Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HYRUM, Cache County — Where horses might normally pull a sled through powdery snow, a wagon rolled through slopping mud Friday. It was one of the last chances to see a dozen or so elk, grazing in the meadow of The Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area this season.
"I would have preferred for it to be a sleigh and some bulls, but I thoroughly enjoyed it," Deanna Peterson said. Peterson and her family got a last chance look at the elk for this winter.
The elk-viewing season at Hardware Ranch, which is 15 miles east of Hyrum in Blacksmith Fork Canyon, typically runs from early December through the end of February; however, warm weather and dwindling numbers have led to an early shut down of the annual wagon and sleigh tours.
"They have started to leave early as the temperatures have warmed up and the snow has disappeared," area manager Brad Hunt explained. "They prefer the natural foliage that's available for them, even over the feeding, and they'll follow the snow line as it melts and recedes."
Hunt said it's rare that his staff has to shut the operation early. In addition to the elk leaving, ongoing wagon rides through the muddy meadow could also damage crop yields for the hay used to feed the elk next winter.
"It's still soft. It's still a little damp, and we begin to cut muddy ruts into the ground, damaging the grass that's there," Hunt said.
The final elk-viewing tours for the season will run Saturday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
