Let's Talk Bison!

[Muledeerfanatic]

It's gotta get colder for them to really move. Try Spread Cr area and talk to the Pinto and Moose Head ranches up there

 

[colonel00]

Bruce, just in case I'm mixing in a little Crown

wyosteve, thanks for the suggestion. We drove up this afternoon but the road was only plowed to where the Pacific Creek Rd cuts off from a private drive. Any further would have been asking for trouble. It was a nice drive to be sure though.

The small heard of 30 or so still up by Cunningham Cabin were still there this evening so the recent snow had no effect on them either. On the way back, it was getting dark but I tried to check the herd just north of the NER. By the time I got there it was dark and my genius idea was to do a U-turn in the road and use my brights to see if I could see them. Well, as I wasn't paying attention while turning I managed to get off the shoulder and into the deep snow. Stuck! Luckily a nice passerby was able to help pull us out.

Anyway, I think we have resigned to checking the herd again first thing to see if there is any sign of movement and then we will probably head home. But, I fully plan to make it back in January and hopefully I can meet up with any of you folks that are around and buy you a beer for your assistance.

 

[colonel00]

It's gotta get colder for them to really move. Try Spread Cr area and talk to the Pinto and Moose Head ranches up there

Hmm, I'll look into that area but it may be too late in the game. What would the ranches be able to assist with?

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

There was 100 of them up there Saturday.
The ranches will let u hunt. Nobody asks them at all, I'd give it a try.

 

[colonel00]

Really? Hmm, that may be worth a shot. I looked up Moose Head Ranch and it's really close to those 30 or so we saw at Cunningham Cabin. So, it's still in the park but huntable because it's private property?

Where were the 100, Moose Head or Pinto? It seems they are a little ways away from each other.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Yes you can hunt private. Nobody ever asks them to hunt. The 100 were up spread creek area

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Get a bison robe, throw it over yourself and slowly work your way to em. <g>

 

[colonel00]

Sadly Bruce, getting to them isn't an issue. Where they were, you could probably walk to within 50 yards of them. However, since it was still the National Park, the legality of harvesting one there was the bigger issue.

Tuesday morning was the last day of my refuge permit so we decided to just check the herd that was close to the refuge first thing but if it was still there we would skip town. Sure enough, when we arrived at the field they had been hanging out in, they were gone. We drove the adjoining roads several times looking for sign that the herd had indeed crossed into the refuge but couldn't find an obvious crossing. Eventually we found a crossing along a different road and located the herd up in another field still well off the refuge and still where we couldn't.

So, we left Jackson Tuesday mid-morning and began the 16+ hour drive home. Making fairly decent time we arrived in Rock Springs, WY in early afternoon only to find that I-80 was completely shut down due to winter conditions. It's about impossible to find out any info about projected reopenings. We rode out Tuesday night in a motel hoping that the interstate would reopen yesterday. After hanging out in the motel yesterday morning with no real change in the road closings we decided to bail down a back county road into Colorado and eventually made our way through Steamboat Springs down to I-70. It was a long journey but we made it home this morning around 4:30. Looking now, it appears that I-80 is still closed so that little adventure was apparently well worth the risk and extended drive.

Anyway, I plan to get back up there next month before the season ends as long as I hear that the buffalo have arrived on the refuge in numbers. The offer is still open to anyone that is bored in January and wants to meet up and join in on the misery...er, fun

 

[wyosteve]

Sounds like you had an adventurous trip colonel. I-80 will close whenever snow and wind combine to create ice and whiteout conditions. There have been too many wrecks in recent years mainly due to the semi traffic. Typically it doesn't re-open until the wind and snow subsides enough to get the plows out as well as allow vehicles to have acceptable visibility. It re-opened mid morning yesterday, but is closed again this a.m. b/c we have more snow and wind. LIfe in the Rockies in the winter! Be sure to take the sleigh ride on the refuge if you get back in Jan. Always amazing to see how many big bulls have survived the wolves and hunting season! Oh, almost forgot, I-80 is usually the worst interstate for closures. An alternate route to Jackson is to bring I-25 through Cheyenne up to Casper and then across to Riverton, Dubois and Jackson. I-25 is not closed nearly as much as I-80.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

If I have the time I'd go out with ya. My boss has a tag so will be helping him out. When you decide to come back shoot me a pm

 

[ndbwhunter]

So how does that tag/permit combination work? From what I've gathered it's much like hunting on block management property if you're hunting the refuge. Do you still need the permit to hunt on private property?

 

[colonel00]

Sounds like you had an adventurous trip colonel. I-80 will close whenever snow and wind combine to create ice and whiteout conditions. There have been too many wrecks in recent years mainly due to the semi traffic. Typically it doesn't re-open until the wind and snow subsides enough to get the plows out as well as allow vehicles to have acceptable visibility. It re-opened mid morning yesterday, but is closed again this a.m. b/c we have more snow and wind. LIfe in the Rockies in the winter! Be sure to take the sleigh ride on the refuge if you get back in Jan. Always amazing to see how many big bulls have survived the wolves and hunting season! Oh, almost forgot, I-80 is usually the worst interstate for closures. An alternate route to Jackson is to bring I-25 through Cheyenne up to Casper and then across to Riverton, Dubois and Jackson. I-25 is not closed nearly as much as I-80.

Yeah, I get the closures. It was just frustrating when the only info we could get was from the webcams on the WyoRoad site.

If I have the time I'd go out with ya. My boss has a tag so will be helping him out. When you decide to come back shoot me a pm

Does your boss have a bull or cow tag? Also, does he have a refuge permit yet? I'm still needing to get my head around how the last two weeks work as far as permits go. Then there's the "one in, one out" permit that I might fall back on. Anyway, keep in touch and let me know if they finally move in. I may just come up and hang out and I could be available to help you and your boss if needed until I get a permit.

So how does that tag/permit combination work? From what I've gathered it's much like hunting on block management property if you're hunting the refuge. Do you still need the permit to hunt on private property?

As I understand it (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) you can hunt on private property, the national forest or other non-national park areas (if there are any that fit into this category). However, it seems that the majority of the animals stay on the national park until the cross back into the refuge. To hunt the refuge you have to draw a permit for a block of dates you want to hunt. If that doesn't work out, you can apply for alternate permits. As I understand it, the last two weeks they will really bump the number of permits given out as they want these tags filled and the herd culled.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I'd join ya in the pursuit if I could but I'll be chasing javelina during your next run at em. Good luck!

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Boss has a cow tag. He lives in Kelly so he has a pretty good idea of what is going on with their movement. I'm not sure what is up with his permit situation. I haven't talked to him in a while. It is somewhat cold today but it needs to drop a bit and snow more then they hang out on the Kelly road and cross back and forth between park and refuge

 

[colonel00]

Cool. I'll keep checking in. Yeah, if he is in Kelly, he is probably tripping over them at times. I did find this webcam today. Not sure how I missed it before. Nothing on it now in the dark obviously but might be nice once they get close again.

http://www.alltravelcams.com/grand_teton_national_park/kelly_wy_west.php

 

[power54]

Only 18 have been taken so far:

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/sport...cle_869ed7d2-292f-5164-b956-2b6c472664a2.html

Its looks like a lot of snow in the forecast so hopefully some colder temps move in as well and they really start moving.

 

[colonel00]

Yeah, where those from opening day(s)? I can't open the link for some reason.

Got it to open. Surprised the elk hunt is slow. We bumped plenty of cows the two days we hiked in.

I just hope they move in before the season closes and I can get on the refuge. What are the chances that they extend the season again?

 

[power54]

Yeah, where those from opening day(s)? I can't open the link for some reason.

Got it to open. Surprised the elk hunt is slow. We bumped plenty of cows the two days we hiked in.

I just hope they move in before the season closes and I can get on the refuge. What are the chances that they extend the season again?

I wouldn't count on them extending the season but I suppose its totally dependent on harvest numbers. I think things are going to pick up here pretty soon though with the weather finally changing to winter.

 

[nickstone]

Any updates on this?

 

[colonel00]

Just got back to Jackson. Sounds like a few were taken this morning. Also sounds like there are a ton of hunters here. There are several groups holding north of the river. Just a matter of if they cross, where and for how long. And, if you can even get into a parking area and get away for other hunters.