First bald buck I’ve seen

[robby denning]

Here’s a buck from this morning that just shed. Watched him from a road, and no I didn’t run up there and look for them.

IMO, mule deer are walking a fine line of a good winter and a bad winter right now, so if your area is open to shed hunting (many are not—and I’m glad) please give them a wide berth.

Use that glass to watch from a distance (it’s more enjoyable than the race up witch mountain to beat someone to a shed—just sayin’) or wait till spring to shed hunt.

I hate to be preachy, but it’s getting tough out there and they need all the help they can get right now in a lot of Idaho & Wyoming areas I’ve seen.

What are you Utah/Colorado guys seeing with these latest storms?

 

[Fatcamp]

https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/snow_model/images/full/National/nsm_depth/202301/nsm_depth_2023012105_National.jpg

Lots of snow out there this year.

ETA: You can play around with it here.

National Snow Analyses - NOHRSC - The ultimate source for snow information

www.nohrsc.noaa.gov

 

[SkylineMuley]

A lot of calories got used in heavy December snows that are now lingering. Fine line and touch and go is right for the areas I’ve been paying attention to as well.

Give them the time they need, you’ll be rewarded.

 

[svivian]

I can only imagine how the deer are doing in Utah right now. Colorado is manageable for now.

 

[mtnrunner260]

UT is starting to feed in a small area. There is an ok amount of the foothills that have bared off, unfortunately its mainly backyards.
Lots of factors going against mule deer, giving them some space just seems to be the right move.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

that’s an early one! He looks healthy though which is just good to see. Robby you’re right on about leaving the animals alone. I used to not be for shutting shed season down for a couple months but the animals need it. I wish Wyoming would shut the whole state down until May.

 

[Rooggvc]

One of the Ski resorts here is Utah reported this is the most snow they have seen by this time of the year in 18 years.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Yes.....LEAVE THEM ALONE.
Fish and Game have been doing some of their counts here and they use our yard to land and refuel.
One of the ground guys is the local mule deer biologist here and I asked him how it was looking for winter kill and his reply was "it's shaping up to be a bad year."
That being said, we've had a bit of a reprieve with the snow and we'll just have to see what mama nature has in store for the next two months. They don't need any additional stresses on them.

Randy

 

[ColoradoV]

Winter is not bad here in central Colorado. Places in the south west and around crested butte have had a record setting January and we still have a week left.

I have 30 ish resident buck around my house and my father has about the same around his house. He claims one 2x dropped a side. I have not seen any that have dropped.

We are historically late tho. Still 6 weeks out. Now a buddy of mine w a ranch in South Park said the 3 bull moose dropped in the past week so might go try and find a paddle on private.