Lack of Snowfall out West = Smaller Elk, Deer, and Moose Racks for 2026?

[9487329]

Already a fire in silverplume yesterday

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I have one WT buck in my yard still holding antlers...but saw another last night with new buds popping already. Didn't believe it. Grabbed binos. He's starting already

 

[HornPorn]

I'm not sure we live or hunt on the same planet. Potential theoretical antler scores have never popped up in my list of reasons to go hunting (or not).

We definitely dont speak the same language. You just made up nonsense.

I said it might be a better year to hunt a low/no point unit. Nowhere did I say not go. And I even clarified that very point at the very end.

 

[RockAndSage]

For deer, I'll take a mild, dry winter and a wet spring over lots of winter snow any day. Mild winters mean more animals, wet spring means more food with less work, for better antler growth and mother health.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Water rights are gonna be interesting this year. A lot of farmers and ranchers are gonna be hurting.

 

[ajf243]

wet spring and mild winter has always been my vote.

 

[7mm-08]

I know of no relationship between winter snow levels and antler growth (other than more animals making it through a high snowfall winter). The key to antler growth (as my small software package understands) is availability of high quality and volume forage on spring and summer ranges where ungulates graze.

 

[Customweld]

All I know at the moment is that there are a TON of animals out and they look really well.
Usually at this time of the winter, I see lots of winter kill.

Randy

Was up yesterday hiking at about 4k, the buttercups are already blooming. The deer look to be in fantastic shape. Didn’t see any elk. I ran into a guy last week that was doing Lidar surveys and he was able to move around pretty easily at 5k.
Did you see that you can still get a 4x4 vehicle into Silver Creek?! Crazy winter.

 

[deltadukman]

Speaking of rack size...nahhh, not going to say it, but you all know the analogy I was going to use. And it's true. "Eager beats pretty" has always been my mantra.

 

[Serrano]

Copied from my post in similar thread in elk forum:

Last year (2025) was almost as dry as this year where I hunt.
It continued into the spring, and the snow was gone early.
Not much in summer rains either.
Grass was short and there wasn't much.
Willows were browning before the frost in summer.
Few raspberries, currents or other berries. Forbs were dry.
They took the range maggots and cattle out early. Great!
Plenty of elk and some of the best bulls I've seen though.