How has the winter been in bethel/st Mary's/yukon delta refuge?

[keller]

Hello just wondering how the winter has been for the wildlife in the area?

 

[mtnbiker208]

I would be curious if Typhoon Halong has an impact.

 

[kjw]

I spoke with a couple people in Holy Cross last week. Sounded like it’s been about the norm. Nothing to crazy for weather

 

[medvedyt]

for most of the Yukon the snow level are way above the normal and i imagine the rest in the north can be said . and the coldest months of December and January for a very long time and in duration.

 

[william schmaltz]

Half the moose dying from a hard winter would be the best thing that could happen out there….

 

[Scottf270]

William, are you saying the population is above objective?

 

[mtnbiker208]

Half the moose dying from a hard winter would be the best thing that could happen out there….

To many hunters flying to that part of the state?

 

[BillNye]

The Bethel/YK Delta area has a significantly above average snowpack this year, but still well off of record highs. You can find real time snow data here: https://www.weather.gov/aprfc/snow_depth

Other than that it's been a pretty standard winter and that snow depth isn't so high as to cause serious die off. The big driver of anomalous weather related die off is usually heavy icy rain and there hasn't been any of that since 2022 when the whole crop of calves around Fairbanks got wiped out.

 

[william schmaltz]

To many hunters flying to that part of the state?

Way too many moose. There’s a lot of hunters, but I’m usually part of that so I’m in no place to gripe.

The last couple years I’ve really noticed very large areas of dead willows. Like grey in September dead that are several acres in size. The state has bumped the resident annual limit to 3 moose (only one antlered) and even added a NR antlerless tag. They can’t kill enough - and understandably only bulls are being shot, which is insignificant in relation to the overall population boom. It’s just not economical to shoot a cow for meat unless you have access to a snow machine within 100 or so miles. It feels like we’re going the way of the Mulchatna caribou herd.