in Wyoming since I've lived here in Colorado. I REALLY FEEL sorry for the wildlife there! Maybe this upcoming hunting season should be cut really short and with drastically reduced tags especially for the does and cows? Seriously!

It happened when we lived there in the 90’s. There were so many antelope they were begging folks to take more does. Then we had a horrible winter. The antelope drifted with the wind into fences where they stacked up and died. They concentrated on the rail to get out of the deep snow and were hit by the trains. We lost a huge percentage of the herd. I don’t think they have ever fully recovered.