Forgive me for bringing up a topic that's been discussed ad nauseam, but it's important enough we should be hashing it out on the regular.
There are a lot of ideas that have been tossed around about how to help the Wyoming muley (especially in G+H), but many are out of our control. There's nothing we can do about the weather, and only so much we can do about how the WGFD deals with the issue (though we should all be going to RAC meetings and making our voices heard).
So what CAN we do?
1. Predator control. If you live in Wyoming, or you're able to travel there at all, do what you can to kill coyotes, cougars and black bears. Obviously anywhere in the state will help, but the southwestern end of the state is where it needs to happen the most. Antler point restrictions don't save does and fawns, but killing predators does. Bear tastes good too ya know, and although there's no bounty on coyotes at least you'll be out in the field enjoying nature....
2. Buy tags and hunt Wyoming, but hunt whitetails or cow elk. There's no shortage of elk in the state, and while the eastern end is where there may be the real surplus, there are plenty in the western half that compete with muleys as well.
Over the past decade or so I've usually taken my boys out to G to hunt muleys, but last year we switched it up. Now we stay in the eastern end of the state and try to harvest whitetail does. Not as fun as hunting muley bucks, but they taste better and need to be thinned out.
3. Volunteer for wildlife when you can. Whether it's helping install guzzlers or modifying fences, a little sweat equity goes a long way to helping wildlife. Even if it's a project to help another species, sage grouse/pronghorn/brook trout etc, it's not going to hurt get out and give wildlife a hand.
There are a lot of ideas that have been tossed around about how to help the Wyoming muley (especially in G+H), but many are out of our control. There's nothing we can do about the weather, and only so much we can do about how the WGFD deals with the issue (though we should all be going to RAC meetings and making our voices heard).
So what CAN we do?
1. Predator control. If you live in Wyoming, or you're able to travel there at all, do what you can to kill coyotes, cougars and black bears. Obviously anywhere in the state will help, but the southwestern end of the state is where it needs to happen the most. Antler point restrictions don't save does and fawns, but killing predators does. Bear tastes good too ya know, and although there's no bounty on coyotes at least you'll be out in the field enjoying nature....
2. Buy tags and hunt Wyoming, but hunt whitetails or cow elk. There's no shortage of elk in the state, and while the eastern end is where there may be the real surplus, there are plenty in the western half that compete with muleys as well.
Over the past decade or so I've usually taken my boys out to G to hunt muleys, but last year we switched it up. Now we stay in the eastern end of the state and try to harvest whitetail does. Not as fun as hunting muley bucks, but they taste better and need to be thinned out.
3. Volunteer for wildlife when you can. Whether it's helping install guzzlers or modifying fences, a little sweat equity goes a long way to helping wildlife. Even if it's a project to help another species, sage grouse/pronghorn/brook trout etc, it's not going to hurt get out and give wildlife a hand.
