JACKSON, Wyo. — With the extended harsh winter, increased snow depths and struggling wildlife populations, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is considering postponing the shed antler hunt scheduled for May 1.
At the Pinedale Town Hall meeting on March 30, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) Director Brian Nesvik said that if snow conditions and animal location create an impact for wintering big game that’s already been suffering large losses this winter, postponing the 2023 shed antler hunt would be a serious consideration.
“Yes, we are considering it,” Mark Gocke, public information specialist at WGFD, confirmed. “It’s clearly an extraordinary winter with regard to the impacts on wildlife.”
According to Gocke, coordination with other agencies would be needed for a decision, including the U.S. Forest Service winter range closures, the National Elk Refuge and the Town of Jackson. The decision would affect Teton County in addition to where WGFD regulations apply in the southwestern part of the state.
A Forest Service press release from 2021 about the scheduled shed hunt explains that entering the winter range area can cause animals to become stressed and flee, using energy stores they need to survive. An exhausted, weakened condition can have a direct effect on an animal’s ability to defend itself and make it more susceptible to predation and disease.
Gocke emphasized that the long, hard winter and large snow depths have already pushed animals down to plowed roads and bike paths and increased conflict situations with people and with pets.
“It takes so much energy to get around in the snow we have in the landscape right now,” Gocke said. “All these animals are struggling with a winter like we’ve had.”
While there is no definitive decision at this time, Buckrail will continue to provide information as it becomes available.
