JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) recently released the fall hunting forecast for the state and according to the department, the forecasts from each region are based on data and observations from the field by department biologists and game wardens.
Forecasts were released for the Casper, Cody, Green River, Jackson, Lander, Laramie, Pinedale and Sheridan regions.
“Above-average snowpack coupled with significant spring and summer precipitation, has resulted in tremendous plant production, which the region has been hoping for, given the drought conditions we have experienced for the past decade,” says Game and Fish. “These conditions have replenished stock dams, recharged watersheds throughout the region and wildlife are expected to be in better condition going forward.”
Pronghorn and mule deer
In the Jackson region, harsh winter conditions impacted pronghorn and mule deer herds.
Hunt area 85, which harbors a small migratory segment of the Sublette antelope herd is closed for the 2023 season following extreme winter mortality due to the outbreak of Mycoplasma Bovis, says Game and Fish.
“In early May, approximately 75 percent of radio-collared adult doe pronghorn from an ongoing study had died,” says WGFD. “Regional managers will assess recovery of the Jackson segment of the Sublette herd and may recommend to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to re-authorize hunting seasons in future years as appropriate.”
The Sublette and Wyoming Range mule deer herds experienced substantial winter mortality due to the weather, says Game and Fish. As a result, the Commission approved several changes to the 2023 season including:
- shorter season lengths
- three-point antler restrictions
- reduced nonresident quotas
- elimination of the doe/fawn opportunity for youth hunters.
Game and Fish says hunters should expect to see significantly fewer deer on the landscape this fall but are confident that this year’s limitation will lead to herd recovery in the coming years.
Elk and moose
The Jackson region manages four elk herds— Jackson, Fall Creek, Afton and Targhee, that currently contain at least 17,000 elk and are within management objectives, according to WGFD.
“Despite the severe winter, overall elk mortality was relatively low because the majority of elk in these herds are supplementally fed on feedgrounds,” says WGFD. “Some feedgrounds had higher calf mortality this winter than normal, but hunters should still expect to see typical elk numbers in most hunt areas.”
This year, Grand Teton National Park licenses were reduced in quota and season length in an effort to shift management towards population maintenance.
All or parts of the Jackson, Sublette and Targhee moose herds are found in the region, and all are managed under a special management strategy to provide recreational opportunities while maintaining a harvest of older age-class bulls, says WGFD.
“While moose numbers remain below desired levels, hunters lucky enough to draw a license should experience high success and have a good chance of harvesting a bull,” says Game and Fish.
According to WGFD, moose populations did well in the cold and deep snow conditions last winter and higher moose mortality has actually been observed in warmer winters in recent years.
Bighorn sheep and mountain goats
The Jackson bighorn sheep herd is above management objectives, according to Game and Fish, which says this is concerning because in the past herds of this size have experienced significant mortality due to pneumonia outbreaks.
“The current season structure is designed to prevent a large-scale pneumonia outbreak; with a secondary benefit of curbing impacts to future hunting opportunities if an outbreak can be prevented,” says Game and Fish.
License numbers to hunt “any sheep” were reduced this year due to trends of increasing hunter effort and decreasing harvested ram age. Licenses to harvest ewes/lambs were increased to 30 licenses to decrease the population to its objective.
The Targhee bighorn sheep herd quota was increased from one to two this year and includes one resident and one nonresident license, according to Game and Fish. The regular season will open earlier in the northern portion of the herd to encourage a more even distribution of harvest throughout the herd.
The quota for mountain goat licenses in the region were reduced to reflect a decline in the number of goats counted during the 2022 mid-summer trend count, says Game and Fish. Hunting the Palisades herd is expected to have a high success rate.
License numbers to hunt the Teton Range mountain goat herd was increased from four to five in 2023 and are available for residents only, but hunter success is still expected to be very low. No mountain goats were harvested last year in this area, says WGFD.
Bison
According to Game and Fish, the Jackson bison herd is at the lower end of the annual trend count objective. Licenses to hunt females and calves were removed this year and the quota to hunt “any wild bison” was reduced.
“The early snow and weather during the 2022 season resulted in high harvest success but was an anomaly compared to recent years,” says Game and Fish. “Recent trends by which mild weather and aversion to hunting pressure on the National Elk Refuge have resulted in delayed or lack of movement from Grand Teton National Park into the open hunt area on the Refuge. These conditions make it difficult to achieve harvest, often with an extremely limited number of days when bison are available for harvest on the Refuge.”
Since there are few bison hunters this year, the National Elk Refuge is not using hunt periods; bison hunters can obtain a permission slip valid from Aug. 15 to Jan. 1 on the Refuge, says Game and Fish.
