Kodiak Island 2020- How are the deer holding up?

[soggybtmboys]

Morning fellas,

Group of us are heading to Kodiak this October and are staying over at Zachar Bay the last week. We have been pretty diligent on our research and felt pretty good about our booking. This winter seems to be pretty rough up there and we are a bit anxious about what the herd is going to look like come spring. There is all kinds of talk of massive winter kill abuzz on the internet, but we have heard also not to worry too much. I did contact the ranger station on Kodiak, and they said call back in the spring as they have not flown and looked around this winter as of yet.

We are booked, so we are going no matter what, but it may sway some of us, whether we purchase a single tag or two tags for our trips. Snowfall has been pretty substantial, but the temps don't look like they have been too too bad. What are you guys seeing or hearing?

Thanks

 

[Dexter Grayson]

I have been hearing pretty much the same things you have. We really wont know the severity of winter kill until the snow melts off and people start finding the carcasses. Fingers crossed its not that bad, because Zachar got hammered pretty hard the last time they had a bad winter kill down there. Good luck, ill be on the island in sept.

 

[Kodiak Hunter]

Longer days, some melting going on, now it just needs to warm up a bit, this was yesterday on the east side of kodiak island.


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[AK Troutbum]

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine from down there and he says that from what he has seen, so far it’s just been the fawns from last year that have been affected the most. Also, the southern half of the island hasn’t been hit nearly as hard as the northern half in regards to snow fall/cold temperatures. I think there’s still a lot of potentially cold weather and snow to be had this year, so it’s still way too early to try and predict.


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[Dexter Grayson]

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine from down there and he says that from what he has seen, so far it’s just been the fawns from last year that have been affected the most. Also, the southern half of the island hasn’t been hit nearly as hard as the northern half in regards to snow fall/cold temperatures. I think there’s still a lot of potentially cold weather and snow to be had this year, so it’s still way too early to try and predict.


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That’s good news!

 

[Joe Malloch]

Heading there in 2021 so hoping for an early spring

 

[Nick Muche]

Just returning from a week on the south end. More than just does and fawns dying. We came across many carcasses, a lot of them were bucks too. We saw a lot of deer but I can’t say they looked all too healthy either.

 

[Kodiak Hunter]

How many deer are on the side of the hill? I saw two, but if you look closer you can see more.


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[Adam Gibbs]

I'm seeing some comments on a Facebook group for AK deer hunting saying 40-60% die off. Doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about our trip.

 

[Kodiak Hunter]

I'm seeing some comments on a Facebook group for AK deer hunting saying 40-60% die off. Doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about our trip.

I live here year round, for most of my life, you will see plenty of animals, this is a real winter! We haven’t had snow stick like this since 2011, and in 2012 we had plenty of deer. We might actually have to leave the beach this coming season to shoot a deer, so we are getting back to normal.


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[kamcgraw]

Any updates here from people in the know?

 

[Kaleb W]

I hunted Zachar Bay the first week of December 2018 and it wasn't exactly the normal kodiak deer hunt compared to previous experiences around the island. We hunted hard in different spots around the bay and weren't able to locate any bucks... maybe a dozen does & fawns total. Plenty of fox and bears around though. In hindsight I believe Zachar Bay got hammered the previous winter, or the year before that, even though it was downplayed by the folks in ZB.

Zachar is a particularly steep and brushy bay, so you may want to start by studying topo maps and satellite imagery to help identify areas suitable to climb & glass. Hunting ZB is a far different experience than hunting the open, grassy hillsides on the south side of the island, so keep that in mind. Hopefully the deer start to rut and move when you're there. Good luck!

 

[Adventure11]

Thanks All for the info. Heading to Kodiak in October. Can't wait regardless!

 

[Catchfish]

Have you had any updates on how the deer numbers are doing around Zachar bay.

 

[AK Troutbum]

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[cgasner1]

How is just the general population doing this we leave in a month getting pretty excited for the trip


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[Kodiak Hunter]

How is just the general population doing this we leave in a month getting pretty excited for the trip


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Numbers are definitely down, hunters are confirming this. They return to the boat with reports of bowls with does and little forks. Rut is almost upon us we should see some mature bucks showing themselves. I hope.


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[Catchfish]

Boy does that deer have some mass

 

[cgasner1]

We fly
In on the 12th so hopefully rut is going full bore


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[Broomd]

Boy does that deer have some mass

Typical Kodiak Island buck...