Colorado drought…

[ColoradoV]

WOW he looks dang good for April

…

Like I said great nutrition this year!!!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Do you feel like with the lack of snowpack that the feed in the alpine will "crisp up" before archery seasons start?

This killed my archery hunt last year, hopefully get some moisture in the summer.

 

[Roadgoat]

Light winters do more for the mountain deer than anything. CO deer will be just fine in a 'drought'.

 

[180ls1]

Yea it gets crispy even after a week with out rain. That will all be dependent on what happens in August. There are lots of springs where I usually am so that will not change.

It is real real dry I doubt there is any run off in the rivers this year and the ranchers are sweating if there will be irrigation water.

It will be interesting to see how this all goes this summer into fall = we just got a good rain but not enough to make a dent overall but did green things up a bit. Fires this summer will be crazy the fall might be working between when you can see through the smoke depending on where the fires will be.

Maybe this guy who is 32-33” wide to the matching stickers will get some tine length..
View attachment 1046438

Any thoughts/assumptions if this type of year effects rut timing? Possibly early?

Our local turkeys fired up early and are already shut down. This several weeks early this year.

@robby denning

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Our local paper (Cortez Journal) recently ran a story about the drought. The weather people say we have had the driest winter in the last 100 years. It was before the last 2 storms and there is a lot more snow on the La Plata Mts,, our local mountains. Our irrigation company turned on our irrigation water today. I have 17 shares of water. Everything just woke up......blooms on all the fruit trees, grass greening up and the weeds just exploded. Spent all day today spraying weeds and ordered fertilizer today.

 

[fngTony]

Antler growth might be good this year. The deer probably are resilient enough to make it through until next winter. What I’m concerned about is monsoons causing mudslides and fires. The things that get access closed or ruin (at least temporarily) good habitat. Also expecting crowds of hunters in what’s left of any water sources.

 

[Coveyleader]

One has to remember, the mountains get rain almost every afternoon it seems. Most people said it was a dry fall, and it was, but the unit I elk hunted in last fall had me wearing my rain jacket more than not. It absolutely poured in there prior, and during season. We shall see. I will control things I can. Drought years actually makes the hunting easier.

 

[robby denning]

Any thoughts/assumptions if this type of year effects rut timing? Possibly early?

Our local turkeys fired up early and are already shut down. This several weeks early this year.

@robby denning

I don’t know anything solid on dry vs wet.

 

[movett]

It is going to be a very dry year here in CO no doubt on that

 

[airmacnair]

following

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I just saw some pictures of Blue Mesa (Colorado" largest reservoir near Gunnison) and I was shocked how low it is! I had planned on taking my boat and fishing it this summer, but the story said there is a good chance that the launch ramp I use will not be usable. They get some really good Laker and Kokanee fishing there. A while back the new world record Lake came from Blue Mesa. The guy who caught it released it after the measurements had been verified.

This drought is really serious. I hope we have a real wet summer from our monsoon season. Last year was a bust.

 

[Escalante11]

Burned my 16 points, well hopefully atleast given the hunt took 12 last year. Fingers crossed for spring rains, healthy bucks, and a fun 4th season hunt!

 

[wildwilderness]

It will be interesting to see how this all goes this summer into fall = we just got a good rain but not enough to make a dent overall but did green things up a bit. Fires this summer will be crazy the fall might be working between when you can see through the smoke depending on where the fires will be.

Maybe this guy who is 32-33” wide to the matching stickers will get some tine length..
View attachment 1046438

When was that picture taken? In April? If so looks huge and way ahead of normal growth!

Wonder if it will continue growing more than normal or just reach its potential early? Anyone notice in other years earlier Velvet stripping if antler growth starts earlier?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Here in SW Co we got some more rain in the last week. It also looks like the La Platas have more snow now than they have all winter. These storms are not drought killers, but every little bit helps!

 

[fngTony]

Snow came to the front range high country earlier this week and more expected tomorrow. Maybe a few inches left from a six inch storm. Not sure what is predicted for tomorrow. It’s been a fairly normal (low normal on snow total) wet snow with average temperatures for this time of year. One positive is that it hasn’t been extremely sunny which helps ensure run off instead of evaporation. Nothing will fix the drought for this year however the current conditions are keeping fire threats down. We’re not quite into our lightning season which will be a big factor on fire risk.

For anyone digging deep into the water situation. There is a lot of fear mongering posts on the internet. Yes, we are low but they are exaggerating and not telling the whole truth. Colorado is mostly man made reservoirs that are part of a collection and draining system from the front range mountains to the Denver, Metro and Colorado Springs areas. It is normal to drain the higher reservoirs to collect water down near the cities. This is being done a little earlier this year to help ensure water storage before it evaporates. Again, the drought is a big concern, but some of what you’re seeing is blowing it out of proportion.

Planning to get boots on the ground this Sunday and update this.

 

[roadhntr]

When was that picture taken? In April? If so looks huge and way ahead of normal growth!

Wonder if it will continue growing more than normal or just reach its potential early? Anyone notice in other years earlier Velvet stripping if antler growth starts earlier?

...........my guess would be late August is when the picture was taken. Look at the sunflowers, some of them have started to drop their leaves and also all the yellow and brown grass in the background. Definitely late summer, early fall conditions.

 

[ColoradoV]

The pic in the flowers is a local from last fall sometime pry late August.. Here's what they look like now. Not as cool as a 30+" wide non-typical w matching cheaters...

Biggest guys are not around this am maybe I can grab a shot when that group is around but this pic of some smaller bucks gives ya an idea or about a month ahead here. They segregate this time of the year biggest 4-5 hang out then the smaller bucks. Fawns of last year are just leaving their moms to hang out w the boys and that is a change for them for sure!!! Big bucks are annoyed by the soon to be forkies.. They seem to intermingle more starting about July once the yearlings mature a bit.



As far as water that's one thing I do for work and IMO its as bad if not worse than they say.. Usually imports to the front range from the Aspen area would be in the 30-40k ac ft range this year it will be 6k. Our rivers are likely to peak at 25% or less of normal. In the Ark drainage anyway storage is just at 68% about what it should be pre run off but there is not enough snow to fill any of the lakes.. The ranchers I work with = if their rights are pre 1876 as issued by law or prior appropriation are ok.. If you are after that of even the 1878 folks = very little water will be available. The 1876 folks will pry only get 30% of a normal water year. Fire bans are on for most of the state and unless we see an unreal monsoon likely will be for hunting seasons. % of water in the local tree population is the lowest ever recorded for this stretch of time.. Fire season unless there is a change will be noticeable.. Hiking yesterday there was a crunch that is just not normal this time of the year.

River flows will be abysmal or unnavigable most of the summer. On a normal year 40k acre ft is available for recreational flows this year 0.. No doubt the biggest drought we have seen since the 2002 summer but there are many more draws on the water than there were in 2002. One of the local creeks fell below 1cfs.. Barely enough to keep the fish alive. A real big monsoon would help and it will be interesting to watch the Colorado river storage (blue mesa, lake Powell, lake mead) pan out...

 

[Svivian]

I can tell you that the water situation is bad on the Western Slope. As for East Slope im not sure. I know the North Platte guys in Nebraska are concerned.