Winterkill Update: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming

Huntin_GI

WKR
Joined
Apr 14, 2016
Messages
379
Location
N. Colorado
CPW

"With recommendations to make significant reductions in licenses, in most cases a reduction over 40%, the Northwest Region staff hope providing this information ahead of time will give hunters an opportunity to change their hunt plans and explore new areas across our beautiful state."

Colorado is in the same boat.
 

ColoradoV

WKR
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Messages
555
I know this is not about Colorado but it is getting bad a lot of places here as well. South West Colorado just got 5+ feet of snow in a lot of places and the Gunnison basin is breaking records. Eagle area also has a lot of snow…

1993 is the record year around here = I remember it well as I graduated from high school lots of deer died. 2008 changed mule deer in the Gunnison basin forever and we will break that record this year…. Yea beating 08..

The northwest just recommended 40% cuts in mule deer tags and more areas will likely follow suit.

Here is the gunny graph w 93, 08, 17, and now 2023 highlighted. Yea the winter will have a very big effect on deer in Colorado this year and for 4-5 years of recovery. Sad to see for the deer.. Elk are doing better than the deer.

3CB8233D-68E3-49EB-9915-475707A458BD.jpeg
 

akcabin

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 10, 2023
Messages
228
I can say that south central ak got a couple 3 foot plus snow dumps in a row followed by 30 plus below temperatures. The 2 chickadee families that we had at the feeder never came back either. So many critters are effected.
We have a calf next to our driveway and another just down the road. And another calf that keeps busting down the door into our hay shed. In remote areas and with the wolves being so thick and bears taking a lot of newborn calves it's going to be bad. We have had a couple years like this in a row to. So it's going to be noticed.
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,784
Location
SE Idaho
I know this is not about Colorado but it is getting bad a lot of places here as well. South West Colorado just got 5+ feet of snow in a lot of places and the Gunnison basin is breaking records. Eagle area also has a lot of snow…

1993 is the record year around here = I remember it well as I graduated from high school lots of deer died. 2008 changed mule deer in the Gunnison basin forever and we will break that record this year…. Yea beating 08..

The northwest just recommended 40% cuts in mule deer tags and more areas will likely follow suit.

Here is the gunny graph w 93, 08, 17, and now 2023 highlighted. Yea the winter will have a very big effect on deer in Colorado this year and for 4-5 years of recovery. Sad to see for the deer.. Elk are doing better than the deer.

View attachment 536044
All good on posting Co stuff on this thread.

I’m color blind so I can’t tell what year the (blue?) peak on the graph is?
 

PVHunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
203
Good listen. Thanks.
My wife thinks I've lost it, but I've been moving snow from the sides and rear of the house down toward the street before it gets warm. Like Corb, I'm worried that the glacier that was my backyard will end up in my kids' bedrooms downstairs.
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,784
Location
SE Idaho
Which firstlite coat is the feller on the left wearing?
That would be my First Lite Brooks. Mine’s still the 2018 prototype and going strong. Love that light little jackat. I pair it with their Uncompahgre for a light layering system good to single digits, or lower if active

 

COelk89

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 18, 2022
Messages
205
It a total shame. In Colorado we are having dozens of animals at a time run down by 18 wheelers. Biologist friend of mine reported bitter brush being browsed down to 2-3 years of woody growth. This winter likely ends Colorado as destination state for out of state hunters. Winter plus the pressure to reduce non-resident tags by residents is going to put the nail in the coffin. Wolves don't even factor into the equation. Sad for the small towns and economies supported by our hunting. We need insanely major investment in winter range improvement. Where are all of the idiots at that say we need wolves to regulate ungulate populations?
 

ColoradoV

WKR
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Messages
555
All good on posting Co stuff on this thread.

I’m color blind so I can’t tell what year the (blue?) peak on the graph is?

Peak line is 1993, the black line stops and is this year or 2023. Next closest for height is 2008 and 2017 is quite a ways behind. All years w definitive and impactful winterkill for mulies.

I am in the pagosa/Durango/silverton area the next few days. Pry 2-4’ of snowpack more than normal everywhere animals normally winter. Hope the deer made it down to NM if they did not I doubt they made the winter.

Folks we are hanging out with just were up at Jackson for the snowmobile hill climb and they said it is worse up there in wyo than here but not by much. 10” of snow here again last night..

Gunny is slightly better than 08’ I would say just due to the way the storms came through. So not as bad but still a big winter kill for deer.

More snow all next week so I will be burring my head and enjoying the best sled access snowboarding in the past 15 years.

If I were looking the front range units and eastern plains is about the only place there will not be impactful winterkill in Co.

Since I only post pics of dead bucks here is one buck from this past Nov that made it through the late season slaughter just to die in the winter. A friend found his deadhead on his private land. To bad he had that “look”. Guess he measured 34.5” wide to that kicker. When older bucks are not making it = it is not good!!

491376FF-A1D6-4B14-8113-CEAFEA1F95B9.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Top