We drove from Cheyenne up to Sheridan this weekend to watch my oldest son compete in the state Cross Country meet, and I was floored by the number of animals we saw on the way.
The farther north we went, the more critters we saw. Especially antelope. There was one field up past Buffalo with a center pivot on it, and it looked like they were growing pronghorns. The field was absolutely covered with them. And there were even more hanging out in the sagebrush on the outskirts of the field. I wanted to stop and count them, but the wife and kid were anxious to get to Sheridan and get out of the truck.
There were very few places along the way, either going or coming back home, where we didn’t see any antelope or deer. This ought to be a pretty productive hunting season, as long as those critters wander off the private fields and venture into public land. Even a bumbling idiot like me ought to have a good chance of filling a tag or two.
I didn’t see any pheasants, but that’s not really a surprise. More troubling was the fact that I didn’t see much waterfowl. There were a couple of places where I saw some geese out on school ball fields or ponds, but not in the numbers I’d like to see this time of year. I think we’re going to have another late migration this year, and it might come after the season is over.
But antelope and deer hunters ought to be happy, and though we weren’t in areas I could expect to see elk, I’m guessing the elk populations are looking good, too, in most areas. So good luck this year. I’m sure those farmers would be happy to have you help them thin those numbers a bit.
