BUFFALO - This fall is a great time to be an elk hunter, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's 2022 hunt forecast.
That's especially true for those who are willing to hunt antlerless elk. Elk populations are thriving statewide, according to previous Bulletin reporting.
In most hunt areas, elk are at or above population objectives, leading officials to add more tags and change season limitations and opening dates to achieve desired harvest levels.
"We're hoping for a better harvest this year," Buffalo Game Warden Jim Seeman said. "The longer they stay up on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands, the better chance we have for a better harvest. So far, it's pretty good. Elk are staying up there so far."
Elk are the outlier among other big game populations that are not reaching goals and therefore have had quotas reduced this year. Those reduced license quotas are due to persistent drought conditions and spread of disease, said Cheyenne Stewart, Sheridan region wildlife management coordinator.
But those reduced license quotas give those who drew tags in the region a better chance at harvesting an animal, according to the Game and Fish hunt forecast.
That includes pronghorn, a species that suffered population declines from disease-related mortalities in 2021, including epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue.
Antelope, in general, according to Seeman, are doing well near Buffalo, based on the agency's late summer classifications.
"We did cut licenses from last fall. We're down overall in population with antelope, so hunters should expect to see at least east of town fewer numbers," he said. "You might see a lot more fawns, which doesn't come into play until the following year."
Mule deer in the region have been a population of concern for Game and Fish for a while.
The department wrapped up a study on the Upper Powder River mule deer herd in December that biologists hope will give them an idea of the biggest problems facing the herd.
Chronic wasting disease is another factor in mule deer mortality. The disease, a neurological illness that is often fatal, is most prominent in the region's white-tailed deer populations.
That, epizootic hemorrhagic disease and the bluetongue outbreak in fall 2021 mean that hunters can expect population impacts.
This year's precipitation, though, is good news for those populations, according to the forecast.
To date, the Powder River Basin has experienced precipitation that is 101% of normal, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The water year ends Oct. 1. Seeman said that the rainfall the county received in the spring - at a time that's best for fawns and chicks hoping to survive - would be useful now, too.
"We got good moisture, but it's dry now," Seeman said. "A lot of watering holes people had hunted five to 10 years ago that might not have water in them. A lot of people hunt near water usually in September, sometimes in October, at least east of town going toward the Powder River."
Southern Johnson County near Kaycee, especially, has experienced above-average rainfall, clocking an additional nearly half an inch this year compared with last year, per the National Weather Service. Overall, the region experienced some much-needed moisture, which has reduced its ongoing drought intensity and, as a result, the agency expects doe-to-fawn ratios to improve.
That moisture this spring has been kind to upland bird habitats, the hunt forecast says.
The highly contagious avian flu, often fatal, has impacted bird populations this year, both wild and domestic, though the extent of its impact is unknown, according to the agency.
Pheasant production at the Sheridan Bird Farm has been impacted by the flu, and hunters can expect a slightly shorter release season. Areas that require a Pheasant Management Stamp in Sheridan and Johnson counties will now be open to harvest any pheasant, a new change for the 2022 season.
Most seasons begin Sept. 1, but Seeman advised that some regulations for certain areas have changed.
More information about this coming hunting season is available at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website.
"There are subtle changes in some of the hunt areas," he said. "We've had some issues already and a lot of phone calls. If (hunters) don't understand or are confused about the change, they need to give us a call and clarify that."
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