To Hunt Western Wyoming or Not???

Founder · Mar 1, 2017

I've got the question numerous times over the past few weeks, guys asking whether to hold off on hunting Western Wyoming because of the winter. I'm sure lots of others are wondering the same, so I thought I'd share some words and let you all share your opinion too.

Here's my opinion. Go hunting! If there's a big winter kill this year and that's what's stopping you, then the winter kill will have a lingering impact for 5-6 years. That is, it'll be 5-6 years before next years fawns are mature bucks. The problem with waiting 5-6 years, is your banking on the next 5-6 years of winters will be good.

I learned the hard way that putting things off for a better day doesn't always work out as you planned. There's no guarantee of tomorrow.

Not all the bucks will die up there if there's a winter kill, so there will still be a few big bucks to be found. One just has to find one to hunt.

So what's your opinions. I know some just want everyone else to stay home so that they have less competition. Honestly, if everyone stays home this year from Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, I won't have to worry about any competition myself. ha ha
But I just wanted to share my honest opinion.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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264mag · Mar 1, 2017

+1,I will apply for deer and antelope, 9 points and getting older

callsalot · Mar 1, 2017

I 100% agree, bad winter is a lasting impact that takes more than a year or two to get over. Plus what's to say the next winter or two will not be bad also just increasing the problem. Many of Colorado's Gunnison basin area's still haven't recovered from the last really bad winter 10 years ago.
If you have the points and want to go then go.

faultcurrent · Mar 1, 2017

Its the women and children that are weakest in every population. Apply and go whack a big buck!

hoopscoach · Mar 1, 2017

Okay, now riddle me this! How deep do you expect the tag cuts go to non residents and how many points will it take to draw a region G tag?

Hoopscoach

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud"

tracker12 · Mar 1, 2017

Your guess is a good as any.

chipc · Mar 1, 2017

Right on Brian. Thats excellent advice. Who knows, next year could be worse - and so on. No matter how harsh the winter there will be at least some mature animals that make it. Go hunt 'em !!

huntin50 · Mar 1, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Mar-01-17 AT 12:39PM (MST)[p]The majority of the deer that will survive will be healthy does, and bucks 2.5 to 4.5 years old would be my guess.

I would expect 70-90 % fawn mortality, on a normal year it's probably 20-30% in western WY.

I would guess at least 50-70% of bucks 6.5 years and older will winter kill. Teeth, fat reserves, post rut body conditions, competition, harassment,predators, etc all are factors. (I hope I'm wrong.)

As Founder stated there are no guarantee's, what the weather will do next year. I wouldn't wait another 4-5 years waiting for things to get better.

If you wanted to wait for 2-3 years for some of the bucks in the 2.5 to 4.5 year old class to survive, that may pay off. No guarantee.

My boy shot a buck, in region H that was probably 7.5 to 9.5 years old. He had poor teeth, and was missing a few. I doubt he would have made it through a normal WY winter.

Just a few thoughts and my opinion.

Founder · Mar 1, 2017

I just don't think they will cut the tags back too much. There are a lot of businesses (outfitters especially) that rely on non-residents to hunt up there and I think there were only about 600 tags for G. There are probably 20 outfitters that operate in the area and most of them need to put 15-20 deer guys through their camps to keep the businesses afloat. I may be wrong, but I don't think they'll cut too much away. Maybe though. I suppose they could cut a hundred or two non-resdient tags, but what does that really do when it's general season for residents and 3000 or 4000 of them hunt it?
It'll be interesting to see what they do on the tags. I may not get a tag this year!

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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shedneck · Mar 1, 2017

Everything about this topic that I have heard relates to deer mostly, but to some extent antelope. I haven't heard anything about how the elk are doing. That makes sense if the Wyoming elk are similar to other states - that is that the elk seem to be a bit less susceptible to harsh winters unlike deer.

I am particularly interested in the elk this year because I got really really lucky and drew an elk tag in Wyoming.

Any thoughts on the elk situation? Answers certainly won't change my opinion to hunt (it's too late anyways). I made up my mind before non-resident elk applications were due with the knowledge this winter was harsh in parts of Wyoming, but I based my decision in large part off of the same ideas that Founder has.

2lumpy · Mar 1, 2017

At my age, 70 in this summer, I don't have many big game hunting years left. I've had at least a third of my friends, who are my age, die already, another third can't see or walk, let alone hunt, and the other third, maybe less than half could hustle up or down a trail, if they had too. There are a few 70 year olds and older, that can still "get after it". Not many. I'm not going to be one of the exceptional, it's simply a matter of accepting the reality of it all.

I've got maximum deer points in Wyoming. 10 in Colorado and 10 in Utah. If I use one of these each year, that puts me at 73 or 74, an we all know what's left in most men at 73.

So I can't wait for Wyoming to grow another generation of mule deer, specially if we get another bad winter in Wyoming, within the next 4 or 5 years. Pretty risky, when your 70 years old, to play the waiting game.

So, good or bad, I'm going to try to pick the best unit, based on my age, physical limitations and financial resources, and go for it. If I come up empty, it's okay, I played these cards to have these tags at the end of my hunting years, no one guaranteed me it would work out perfect, some times your wind shield and sometimes your the bug.

Having said that, if anyone has any suggestions or recommendation, I would be ever so appreciative on your suggestions.

DC

Triple_BB · Mar 1, 2017

I'll still be hunting G. Spoke with an outfitter about G the other day. He said he's being open with all of his prospective hunters about how bad it been and said unless they're willing to eat their tag or settle on a small buck, he's telling them to wait a year or two.

callsalot · Mar 1, 2017

2lumpy,

I've known a lot of guys hang it up at 70 but I've known a lot that are still going pretty strong past that age. Keep at it your an inspiration to guys like me. I'm turning 50 this year and hope to be at it well past 70 god willing! My grandfather pasted at almost 97 and hunted until he was in his early 80's. Obviously slowed down with time but always said go aways then take a little break and repeat. In two hours you'd be surprised how far you've gone!!
Good luck to you.

Gauge86 · Mar 1, 2017

Agree founder! cant kill sitting at home.

gznokes · Mar 1, 2017

While all the deer are dying I'm thinking about black bears snug in their dens.

MIG · Mar 2, 2017

I spoke with Fish &a Game yesterday regarding the elk draw and asked about winter kill in western part G&H. I was told that they are expecting a 70% across the board winter kill on deer and antelope. The person said their planning for it to be a "10 year winter" not sure what that means but it doesn't sound good. He said to expect tags to be cut by a noticible amount. I guess we will wait and see..just thought I would share what I was told. I plan on trying to draw an H tag this year anyways.

PleaseDear · Mar 2, 2017

With the fee's increase for 2018, I would think many are going to try and cash in any points they have this year.

Time will tell

Robb

junior · Mar 3, 2017

What part of the state has the winter kill? Is there a map or link?

nontypical · Mar 3, 2017

Most of western Wyoming north of I-80.

Hunt while you can. There's no guarantees in life OR hunting. So what if you don't kill. You'll have fun trying!

Not far behind you, Lumpy...

feduptwo · Mar 3, 2017

I'm telling my nonresident friends to hold off a year or two. There is going to be serious winter losses. Especially Sublette county

shootem · Mar 3, 2017

With the point increase planned for next year, I will be cashing in all deer and antelope points this year. Getting to be too expensive for average joe to hunt and at $75 a point I have no intentions on building points in the future. Everyone's odds will be much better as I have multiple friends and family who will not be hunting Wyoming after this year.

TOPGUN · Mar 3, 2017

LAST EDITED ON Mar-03-17 AT 10:08PM (MST)[p]>With the point increase planned for
>next year, I will be
>cashing in all deer and
>antelope points this year. Getting
>to be too expensive for
>average joe to hunt and
>at $75 a point I
>have no intentions on building
>points in the future. Everyone's
>odds will be much better
>as I have multiple friends
>and family who will not
>be hunting Wyoming after this
>year.

You are reading into the Bill what is not there. All the Bill does is allow them to raise the PP fees to that max, but there is no increase in the Bill itself and they can leave them right where they are or raise them to no higher than the Bill states in the future.

jm77 · Mar 3, 2017

>You are reading into the Bill
>what is not there.
>All the Bill does is
>allow them to raise the
>PP fees to that max,
>but there is no increase
>in the Bill itself and
>they can leave them right
>where they are or raise
>them to no higher than
>the Bill states in the
>future.

Exactly right Mike