Wyoming nightmare...

[Syncerus1]

Just finished two trips thru what used to be antelope highway, the route from Hoback via the Rim, to Pinedale then on to Rock Springs. I have never in over a half century counted/seen so few speed goats here. The trip south was beyond any bad news you have read. We counted 13, yes 13 total antelope from Rim to Northern outskirts of Farson. Farson to Eden about 165. Maybe 60 more to Rock springs.
Made the same trip late April, carcasses piled everywhere. From Pinedale to Big Sandy and below you can easily see 5 to 10 miles or more either side of road. No pronghorns. None. Largest herd was 5 animals. Mostly singles. 2 fawns.
The return on Friday last was little better. 19 total from northern Farson to Rim. Same size groups. Farson alfalfa fields held half dozen fawns, Eden. about the same. I fear I will not live long enough to ever see the herds recover. It is beyond sad what mother nature can do to every living thing. Wyoming, there should be no doe/fawn hunts for ten years... but who listens to old people...
Lastly this observation is from 2 very seasoned hunters, with multiple B&C heads for friends and family members, who know antelope, and how to spot them. Sad...

 

[ridgerunner]

Depressing for sure.

 

[jims]

Sad news for sure! Keep your fingers crossed that there isn't an additional bad winter in the next few years or it could be even worse. My guess is that the moisture ought to help some of the native shrubs (browse) recover from the past drought years.

 

[tailchasers]

What gets me is many detail how the game was impacted yet those inquiring fail to acknowledge until they see it for themselves. Sad state of affairs for sure. Come guys these local on the ground reports carry value.

 

[BuzzH]

It's pretty bad and I also believe that the WYGF is screwing up by issuing doe tags. There should be no doe tags issued for at least 2-3 years minimum. All other tags should be buck only.

I have seen some pockets of ok pronghorn numbers, but nowhere I've been this year has numbers even close to what they were 10-20 years ago.

 

[jm77]

On top of all this bad news, a 4600 acre solar farm called the Dutchman Renewable Power Project is going through the approval process. The one thing not mentioned in the impacts section is how the project will impact wildlife. The private land is located north of the N Platte river between glenrock and Douglas and is mostly antelope habitat.

 

[Syncerus1]

Thanks to all that replied. The range looks amazing. Water everywhere, a double edged sword, as it begins to stagnate and offer unlimited breeding to the midges and other deadly (to our wildlife) insects... What remains of the once numerous herds will have it easy for a bit, stuggle with disease in late summer, and hopefully ease into a healthy fall. Barring the aforementioned maybe coming harsh winter (pray it ain't so) and the winter survival may be a benefit in whatever form it takes. No Doe Tags please!

 

[kickerbuck]

Amazing that anyone would even want to shoot a doe or fawn Antelope or Mule Deer anywhere in the entire West! "We need the meat" doesn't cut it anymore with gas at $5 a gallon. Give me a break!!!

 

[Soccerdude]

Amazing that anyone would even want to shoot a doe or fawn Antelope or Mule Deer anywhere in the entire West! "We need the meat" doesn't cut it anymore with gas at $5 a gallon. Give me a break!!!

Lots of elk tags available....we love antelope meat but won't be shooting any this year.

 

[kickerbuck]

Lots of elk tags available....we love antelope meat but won't be shooting any this year.

Good deal! I have 14 Antelope points and a buddy of mine has 10 or so. We were going to combine our points with my 15 year old kids points and go on an Antelope hunt this fall. We decided not to because of how bad things got during the winter. My kid was okay with it because he understood the need to give the animals a break! I wish more hunters could understand that if a 15 yr old kid can it shouldn't be that hard!

 

[Syncerus1]

I was beyond lucky ( and had enough points in 2 states) Drew UT mid season elk Fishlake, NV Desert bighorn 181E, and ID month of Nov Bull Elk in 58, 59, 59A. Now to get my old phat arse up and down them thar hills! Good luck to all, stay safe, enjoy everyday! It's all we have, God, Country, Family! Blessings...

 

[hornkiller]

It's the same way across the whole sw corner no animals!

 

[2lumpy]

I can and do empathize. It’s heart breaking and until it happens to where you live and hunt it nearly impossible to understand.

Some of us, to the consternation of friends and neighbors have lived with it for 40 years, whining, arguing and fighting over the loss of Utah’s mule deer herds.

I truly hope Wyoming’s antelope recover much more rapidly. Management will make a different. Nothing in the world of big game today can be left to survive on its own. Just too many man made obstacles.

 

[elks96]

Good deal! I have 14 Antelope points and a buddy of mine has 10 or so. We were going to combine our points with my 15 year old kids points and go on an Antelope hunt this fall. We decided not to because of how bad things got during the winter. My kid was okay with it because he understood the need to give the animals a break! I wish more hunters could understand that if a 15 yr old kid can it shouldn't be that hard!

Did if anything you could have just drawn and let the kid hunt. You and your buddy eating a tag and the boy getting 1 is likely better 3 guys going out and killing 3.

Yes the numbers are way down, yes we should have had deeper cuts. But I still don’t see why a person wouldn’t try and hunt if they can… Especially if it is with family… We have 4 tags, one will absolutely go unfilled. The others will be hunted hard and unless something crazy good is found they will got unfilled. But no one’s knows how many hunts we have…

 

[Bookhead]

This one might die from summer kill in a month or so

 

[jm77]

Casper through Shoshone to Thermopolis and back; spotted three doe and one buck pronghorn. Does were in 74 and buck was in 71. I'm beginning to wonder why some of these areas have tags.

 

[go4steelhd]

Similar to all the reports above, I drove from Billings to Gillette two weeks ago. I seen roughly 15 antelope.... It's going to be rough for years to come.

 

[Deercy]

Something isnt right when i see more antelope around Cheyenne than around casper.

 

[Syncerus1]

Cheyenne to Laramie and south to border with Colorado, and including 287 Colorado corridor still has a very good population of speedgoats. In the 2 past trips there have easily been over a thousand plus seen in the I 80 to Laramie, south east on 287 to I25 cutoff then North to Cheyenne loop. Winter was tough here also, but the goats found a way to survive and prosper...

 

[DaveD]

Cheyenne to Laramie and south to border with Colorado, and including 287 Colorado corridor still has a very good population of speedgoats. In the 2 past trips there have easily been over a thousand plus seen in the I 80 to Laramie, south east on 287 to I25 cutoff then North to Cheyenne loop. Winter was tough here also, but the goats found a way to survive and prosper...

The winter in the Laramie valley was actually mild. From Walcott East it wasn't bad and they have had a ton of rain so forage is excellent.

 

[DeerMadness]

The winter killed them and so did Pneumonia. It is going to be an uphill battle for a rebound.

 

[WildernessRambler]

Pneumonia killed those antelope because they were using their bone marrow as nutrients which brought about not having an immune system. The winter killed them...

 

[Deerlove]

Made a pit stop last night in Farson all there was around where Antelope carcasses.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Made a pit stop last night in Farson all there was around where Antelope carcasses.

See many live ones?

 

[Deerlove]

Only two further west

 

[LIK2HNT]

Well I am leaving Friday to take my son out there for a week. Will report back on what we find.

 

[rocky2track]

I think there's still time to start a LET AN ANTELOPE WALK Program.

 

[elks96]

My son and I drove over 70 miles in 57 this weekend looking. We found exactly 7 pronghorn bucks. It is really bad. The mules deer were even worse than previously thought...