Hunting season promises mixed results

Hunting seasons this fall may be negatively affected by poor deer numbers, according to Sundance Game Warden Nate Holst, but elk and turkeys are doing just fine and should make for plentiful harvest opportunities.

Deer

The deer population in this county was hit by an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) a couple of years ago, which affected both white-tailed deer and pronghorn antelope. Cases were identified across the east of the state, including in Crook County, in 2021.

EHD is not unusual in Wyoming; in fact, wildlife managers say they see it in big game every year. It's often seen during drought and hot weather, especially if wildlife congregate around small water holes containing the midge that carries the disease.

Transmission occurs when a host animal with the virus is bitten by a midge. The EHD outbreak itself is considered over, but the impact can still be seen in the local population.

"I'm certainly seeing fawns out and about, but definitely not what it was just a couple of years back," Holst says.

"It's going to take a couple of years for the population to bounce back."

EHD was much less of a problem this year, he says, because the summer was full of precipitation.

"It wasn't reported to me and I didn't see any EHD outbreaks and so we just need a couple more years of good rain like this for our numbers to bounce back," he says.

Due to the low population, rifle season this year has again been restricted to November 1 to 17.

Additionally, says Holst, and also as a result of the low numbers, "The main thing that's changed this year is that normally our youth are allowed to harvest doe deer on public land. This will be the first year in a while that that is not allowed."

"Our youth is going to be held to the same restrictions an adult tag holder would be. If they had a general deer license, hunting the Black Hills they would have to harvest an antlered deer instead of antlerless," he adds.

For those who hold a deer license this year, Holst recommends higher ground.

"There are deer still on public land, certainly. It seems like lower elevations like creek bottoms and near rivers is where EHD generally hits the hardest, so once you get to higher elevations and further away from those streams and bodies of water then you're going to start running into deer again."

Holst reminds hunters that Crook County is a focus for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing this year.

"We're specifically looking for mule deer. That's our big push to get samples in the Hills," he says.

Elk

Low population will not be an issue for hunters holding an elk license this year.

"They're doing well – we probably have too many of them," Holst says.

"In Elk Area 116 the elk are doing well; the only thing is that, since it's a general area, those elk do see quite a bit of pressure. They tend, especially once rifle season starts, to leave the forest and get onto private land because they know where they're a little safer."

You may also meet a few more fellow hunters than usual along your route.

"People might notice, especially in Elk Area 117, that we did increase the Type 1 "any elk" licenses," he says.

"We doubled the quota on that, so if it seems like it's a bit busier than normal, that would be the reason why."

Turkeys

The local turkey population is equally abundant this year, Holst says.

"Last year, they were fantastic here up north and this year I'm seeing lots of hens with plenty of poults," he says.

"The couple of little hailstorms we had here and there this summer didn't seem to affect them, at least this far north."

The game warden has no particular recommendations or tips on the basis that it shouldn't be tough to find a turkey or two no matter which direction you head.

"They're pretty much throughout the hills," he says. "I'm seeing turkeys everywhere."

Lions

Lion season began on September 1. From what Holst can tell, the lion population is around the same as it was last year, although statistics from last year's season suggest at least a possibility it may be lower.

"Last year, we did not meet our quota – we only hit about half in Lion Hunt Area 1," Holst says.

Quotas were not met in any of the three Crook County hunt areas – unusually, the season was not shut down early because they had been filled. It's unknown at this time why that was the case.

"I think part of that, it seemed like, was lack of effort. There just weren't as many lion hunters out in the field as I think historically what we have," he says.

"I think a little bit more to blame was the weather this winter. We'd get those high snow loads and then it would warm up for a while, and it made getting around a bit tougher than usual."

It's too early to suggest there may have been a change to the overall mountain lion population in this corner of Wyoming, but further data will make things clearer.

"I don't know one way or another where our lion population sits just based on one season," Holst says.

"I think another season or two, if it continues this route where we're not meeting quota, that'll give us our answer of whether the lion population is up or down."