WYOMING — It was a bumper year for elk hunters in the Equality State.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) released its Elk Harvest Survey Report this week, which indicates that the 2023-2024 season elk harvest increased by 5% compared to last year, with hunters harvesting 28,353 elk statewide.
WGFD notes that this was one of the most successful elk hunting seasons on record. Hunters logged more than 480,000 recreation days in the field. Also noteworthy is this year’s harvest of antlerless elk (cows), which topped 13,000 for the first time in a decade.
“Hunters play a crucial role in wildlife conservation, and their commitment to help manage elk populations is greatly appreciated,” WGFD Chief Rick King said in a statement.
The agency estimates that approximately 109,000 elk reside in Wyoming.
Over in Idaho, elk harvest numbers were down for the year. The total elk harvest for 2023 was 18,568, down from 2022’s 20,952 total, according to Idaho Fish and Game (IFG). The agency notes that the 10-year average for elk harvest in the state is 21,465. This is the first time since 2013 that the statewide elk harvest fell below 20,000. IFG estimates Idaho’s total elk population to be around 120,000.
IFG’s diagnosis for the dip was 2023’s slow start to winter.
“Warm fall weather with little precipitation often creates poor hunting conditions,” Idaho Fish and Game reps wrote in its harvest report.
