HornedToad
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What are current conditions in the Red Desert? Is there much new plant growth from the winter moisture?
I'm hearing the further North you go from the I-80 corridor, the better. Basically a line from Farson to Bairoil to the North gets exponentially better as far as survival. Haven't seen it in person though.I was out on the sweetwater and Oregon trail potion today near Oregon Buttes and continental peak. Very green and wet. I saw a decent amount of antelope including some fawns. Was a lot better than I was expecting. Not saying this is anything but a very casual observation but I was encouraged.
I have a pronghorn tag this year for that area. Thanks for the report.I was out on the sweetwater and Oregon trail potion today near Oregon Buttes and continental peak. Very green and wet. I saw a decent amount of antelope including some fawns. Was a lot better than I was expecting. Not saying this is anything but a very casual observation but I was encouraged.
I have been out a lot and I would adjust that line to go from Bairoil to Moneta, then the Highway to Riverton then Farson. But yes it is badI'm hearing the further North you go from the I-80 corridor, the better. Basically a line from Farson to Bairoil to the North gets exponentially better as far as survival. Haven't seen it in person though.
Yes it is little better north but nktAre you saying that in that box, pronghorn survival was better north of the Farson-to-Bairoil line than south?
Thanks for the on-the-ground reports!
NICE! Amazing a few made it
My son hunted around Jeffrey City last year. How do the antelope look ?I was out around Jeffrey City and Muddy Gap last week. Very green and wet - mosquitoes are horrendous.
I saw very few. I was up high most of the time, but even driving on the highways I was taken back how few goats I saw.My son hunted around Jeffrey City last year. How do the antelope look ?
He hunted unit 106. Sweetwater Station to Jeffrey City south of the highway. Missed a really good one and ended up with a 77” goatI saw very few. I was up high most of the time, but even driving on the highways I was taken back how few goats I saw.
Where did your son hunt? I hunted goats out there last year too.
Any fawns?
I think that's part of the problem with antelope tags it's still an any antelope tag not a buck tag like it should beWas over near Saratoga yesterday west of elk mountain at work and saw fair numbers of fawns, mostly twins. The ones I saw looked really good, but the total number of pronghorn statewide is pathetic.
Everyplace I've worked this year across Wyoming has depressed numbers, it's sad. IMO, right now there shouldn't be any doe/fawn tags being issued and deeper cuts to buck tags.
0 at least that I seen ,Any fawns?
I have driven from Lander to Douglas now 6 times in the last month. Early on I saw like 6 fawns between Monetta in the last few trips, no fawns at all. This is true all the way from lander to Monetta…0 at least that I seen ,
Do you know how many pronghorn does are killed on the any tags? I can't imagine it's very many, but with the horrible numbers right now even killing just a few is probably not a good idea.I think that's part of the problem with antelope tags it's still an any antelope tag not a buck tag like it should be
I haven't looked at all the areas but I noticed the ones around here the lower the over all harvest success is the more does get killed seems like.Do you know how many pronghorn does are killed on the any tags? I can't imagine it's very many, but with the horrible numbers right now even killing just a few is probably not a good idea.
I agree they should be buck only tags.
With doe harvest on type 1 tags reaching as high as 10% or more in some areas, it should definitely be a "buck only" tag. The numbers of pronghorn I see now not only require severe tag cuts, but a whole new management plan.Do you know how many pronghorn does are killed on the any tags? I can't imagine it's very many, but with the horrible numbers right now even killing just a few is probably not a good idea.
I agree they should be buck only tags.
AgeedWith doe harvest on type 1 tags reaching as high as 10% or more in some areas, it should definitely be a "buck only" tag. The numbers of pronghorn I see now not only require severe tag cuts, but a whole new management plan.
What sucks, is this is a fair assessment of current day Wyoming.Maybe we can get G&F to treat the antelope like mule deer. Get the herd down to about 1/3 of objective. (Might have already accomplished this.) Then have a general season followed by a late season hunt to ensure we kill all the mature bucks. Couple that with a three month doe season and you have the recipe for success. The critters can never rebound and you can keep selling way too many licenses, plus you never have to get out of your office to even count the herd numbers.
Those bucks could spread disease you know, so we definitely need late seasons so keep buck numbers low to nonexistent.
BadI know you guys are well intentioned, but it would be great to get some current updates on range and herd conditions in the Red Desert, and not the usual grithching on WY G&F. Just sayin’….
Both of these have been answered by many already on this threadI know you guys are well intentioned, but it would be great to get some current updates on range and herd conditions in the Red Desert, and not the usual grithching on WY G&F. Just sayin’….
Have you read the thread?I know you guys are well intentioned, but it would be great to get some current updates on range and herd conditions in the Red Desert, and not the usual grithching on WY G&F. Just sayin’….
Valid point. Sorry if we fell short on you. There were quite a few observations earlier in the post string. I'm a little keyed up because of the proposal for late season mule deer seasons and the meeting next week.I know you guys are well intentioned, but it would be great to get some current updates on range and herd conditions in the Red Desert, and not the usual grithching on WY G&F. Just sayin’…
Would you like that current update and herd conditions region wide or by species and area? Possibly break it down by large drainages too? Yeah, I guess not...I know you guys are well intentioned, but it would be great to get some current updates on range and herd conditions in the Red Desert, and not the usual grithching on WY G&F. Just sayin’….
Yes it is very bad around here… Numbers all the way from Farson all around in every direction. We drove Douglas to Muddy, Jeffery to lander and saw like 20 lopeI drove from Kemmerer to Casper today, I saw a total of 8 antelope from Kemmerer to Farson and they were all in a pivot right by town. Saw 15-20 from Farson to Casper. Drive was during the hottest part of the day (12-5).
This is all anecdotal, but figured some might want to know.
Just spent a few days out here again. Quite a few antelope. Saw a couple herds of 30+ animals. Smaller groups were common. I saw quite a few fawns including twins. I’m not pretending this is a scientific study, but antelope of most age classes were there and not hard to find.I was out on the sweetwater and Oregon trail potion today near Oregon Buttes and continental peak. Very green and wet. I saw a decent amount of antelope including some fawns. Was a lot better than I was expecting. Not saying this is anything but a very casual observation but I was encouraged.
HAHA. That area is easily down 70% compared to last year. Yes there are animals around but nothing like there were just 12 months ago.Just spent a few days out here again. Quite a few antelope. Saw a couple herds of 30+ animals. Smaller groups were common. I saw quite a few fawns including twins. I’m not pretending this is a scientific study, but antelope of most age classes were there and not hard to find.
In all honesty, this is something I haven't seen in any central Wyoming area this year and not just from the highway(not talking about feed either). In many areas, irrigated fields, that normally hold dozens, if not a hundred or so pronghorn, are void of animals. IMO this is a true indicator of herd condition.Fawns, bucks, does, all over the place and lots of feed. Given half a chance those units will come back.
We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.