AK Sheep, Population Observations

[VernAK]

I think we can all agree that Joe should post here more often!

For sure!

I miss seeing Joe at the gun shows in FBX. We had great discussions about various Chesapeake Retrievers we owned. Mine retrieved ducks and geese while his retrieved seals. We're fortunate that Joe is so free with all of that experience.

For all the sheep hunters with the latest gear; have Joe tell you about sheep hunting in hip boots.

 

[Snyd]

For sure!

I miss seeing Joe at the gun shows in FBX. We had great discussions about various Chesapeake Retrievers we owned. Mine retrieved ducks and geese while his retrieved seals. We're fortunate that Joe is so free with all of that experience.

For all the sheep hunters with the latest gear; have Joe tell you about sheep hunting in hip boots.

Joe was measuring and plugging sheep this year here in Fairbanks when I took my ram in. I thanked him for the way he shares his knowledge, etc. His reply was "like I say in my seminars, I can't fit 40 years of mistakes into a 2 hour seminar"

 

[idig4au]

I am hearing alaska is having a tough winter. Any truth to that? If so, I imagine its going to contribute to issues with sheep populations

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Yes, and It ain’t even winter yet!

 

[ColeyG]

A tough winter for people and a tough winter for sheep are not one in the same.

I haven't been in the alpine in southcentral since late "fall," but so far it has been relatively clear and consistently cold with some pretty significant wind events in these parts. Cold and windy are good things for sheep as the snow stays light enough to blow off of ridge tops and windward faces exposing their food sources. Lots of wet, heavy snow and mid-winter warming events that lead to melt/freeze cycles are really hard on them and usually spell a "bad" winter for sheep.

It is also hard to singularly classify a winter in Alaska since conditions change dramatically from one end of the state to the other and in the 7+ mountain ranges and sub-ranges where sheep live.

So far I'd say the winter in the Chugach and Central AK Range has been pretty good for sheep, but we have a long way to go.

 

[VernAK]

Expecting a winter storm beginning tonight in the middle Tanana Valley which includes 20A and 20D [DCUA] with up to a foot of snow with some possibility of some rain........I'm hoping this rain thing doesn't occur.

 

[Doc Holliday]

So in theory, if global warming is real (and all else being equal), dall sheep populations should increase/mortality should decrease, correct? Time to roll some more coal! lol

 

[ColeyG]

“Warm” winters are bad for sheep. Cold winters, being what they evolved to deal with, are good for sheep.

As such, trending towards consistently warmer winters, aka global warming, will continue to be hard on sheep populations.

Until global warming reaches the point where it doesn’t snow at all up here and we are all hanging out in short pants in December that is.

 

[Doc Holliday]

“Warm” winters are bad for sheep. Cold winters, being what they evolved to deal with, are good for sheep.

As such, trending towards consistently warmer winters, aka global warming, will continue to be hard on sheep populations.

Until global warming reaches the point where it doesn’t snow at all up here and we are all hanging out in short pants in December that is.

So either cold dry snow that doesn't melt, or no snow is what you want

 

[ColeyG]

So either cold dry snow that doesn't melt, or no snow is what you want

Doesn’t seem like too much to ask ma nature for, does it?

 

[VernAK]

With the current weather conditions here in Delta, I suspect sheep populations. as well as moose and caribou, are going to take a serious hit. Delta has received nearly another 2 feet of snow and now it's raining quite hard. Healy appears to be getting similar weather.

I suspect there will be buildings collapsing as the snow is saturated with rain water. Many areas are without power.

This is really extreme weather for north of the range.

 

[william schmaltz]

Last I saw for Fairbanks called for 0.5-1 inch of rain after a foot of snow. The radar a bit ago was showing heavy rain and sleet south of Fairbanks into the AK range. Still nothing down here in the valley, but says rain starting in a couple hours and lasting all night. Hopefully it stays cold enough up high, but a sheet of ice on top of several feet of snow already on the ground with 4 month of winter remaining is not what we needed this year.

This falls under the what happens if global warming is real comment above.

 

[Clarktar]

Pretty warm on rendezvous peak (Arctic valley) just an hour ago. 42 degrees.

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[VernAK]

Delta's only grocery store, IGA, suffered a partially collapsed roof this morning with rain/weight continuing to build. Rumors have it at a total loss.

I was fortunate to find a young and strong neighbor lad and we got much of the load off my house and boat shed. Two more days of this predicted.

 

[Sourdough]

In addition to thwarting access to food, when this rain sets up a thick crust when the temperature drops, the wolves well have a near perfect running surface to run down big game.

 

[Homer]

The 3/4 of an inch of ice in the alaska range surely won’t do the sheep any favors. It still seems crazy to me guides will book 3 years out with no idea what the sheep population will look like.

 

[jhm2023]

Fairbanks has been getting dumped on since the 18th and now it's been 38 above and raining all day. Delta area doesn't seem to be doing much better. Talking to people that Tok was just getting snow and wind. Hopefully the Brooks is doing decent, that range needs a break from bad winters.

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[Snyd]

Yup, the Pineapple Express hit us. It's been a few years since we had one. It's nothing new really. Usually they hit the west coast. Sometimes they swoop up to various parts of AK.

 

[ColeyG]

Freezing level and rain up to 6K in some areas in southcentral. Definitely not a good thing for the critters. The weather did make it a lot easier to find the leak in my roof that I didn't know I had though, so that has been a fun project over the holiday "break."

 

[VernAK]

Friends saw Dall Sheep on the Richardson Highway by Black Rapids. I sure don't like to hear that.