Seems like January is the longest month of the year.  It was longer this year because we spent a couple of weeks out of commission with the flu.  I’m always glad to have longer days and a shorter month in February.   
 
We had an extended elk season in December.  The last day I counted almost 700 elk on our lease and adjoining property - no hunters, of course.  They are having a pretty normal winter, with most of the snow blown off the ridges.  We haven’t had much for -0 temperatures.  Deer, antelope, and birds are wintering well, also.
 
Fish Wildlife & Parks will implement an either sex elk season in our district for the entire season next fall.  They’ll also issue some second tags for elk on a drawing.  They expect no changes in deer regulations, and expect to keep the number of antelope licenses about the same.  There is a proposal out to do away with unlimited antelope archery licenses.  We’ll see where that goes.  It’s been a nice bonus to deer/elk archery hunting.
 
We did some mountain lion hunting in December, until we lost good tracking snow.   By the time we got more, the quota had filled in my areas.
 
While scouting for lion tracks, I checked out some of my old favorite spots for bobcat (fur buyers call them lynxcats here).  It’s interesting how animals use the same places year after year.  I caught cats where I caught their ancestors thirty years ago. I skinned one cat for mounting, either full-body or as a rug, buyer’s choice.  After it warms up, I’ll put in a few beaver sets.  I’ll have some tanned beaver hides available for rugs or decoration.       
 
We didn’t see the rams we expected in the Elkhorns after the rut.  The first week of January, we found out why.  Our bighorn herd had contracted pneumonia.  About 70% of the population is gone.  This would have been the first year nonresidents could apply to hunt there.  I’ll let sheep hunters know in early April where to apply instead.
 
Our bird guide, Steve, has taken his champion black labs to Arizona for the trial season.  He’ll be home in a couple of weeks.   Chuck’s got another English pointer, that he and Steve will have ready to add to the team in the fall.  These guides have some of the best dogs in the country.   
 
We won’t be attending any shows this year.  I’m busy keeping livestock fed, and will be calving in another week.  My carpentry career is about to resume at the lodge.  We’ll have a couple of new bedrooms ready for next fall.  I want to get them done before spring bear season.
 
Give me a call or drop an email to visit about your hunt plans.