2014 Could Be A Very Good Year!

Tall, wide and heavy is what every hunter dreams of finding when it comes to antlers on elk and deer. Sure, some of us like other characteristics but I would be hard pressed to find a hunter who wouldn’t pull the trigger on a tall, wide and heavy buck or bull. If you are a trophy hunter in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado or Idaho your chances of finding antlers like this is higher than normal this year.

The fall of 2014 in the northern Rockies will have the potential to produce many great bucks with the kind of winter we experienced here. Wyoming’s storied high country in Regions G and H received over 100% of normal snowpack combined with a winter that won’t go down in history as a mule deer killer. Regions K and F have also fared well and I would expect to see trophy pics come across our editor’s desk from these areas as well.

Weather analysts are predicting that next winter could be as good as this past winter. String a few good winters together with fall and spring rain and there is potential to see mule deer numbers really start to climb. Add some of the new management practices that Wyoming is considering such as making residents pick a region, and we may just see the Cowboy State rise in trophy mule deer production.

If you are a nonresident who draws one of these tags get ready for a potentially great hunt. You may not find a big buck bedded beneath every tree but the ones you do locate may be quality trophies.

Mule deer antler growth in the northern Rocky Mountain West should be phenomenal and as a whole, well above average. Bucks that make it past the four-year mark will start to develop their mature antlers. With moisture levels across Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Idaho being high we will see mass carried all the way to points on the bigger deer. Mass measurements add up when it comes to a mule deer’s trophy potential and this will be a good year for trophy hunters looking for bucks with plenty of it!

Elk antler growth in wet years is even more distinct. Last fall we experienced significant rain and snow in the month of September that saturated the ground in the high country. Top that rainfall off with more than 100% of normal snowpack in most areas and that means brow tines and thirds that will please just about any trophy hunter.

If June continues to have mild temperatures and normal precipitation levels elk will have plenty of green grass to grow their whale tail tops! A bull elk’s top end is often the piece that sets apart a true trophy from an average six-point. Years like this produce bulls with great swords and even better pictures for the rest of us to talk about for years to come.

If you burned your points for elk or deer to hunt in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado or Idaho be prepared for what could be a great year with a little luck!

-Guy Eastman