An email I just received from Colorado DOW; looks like they see the urgency of the situation. Let's pray the "winter feeding " works.
"DIVISION OF WILDLIFE TO CONDUCT EMERGENCY BIG GAME FEEDING OPERATION IN
GUNNISON AREA
The Colorado Division of Wildlife is planning to start emergency feeding operations for big game animals in the Gunnison Basin as soon as possible.
Deer will be targeted primarily because they are most affected by adverse weather conditions. Feed and hay will also be provided to bighorn sheep, pronghorn and elk.
Providing feed to wildlife requires a major effort and the DOW is
seeking volunteers to help. DOW wildlife managers are now working on the
logistics of the operation. While some feeding will start as soon as
material is available, the effort will increase as feed - specially
formulated for deer - becomes available from a mill next week.
Wildlife officials are concerned that deep snow and extremely cold
temperatures in the Gunnison basin are causing deer to deplete their
energy reserves too early this winter. Without supplemental food,
mortality could reach unacceptable levels. The snowpack in the Gunnison
Basin is now at 143 percent of average. It is difficult for deer to push
through deep, crusted snow to get to natural food sources. Big game
animals lose 30 percent of their body weight during a normal winter.
When they lose more than that their survival can be severely
compromised.
In the Gunnison area, there are about 260 bighorn sheep in several herds
where feed could effectively be delivered. Bighorns winter in steep
terrain that doesn't usually hold snow, so they are not as affected by
the snow depth.
About 600 pronghorn also live in the area and efforts will be made to
feed them. Unfortunately, the DOW has had limited success in getting
pronghorn to take supplemental feed. The DOW will attempt to feed them
with smaller wafers that have worked previously.
"So far, deer appear to be in pretty good condition for this time of
year given the current weather and snow depth," explained J Wenum, area
wildlife manager in Gunnison.
"We haven't seen any weather-related mortality to speak of yet. But from
experience we know that the snow conditions could soon start to take a
toll on deer."
Officials from the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service
and Gunnison County are helping the DOW develop strategies for the
emergency feeding plan. The DOW would also like to work with private
landowners to establish feeding sites.
Deer have more specific nutritional needs than elk and cannot survive on
hay. The feed formulation that will be used was developed after
extensive nutritional research by DOW years ago. Ingredients include
wheat and other grains, dehydrated alfalfa and cottonseed meal. The feed
is formulated into wafers so that it will stay on top of the snow. Deer
will receive about 3 pounds of the feed per day.
"We will not be trying to feed every deer in the Gunnison Basin. We will
be looking for areas where the animals are most concentrated and where
we can derive the most benefit," Wenum said.
Wildlife managers will work to keep deer and elk separated. The DOW
plans to provide hay to elk - but not because they need it to survive.
Elk are aggressive and will quickly displace deer if easy food is
available. Placing hay in specific areas will help keep them away from
deer feeding areas. Hay may also be placed to move elk away from
ranchers' hay stacks or highways.
Because deer derive very little nutritional value from hay, homeowners
and landowners are urged not to feed hay to deer that gather on their
property.
The feeding operation will probably continue through February or until
conditions moderate. By early March officials hope the weather will be
getting warmer and that natural forage areas will open up. Big game
animals prefer natural forage and will move to those areas as soon as
they become available.
Previous winter feeding operations were conducted in the Gunnison area
in 1984 and 1997.
Volunteers will be needed for a variety of jobs. To haul feed the DOW
needs trailers and a substantial number of vehicles that can handle
snowy conditions, especially snowmobiles, snowcats and four-wheel drive
vehicles. Volunteers also are needed who can travel through deep snow on
cross-country skis and snowshoes.
Volunteers who want to help in the Gunnison area should contact Jennifer
Kleffner, southwest region volunteer coordinator at (970)375-6704.
Wildlife managers are also monitoring weather and snow conditions in
other areas of western Colorado, including the Eagle Valley, the Aspen
area, the Meeker/Craig area and the lower Yampa Valley.
Throughout western Colorado travelers are urged to watch carefully for
wildlife along roads. As snow accumulates animals will move toward open
areas. The DOW also requests that people avoid disturbing wildlife at
this time of year. Do not attempt to get close to animals; observe them
at a distance using binoculars or a spotting scope. If they are forced
to move they will expend energy unnecessarily.
# # #
The Colorado Division of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for
managing wildlife and its habitat, as well as providing wildlife related
recreation. The Division is funded through hunting and fishing license
fees, federal grants and Colorado Lottery proceeds through Great
Outdoors Colorado.
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to:
http://wildlife.state.co.us.
The Christian
