Fourteen of us in the room, for right at eight hours. Hashing and rehashing numbers.

What do they all mean? And, more importantly, what about the things that aren't in the numbers? Or the numbers that could be interpreted in either of two different ways, usually diametrically opposite from each other?

And what about the winter?

What has it done to the critters so far? What will the next month do if it stays bad? What if it isn't?

All to make plans for this fall's hunting seasons.

Best case scenarios. Worst case scenarios. Which option leaves the healthiest fall-back position for the herd if we're wrong?

It was somewhen in the last hour that we finally got to the last of the elk herds. In describing yet another option for the hunting of said herd, and the likely response of a select group of the public, one game warden remarked they'd probably take to it...

"...like a gelded goat in a peppermill patch."

Which stirred up laughter in the wearying crowd.

We agreed afterward we had no idea what he meant by that analogy.

But it sure sounded cool.