Winter Kill

U

UINTBB

Member
Messages
95
I am curious to see how winter has gone thus far in the Pinedale area? Wondering if winter kill can become a problem?

Here is northern Utah the snow depths are getting deep but the deer seem ok so far. Hoping we don't have an extended period of bitter cold temps. We have more snow coming...lets keep our fingers crossed.
 
Snow is starting to pile up, including the winter range further south toward Rock Springs. Right now, it hasn't hard capped so they area able to feed through it. With a little luck we'll get a big wind to clear some ground. Too early to tell much though- the wetter storms toward the end of the month and in March and April really tell the tale for winter kill.
 
Looks like wind for this week, thanks so much for asking for some, lol!

Be interested to hear how your conditions fair rest of winter.
We have good conditions now on our side of the state in Laramie. Snow in the mountains and not too much crusty stuff on the plains. We had some good snow fall and then warm melt off for soil moisture we hope.
But like stated March and April can be brutal.
 
I'm curious about this too as I plan to hunt Region H this year. Unless there's a bad winter kill, then I'll probably figure out something else.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-09-19 AT 09:18PM (MST)[p]IMO, its shaping up to be an above average winter on the winter ranges for Region H Sublette deer herds which usually translates to an above average winterkill. Really didn't have much moisture on the winter ranges from June till the end of September. Seems like the snows are coming later this year. Top of the mountains only have twice the amount of snow the valley floor has which is not typical. Should be 3-5 times more. Just getting through another week long cold snap where temps where in that -15 to -25 at night. Snow has really started to pile up with the storms that hit last week and a lot of wind. We are expecting 3-6 more inches in the valley floor in the next 24 hours with more in the weeklong forecast. Snows aren't up to the belly's of the fawns yet but could be there by the end of the week. Fawn counts were excellent going into winter, 71 per 100 does. One more good snow storm and you won't be able to see any sagebrush between Farson and Pinedale. Pretty easy to just ride snowmobiles out in the desert from north of Farson all the way to northern Sublette County. Easily 2.5 times the amount of snow compared to last year's light winter, but still nothing like 2 years ago where the deer were stressed out by the middle of January. I bet most the healthy bucks pull through.
 
The Deer look in fine shape from what i have seen.

We do have a big snow storm this week, but it hasn't been too cold other than the last week. The deer are still finding forage. It doesn't look like it is going to get too cold in the next little while, so I think as long as there isn't an el nino spring the hunting next year will be good.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-11-19 AT 12:10PM (MST)[p]The segment of the H deer herd that doesn't go south to the Labarge area but goes east and winters along the wind river front and northern Sublette County is seeing much more winter.

45733us191pinedalesouth.jpg


26562us189marbletonnorths.jpg


46049us189marbletonnorthn.jpg
 
I just spent a week up the Gros Ventre . a little above average snowpack but it just came last week.

The elk are still coming down and the wolves just showed up.

too early to know what the winter will do but at this point I'd say there's no reason to panic.














Stay Thirsty My Friends
 
Here in Northern Utah we are having some temps in the 50's for a few days. Hoping the snowline melts enough to open feeding ground for the deer. So far, the deer are doing well enough. Lets hope for a mild March and April.
 
Most snow in history in 1 month has fallen in Jackson area this month.. things are not looking good if this keeps up, and especially if it gets cold again. Seeing quite a bit of winter kill already on the hills here
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-27-19 AT 09:44AM (MST)[p]The deer mortality surveys will be very interesting this spring. My boys and I like to participate in the one around Pinedale. In the spring of '17 you could not swing a dead cat without hiting a deer carcass. Both fawns and adults. Last spring was nothing but year old bones. We went on the same route and found nothing. This spring should be a very interesting comparison.
 
that last storm was strange not everyone got everything. In fact, it's surprising to see who was hit and who wasn?t.

For instance, Alpine has been pounded with 17 inches through 3pm yesterday. In that same time period, just a 45-minute drive south, Afton registered less than a half-inch of snow. Pinedale got one inch, Bondurant more than 8.

START Bus has again cancelled commuter service today to and from Teton Valley due to the Pass being closed. WYDOT says Pass cleanup will take most of the day.
 
How you guys making out? Looks like there are only a couple bad spots? Western and southern Wyoming according to snotel?
 
The area southeast of Lander is having elk die offs. Very bad outlook for this years elk hunters in unit 24.
 
My daughter-in-law has about 60 head of deer in her ranch yard now in Swan Valley by Palisades. Just lost a doe and a fawn yesterday, and that's with all the hay they can eat. The others all look in fair shape.
 
>The area southeast of Lander is
>having elk die offs. Very
>bad outlook for this years
>elk hunters in unit 24.
>

Wow, sounds like none of the locals will put in for it now...Shame!

Lol...


'Ike'

Bowhunter...
 
Courtesy of a friend in the Lander area on this past Sunday morning. Looks like these elk have it kinda rough, don't ya think?



612454516359101558892926853037567099709689430016n.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-19 AT 10:50AM (MST)[p]Still a foot of snow or more on the ridges on northern Sublette winter ranges and west side of the wind river foothills. Over the last 3 weeks most of Sublette County lucked out and only got a fraction of all that heavy snow that went through Jackson and the I-80 corridor that was called for. Local reports are those H deer along the wind river mountain foothills are not doing good. Highs heading for the upper 30's in the days coming. Saw 9 does roll-the-dice last weekend trying to migrate further south, they must of had enough...not a fawn in the bunch. Those Labarge winter ranges appear to be making out much better.

South of Pinedale this morning...

10838img4466.jpg



At Marbleton looking south....

36865us189marbletonnorths2.jpg


Same country south of Pinedale January 1st...

42102img4420.jpg
 
I live in, and work all over SW Wyoming. I spent the beginning of this week working on the mesa, due west of Boulder. Those deer up there are having a rough time. Watched a group of does post holing through crusted snow up to their backs trying to get to a south facing slope that had blown open and melted some. Doesn't look good. The last four days I've worked in Wamsutter, leaving home in the dark and heading home in the dark. And I've noticed quite a few smear marks on I-80 between table rock and wamsutter, on both sides of the road. I got done a little early today and the light of day revealed quite a few deer in the median of the interstate. They look to be living there since it's the only place where there's any browse for them to eat. And they were for the most part bedded down. The country south of Rock Springs (east and west of hwy 430) winter hasn't been terrible. 101 and 102 deer should be fine. Lots of open hillsides for them to browse on out there. But to the east starting at about bitter creek all the way to creston jct. (as far east as I've been is covered in deep crusty snow. It is starting to get warm and melt during the day, but nights are still bitter cold -5 when I got to where I was going this morning.
 
On the southern end of the Wyoming Range near Kemmerer and Evanston, three in 10 adult doe mule deer and seven in 10 fawn deer being tracked for research have died this winter, according to University of Wyoming biologists. The data is less firm for mule deer in the Sublette Herd, which winters closer to the Wind River Range and includes migrants that summer in Jackson Hole. But biologists and wardens are seeing lots of dead animals.

?The bottom line is we are expecting above average mortality, again, in the Sublette Deer Herd,? said Brandon Scurlock, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's wildlife coordinator for the Pinedale Region.

https://trib.com/news/state-and-reg...cle_31a5702d-8999-54a3-b8d0-d35ba781d5dd.html
 
If it isn't the cold and snow its the vehicles that are getting them. I80 over the sisters is a blood bath. The only place clear of snow is the median. Even with the deer fence along both sides of the interstate the deer are getting through or around and tying to feed in the median. The number of vehicle hits along this stretch is amazing.
 
>If it isn't the cold and
>snow its the vehicles that
>are getting them. I80
>over the sisters is a
>blood bath. The only
>place clear of snow is
>the median. Even with
>the deer fence along both
>sides of the interstate the
>deer are getting through or
>around and tying to feed
>in the median. The
>number of vehicle hits along
>this stretch is amazing.


Man, that stinks...
 

Similar threads

nontypical
Winter range report
Replies
72
Views
6k
nontypical
nontypical

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

2023 Elk2.jpg
IMG_0776.jpeg
2020-11-10 06.40.13.jpg
9BC30017-3C49-47E7-ADA8-74E875390868.png
IMG_0490.jpeg
6D7A0BC4-9BCE-4607-B8CA-06E55A61C3DD.jpeg
11-24-20.jpg
FEB3B856-1A86-4E3D-86F7-51EBA46F813E.jpeg
Screenshot_20220812-034358_Gallery.jpg
6676D0EB-3B8E-4040-97B2-3A6C9538F675.png
UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_6650-DeNoiseAI-standard.jpg
Two Days and 28 Bucks

Wyoming Hunting Guides & Outfitters

Badger Creek Outfitters

Offering elk, deer and pronghorn hunts on several privately owned ranches.

Urge 2 Hunt

We focus on trophy elk, mule deer, antelope and moose hunts and take B&C bucks most years.

J & J Outfitters

Offering quality fair-chase hunts for trophy mule deer, elk, and moose in Wyoming.


Yellowstone Horse Rentals - Western Wyoming Horses
Back
Top Bottom