Chancy Wheeldon was one of the first people Blake met when he moved out West to Jackson twenty years ago. He and his family are really good people. Their working ranch called Mill Iron Ranch of 128 acres, goes back four generations and sits in the heart of the State Elk Feed yards that border the Bridger Teton National Forest and the Gros Ventre Wilderness. When the Elk migrate into the State Feed yards, contracted feeders come out to provide hay/feed for them. About a couple ton of feed is put out for the Elk. The state provides funding for the feeding the Elk. The Elk will follow the food. When it runs out, they head to another feeding ground. One time, the contracted feeders wanted to have a day off from feeding the Elk so they put out more feed than usual but the Elk ate it all up in a day.
Chancy is also a fourth generation outfitter and guide in the Jackson area. He also books hunts in the Yellowstone and Teton Park Migration herds.
Chancy’s son, Colby, was our guide on the sleigh with the Belgian horses, Cowboy and Classy. Those horses create a tight bond. If one of them dies, it is like losing two horses. Cowboy and Classy have been together for ten years. Belgian horses can live up to thirty years.
We saw a herd of 1000 Elk on the state feed yards and watched more come over the ridge. He told us stories about the animals on their ranch, the Canadian, Pinnacle Peak pack of wolves that threaten their livelihood and safety, and some family history. A few of the animals have no purpose for the ranch but to look good. Jerry the steer, the pygmy goat and a class A, mini horse were the movie stars. Jerry hammed it up for my camera. His horns were five feet long from end to end. Colby’s great great uncle Harold lived on the ridge north of what is the State Elk feeds. In 1949, a massive snow hit the region. He tried to get off the mountain with two of his Belgian horses and got caught in an avalanche and died with his horses.
Blake wore his bear coat and everyone got a kick out of it. Chancy had a beautiful laugh that is cowboy through and through. His daughter Sadee shot a 5’8” bear in November and would have loved to had her bear made into a coat. (I think it is at the taxidermy being made into a rug.)
Inside the out building were many mounts that Sadee and Chancy shot. The family did rodeo and team rope competitions. The walls were lined with pictures and news articles, too. The kitchen area had an awesome gas grill for cooking the meat. Chancy and Bodie worked the grill with some beers in hand. Man, did the grilling smell good. Good times to be had by all. Happy New Year!
