Wildlife biologists and game wardens with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department are currently conducting their annual big game surveys in the Jackson Region, primarily from a helicopter as it is the most efficient and consistent way to find the animals. Of course, not all of the animals are seen from the air, but a good sample size is recorded in order to calculate population trends. The animals are counted and classified as males, females and juveniles. These data, when compared to previous years, inform wildlife managers as to how the various big game populations are trending.

With hunting being a primary tool used to keep populations at the publicly-established population objectives, wildlife managers will be looking at the current population trends to see if any adjustments to the fall hunting seasons are warranted. Wildlife managers will be presenting the wildlife population trend data and their proposed fall 2023 hunting seasons at public open-house meetings tentatively scheduled for March 21 in Thayne and March 22 in Jackson. The hunt season presentations will also be posted on the Game & Fish website for those who can’t make the meeting in person, as in recent years. Watch the news for additional details as that time approaches.

Wildlife managers will be conducting the big game aerial surveys in the Jackson Region for the next week or two depending on the weather conditions for flying.