8 Things to Know About Drought and Western Big Game Hunting With extreme drought conditions in place throughout the West, hunters may be in for a challenging season — but there’s still hope of filling tags Hunters across the West are welcoming archery season with smokey skies and above-average temperatures. Many states had blazing hot streaks and little to no rain for most of the summer. This created devastating drought conditions and widespread fires. More than 95% of the West was in a drought in August. Extreme drought conditions can be found in 14 states, stretching from Minnesota to Washington and down through New Mexico. If you’re planning to hunt out West this year, it’s important to understand how drought affects wildlife and their patterns, and how you can use the conditions to your advantage.