Wyoming 2024?
- Thread starter JRY46
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NotLongRange
Well-Known Member
I get the impression that some people don't believe just how devastating the 2022-2023 winter out west truly was. Additionally, some people think elk made it unscathed, which is also not true.
I started hunting big game in Wyoming as a kid in the early 1980s and I drive around the state quite a bit for work and recreation. Last winter was certainly one of the worst I've ever seen.
mountainjournal.org
I started hunting big game in Wyoming as a kid in the early 1980s and I drive around the state quite a bit for work and recreation. Last winter was certainly one of the worst I've ever seen.
'Huge Mortality': Winterkill Hitting Wildlife In Northern Rockies Hard
Grizzlies are out and wildlife is severely stressed. States issue warnings that recreationists need to be smart and, most importantly, respect space of animals or they could perish
mountainjournal.org
twooly
Well-Known Member
The deer in the northeast part of Wyoming got hammered by EHD/Blue Tongue. It is going to be some time until populations recover there also.
no such thing as a regular zone or draw zone
General NR Elk now have 3 regions, West, South, and East.
Regular and Reduced price draws are the same price as last year, only the Special increased in price.
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
I believe. After our elk hunt just outside Craig Colorado this year we took our normal route north to catch 80 east. Normally we'll see hundreds of antelope and maybe 50 deer on this stretch. This year I counted about 20 antelope and less than 10 deer. The farther east we went on 80 the more animals we seen. Elk numbers were down approximately 50% around the Craig area.
Devastating is correct.
I drive between Gillette and Casper for work. The pronghorn and deer took a bad hit last winter. So far this year has been mild, but it is not over until it's over. It will be a couple years before recovery on antelope and longer for mule deer. I shot one whitetail this year and burned my mule deer tag.
That is wise. Hopefully the fawn survival rate will be good this next year and turn things around.
I hunted Wyoming for deer this year. Where I went I saw enough deer and was successful. I used up my one preference point for deer. I only have one point for antelope so I'm sitting out this year.
If I had points, I would talk to outfitters in the eastern part of the state. There must be some places where animals survived better.
You may as well spend some retirement money. It's worth less and less as time goes by.
You could go for cow elk. I think they survived pretty well, and it doesn't cost a fortune to hunt them. It doesn't take any preference points either.
If I had points, I would talk to outfitters in the eastern part of the state. There must be some places where animals survived better.
You may as well spend some retirement money. It's worth less and less as time goes by.
You could go for cow elk. I think they survived pretty well, and it doesn't cost a fortune to hunt them. It doesn't take any preference points either.
Actually, they estimate 80% loss in some areas with 100% loss of the previous year's fawns.
Ckleeves
Well-Known Member
Everybody should really just not apply this year. Nothing left alive in Wyoming! Only thing that survived was coyotes from eating all the carcasses!
NotLongRange
Well-Known Member
Well…not quite. There is no getting around a terrible winter and winter kill however. If it makes you feel any better, residents aren't doing much hunting either. Many donated their deer tags to a grassroots effort called "Save a Buck" and really didn't hunt deer much. The antelope population is decimated…not many hunted antelope.
The quotas were lowered last year and I believe they will be lowered again due to poor fawn survival. I have two friends/co-workers who drew elk Area 22 (Ferris Mountain) bull tags, which is a premium area. One took a very average raghorn bull and the other is chasing cows now. I don't know anyone who took a really nice bull, mule deer buck, or antelope buck.
They say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. There just isn't much opportunity…there aren't many critters out there.
The quotas were lowered last year and I believe they will be lowered again due to poor fawn survival. I have two friends/co-workers who drew elk Area 22 (Ferris Mountain) bull tags, which is a premium area. One took a very average raghorn bull and the other is chasing cows now. I don't know anyone who took a really nice bull, mule deer buck, or antelope buck.
They say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. There just isn't much opportunity…there aren't many critters out there.
NotLongRange
Well-Known Member
It was a privately run effort (not WG&F), but yes…for mule deer..
