When Wyoming’s archery hunting seasons opened in late August and early September, the weather was ridiculously hot, scraping triple digits in some places.
Even so, some Wyoming hunters told Cowboy State Daily at the time that even in scorching temperatures, persistent hunting can pay off.
The unusually warm weather held through much of October, with the first small blast of winter coming late that month. And early November brought the season’s first real cold snap, as temperatures dropped into the single digits.
That made all the difference during a recent elk hunt in the Wyoming Range, Bruce Cooper of Bondurant told Cowboy State Daily.
“My hunting partner and my wife both had bull tags and they both had cow tags, and they filled out all four,” he said.
“We saw a dramatic change” in elk behavior as the cold rolled in, he added. “After that last snow, the good one, the movement of elk is tremendous.”
Cold Finally Taking Hold
Wyoming saw its hottest, driest September in decades just as many big game archery hunting seasons were hitting their peak.
Even so, meteorologist Don Day told Cowboy at the time to expect a severe winter, even though it might start later than usual.
The early November cold snap is evidence that Wyomingites should start expecting more of the same, he added.
Cooper said he’s filled his deer and elk tags this year, but the coming continued cold should bode well for hunters who haven’t gotten anything yet.
“We were warm all summer and fall. And then when temperatures started changing with that first good snowfall, and the lows got down to 5-10 degrees, it really started moving them (deer and elk),” he said. “I think the next storm coming through will help even more.”
Good And Bad
In the La Barge area, a dumping of wet, heavy snow certainly changed the hunting, local hunter Zach Key told Cowboy State Daily.
But whether that was for good or bad depends upon how one looks at it.
“We’re glad to see the moisture, but the bad part is La Barge got 8.5 inches in that storm, it was wet, heavy snow, he said. “And now it's cold and crusted over.”
“It’s luckily trying to melt some with these 40-degree days. The deer seem to be digging holes in it, which is OK. But the wind came through the other day and didn't really move much of it,” Key added. “It could be a recipe for disaster, but I’m hoping the wind and sun help break it down before another storm rolls through.
“We are lucky only sitting around 2-4 inches now, out of the 8 ½ inches of original snowfall.”
Warm Weather Wasn’t All That Bad
Now that the weather is changing, hunters will have to change their tactics, said avid hunter and mule deer conservationist Josh Coursey, who lives in the Kemmerer area.
Warm, dry weather made it easier to get into the backcountry where many animals were holed up, providing opportunities for hunters willing to go the extra miles on foot or on horseback.
“The warm weather kept some areas from filling in with critters that weather historically moves,” he said. “That trend has also been seen in November, particularly for elk in Western Wyoming,” he said. “The warm weather and dry conditions in September and October have certainly been favorable for accessing the back country. Timbered-up critters had no pressure from Mother Nature to move.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
