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Wapiti Outfitters Pre-Hunt Forecast for the 2014
Elk Hunting Season
The last couple of years our climate has been upside down here at Meeker CO. It has had the elk hunting in a funk. We have been searching for answers on the last couple of years on why the elk hunting has been more challenging than in the past. We have come up with answers like the elk numbers are down, which they are but not enough to have a big impact. Furthermore, the Game and Fish are saying the elk numbers have increased and are back to where they would like to see them. There are a lot of large ranches being bought by wealthy individuals who are not hunting the property so they hoard a lot of elk which does affect everyone's hunting. These ranches have been hording elk for years so I don't believe it has been the cause of our recent difficulties with harvesting elk. To recap on Wapiti Outfitters recent years, we have generally had a kill rate between 70% and 85% with an opportunity above 90%. The last couple of years we were at 57% kill rate with an opportunity of 68%. So we have had a 20-30% decline in the last couple of years. 2011 had one of the biggest winters and wettest summers we have had in the last 25 years. 2012 was the probably the driest year in the last 100 years. And 2013 had below average snow with very little rain during the summer. In addition, summers and falls have been a lot warmer than usual. 2014 has been very close to the climate we are used to, with a lot of rain in August and much cooler temperatures. Last year we didn't see the hunters come to Colorado probably due to the recession, and political reasons dealing with the new Colorado gun laws. So less hunters equal less elk being shot. Our elk herd is a migratory herd so the more regular our climate can be the more regular the elk migration will be. I think the last few years have had the elk all screwed up on their regular migratory patterns. I have discussed some possible reasoning for the poor hunting in the White River herd the last few years. Now that I think our climate is back to our 50 year average I am going to put our kill rate higher than what we have been seeing. I feel strongly that we are going to be closer to our 30 year average numbers than we've been in the past few years, with a kill rate above 72.5%.
Wapiti Outfitters Pre-Hunt Forecast for the 2014
Elk Hunting Season
The last couple of years our climate has been upside down here at Meeker CO. It has had the elk hunting in a funk. We have been searching for answers on the last couple of years on why the elk hunting has been more challenging than in the past. We have come up with answers like the elk numbers are down, which they are but not enough to have a big impact. Furthermore, the Game and Fish are saying the elk numbers have increased and are back to where they would like to see them. There are a lot of large ranches being bought by wealthy individuals who are not hunting the property so they hoard a lot of elk which does affect everyone's hunting. These ranches have been hording elk for years so I don't believe it has been the cause of our recent difficulties with harvesting elk. To recap on Wapiti Outfitters recent years, we have generally had a kill rate between 70% and 85% with an opportunity above 90%. The last couple of years we were at 57% kill rate with an opportunity of 68%. So we have had a 20-30% decline in the last couple of years. 2011 had one of the biggest winters and wettest summers we have had in the last 25 years. 2012 was the probably the driest year in the last 100 years. And 2013 had below average snow with very little rain during the summer. In addition, summers and falls have been a lot warmer than usual. 2014 has been very close to the climate we are used to, with a lot of rain in August and much cooler temperatures. Last year we didn't see the hunters come to Colorado probably due to the recession, and political reasons dealing with the new Colorado gun laws. So less hunters equal less elk being shot. Our elk herd is a migratory herd so the more regular our climate can be the more regular the elk migration will be. I think the last few years have had the elk all screwed up on their regular migratory patterns. I have discussed some possible reasoning for the poor hunting in the White River herd the last few years. Now that I think our climate is back to our 50 year average I am going to put our kill rate higher than what we have been seeing. I feel strongly that we are going to be closer to our 30 year average numbers than we've been in the past few years, with a kill rate above 72.5%.
