JACKSON, Wyo. — It’s no revelation that this winter has been unusual. The National Elk Refuge (NER) just shared data that offers some context for just how atypical it has been.
According to NER Senior Wildlife Biologist Eric K. Cole, the 2025-2026 winter season has been one of the mildest ever recorded in Jackson Hole. In his Friday update on biological observations from the NER, Cole wrote that the warm, dry weather conditions and high availability of forage meant that the NER did not conduct any elk or bison supplemental feeding operations this winter.
“2026 was one of only 11 winters since 1912 where no supplemental feeding occurred on the Refuge,” Cole wrote. “The last winter where no feeding occurred was 2018.”
Cole added that snow depth on the Refuge remained below average for the entire season. This opened up areas on the northern half of the Refuge that are usually snow-buried, allowing elk and bison wider forage access. Elk and bison also spent more time than usual in southern Grand Teton National Park, in areas south of Blacktail Butte, in the Kelly hayfields and in the Jackson Hole Airport vicinity.
“GPS collar and elk count data suggest that most of the Jackson elk herd, including elk that typically are associated with the Gros Ventre drainage during the winter months, used the Refuge at some point during the winter,” Cole wrote, later adding, “Based on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2026 trend count, the overall number of elk in the Jackson Elk herd remained steady and within objective at 10,029.”
In Cole’s 11,400-acre survey area on the NER’s southern half, the highest number of elk he tallied was 6,970 at the end of February. His bison count topped out at 450; bighorn sheep reached a maximum of 103, and the pronghorn number never exceeded 12.
“Major spring elk migrations away from the Refuge began in mid-March, approximately 3-4 weeks earlier than usual,” Cole wrote. “As of 2 April 2026, I counted 2,560 elk on the southern half of the Refuge (54% lower than the 10-year average for early April).”
