Western Wyoming Quality

[Founder]

So I was talking to some friends last night and we were discussing Wyoming. They thought antler growth was a lot better last year. What are you guys seeing in both bucks and bulls?
And, what do you all think would cause antler growth (overall) to be less this year than last? Last years winter was nothing real bad. Is it simply winter range quality?
Is it spring and summer rain that effects growth? Maybe the vegetation is lacking with less rain???

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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[mnmthunting]

Seems its the overall health of the buck at the start of the new antler growth and at peak antler growth. A buck coming out of a hard Winter is probably stressed to the point that antler growth would be effected. And for sure a dry Spring without the high quality forage would be a factor.
Or maybe? the bucks being observed need a couple more years to grow up a little more?

 

[jims]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-09-14 AT 07:42AM (MST)[p]If you recognize the same exact bucks and bulls back to back years you might be able to assess what's going on. If antler growth isn't as good in 2014 and there was a fairly mild winter with decent early spring moisture you may be seeing the lingering effects from the 2011-2013 drought and/or harsh winters. The bucks and bulls may not have had as much fat reserves going into the 2014 winter.

Several of my biggest antelope bucks over the years I shot in years with horrible drought. Most hunters would think that mild winters followed by lots of spring moisture equate to excellent antler/horn growth but that's not always the case.

 

[COSA]

From what I've been seeing it's less this year. Although the winter didn't have a big dieoff, it wasn't a light winter either. Combine that with a late spring and I think the bucks didn't get off to as good a start. I also heard the good moisture in the high country allows the plants to grow more - less nutrients in the same amount of plant material. So a deer fills up with less nutrients - not sure I buy this...

 

[nfh]

I agree with what jims said{pretty much have to follow an animal year to year}.. I have seen some stomper bucks in a drought year. Whitetails always seem to do great since they hit the irrigated land. I really don't pay attention to mule deer as much but I have seen some nice bucks. Had a good spring also and rain here and there.

But like elk even in a dry year they know how to find some good food and a water source.

 

[RoadlessHunter]

I didn't hunt western Wyoming last year, but will give some thoughts on the subject. The winter from 2010 into 2011 killed 70% of the deer in the location that we hunt. I believe the deer class this year is younger. The majority of the small bucks and fawns died in the 2010 winter. These bucks would be 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 years old bucks. The ones that survived that winter have been shot out over the last 3 years. The 7, 8, and 9 year old deer are all dead or never made it due to winter kill 2010 and hunter kill 2011-2013. My conclusion is the deer herd has very few deer mature deer. What we are currently looking at are just young buck with decent horn growth.

I remember in 2011 people were hammering 18" 3 points at first light opening morning 5 mile back in the high country.

The 2012 hunt produced some pretty nice deer because the middle class was still around form the 2010 winter and they had developed into nice bucks.

I didn't hunt 2013 no one drew in the family. I didn't see or hear of much success in 2013. I also here the weather was crappy after the first few days of the hunt.

2014, I have seen a few good buck but like I said above the deer are younger due to the 2010 die off.

 

[feduptwo]

Your over thinking it a bit 2013 was "epic" and there will be plenty of nice bucks taken again this year.
Region g/h will always have good deer its biggest problem is the piss poor hunter management that is Wyoming general season. If we could get residents to understand and accept the fact that we can't have a quality experience with 90 day general deer seasons we would be somewhere.

 

[Rambo]

>Your over thinking it a bit
>2013 was "epic" and there
>will be plenty of nice
>bucks taken again this year.
>
>Region g/h will always have good
>deer its biggest problem is
>the piss poor hunter management
>that is Wyoming general season.
> If we could get
>residents to understand and accept
>the fact that we can't
>have a quality experience with
>90 day general deer seasons
>we would be somewhere.

I feel like I have many quality experiences out hunting and scouting for deer every year.

What is a quality experience in your opinion?
Thanks Jake

 

[feduptwo]

I hate crowds and have problems finding anywhere there isn't a pile of people. I ride mules and backpack and there isn't one place from the tetons to kemmerer that don't have more hunters than should have at any one time.
Residents should have to pick a region just like nonresidents. Start with that and well see if it helps

And save the wait till after the opener argument. I killed a deer on the 29th of sept last year and saw 5 other hunters on the same day I killed the deer over 4 miles from the nearest road. Its like Utah in the days of general season on the opener and towards the end its still more crowded than it should be. Wyoming needs to learn how to manage people.

 

[Rambo]

I would be willing to support what you are talking about. Maybe set up residents like NR are right now with regions.
I don't think it would hurt to do away with regions for non residents, make non-residents pick a single unit.

 

[Rambo]

>I would be willing to support
>what you are talking about.
>Maybe set up residents like
>NR are right now with
>regions.
> I don't think it would
>hurt to do away with
>regions for non residents, make
>non-residents pick a single unit.
>


I would even be okay with residents picking a single unit.

 

[jm77]

>I would be willing to support
>what you are talking about.
>Maybe set up residents like
>NR are right now with
>regions.
> I don't think it would
>hurt to do away with
>regions for non residents, make
>non-residents pick a single unit.
>


Those two ideas are being discussed in statewide mule deer meetings. You'll be hearing more about them in the future.

Not to hijack Founders thread with the comment above, word is an infamous deer hunter from central Wyo has found a buck in western Wyo that is an absolute giant....

 

[nontypical]

Him and everyone else...

 

[PleaseDear]

Not quite everyone else!! haha

He is a dandy though---are Drones still legal in Wyo.?

Any one wanna bet a Commissioner's Tag and big time Outfitter/Guide get him harvested..

Robb