PLEASE No More Snow & Cold Temps

IdaMatt · Dec 27, 2016

14 day forecast looks to be more of the same, more snow and cold temps. This is shaping up to be a good old Idaho winter, like the ones I remembered when I was a kid. Deer are piled up really low on the Boise front and the elk are starting to show up down there as well.

Praying for a late January thaw!!

go4steelhd · Dec 27, 2016

I really hope this winter does not wipe the deer out. I have a feeling it will. What's sad is the hunting was just getting good to great again.

regul8r1 · Dec 27, 2016

Hopefully hikers, chukar hunters, and shed hunters back off a little and don't push the deer every day.

Weiserbucks · Dec 27, 2016

There are hundreds of deer belly deep in the snow around my area , many have already died . Another concerning thing is I see between 3-500 deer per day on my drive home from work and only 5 or 6 bucks on average . Not a good sign.

IdaMatt · Dec 28, 2016

Agree with the shed hunter comment. There will be plenty of rigs up and down highway 21 right after the new year.

We can gauge how bad the winter kill could be by how low the elk migrate down to. I'm starting to see elk pretty low.

It's painful to watch mother nature.

customweld · Dec 28, 2016

Although I take advantage of the extended upland bird season, it wouldn't upset me if they moved it back to December 31st . Bird hunters with dogs are hard on the animals when the snow gets this deep.

dz · Dec 28, 2016

This really sucks for the deer herds. Same as 86 and 92. The difference this time is the deer have been hammered by predators and never recovered. Hope we all get a chance to get out there and smoke a few dogs. Both little ones and their bigger cousins. They should be a lot more visible this winter. Happy hunting everyone.

DZ

backcountryID · Dec 29, 2016

According to the weather channel forecast, we aren't going to get above freezing for a while. Low next week in Boise of -10.

Not going to pretty.

Foxbow · Jan 3, 2017

Going to be really severe in eastern Idaho.
Where they had most of the Tex creek wildlife area burned up this summer.
Major winner range that side of the state.

Coyote_chaser · Jan 4, 2017

Its gonna be brutal on the deer in East Idaho for sure.

Most chukar hunters dont hunt in 2-3 feet deep snow. We go to areas where there is less snow!

backcountryID · Jan 4, 2017

National Weather Service states this is the most snow on the ground in Boise since 1985. And it just happened to occur the year the Boise WMA burns to the dirt.

Let's hope the deer can find a way to make it through, but it's not looking too promising for 39 this fall.

brymoore · Jan 4, 2017

This could turn tragic quickly with the negative temps forecasted.

baerman · Jan 5, 2017

sub zero followed by a 4 day thaw and then back freezing again. going to leave a thick crust of ice that will make it even worse on the critters. Might be a good time to go hunt some other states for the next few years.

Weiserbucks · Jan 5, 2017

The elk in my area have been hitting the ranchers hay stacks hard . F&G was putting up fencing around the hay yesterday to keep the elk out . This morning on my way to work the fencing was wrecked and the elk were having hay for breakfast. Very tough conditions in my area .

brdhuntr · Jan 5, 2017

>The elk in my area have
>been hitting the ranchers hay
>stacks hard . F&G was
>putting up fencing around the
>hay yesterday to keep the
>elk out . This morning
>on my way to work
>the fencing was wrecked and
>the elk were having hay
>for breakfast. Very tough conditions
>in my area .

D6, what part of the state do you live?

Weiserbucks · Jan 5, 2017

On the outskirts of Weiser

brymoore · Jan 6, 2017

>Agree with the shed hunter comment.
> There will be plenty
>of rigs up and down
>highway 21 right after the
>new year.
>
>We can gauge how bad the
>winter kill could be by
>how low the elk migrate
>down to. I'm starting to
>see elk pretty low.
>
>It's painful to watch mother nature.
>

I saw a herd of cow elk on Parkcenter this morning. It's been a long time since I've seen elk in that area.

IdaMatt · Jan 6, 2017

Snows up to the belly's of the fawns on the Boise front, with a lot of the deer dropping into Surprise Valley and such. Seen a few dead fawns with crows on them already. With the incoming storm, which could dump 6" or more snow, it's not looking good. I saw 6-7 F&G trucks by Hilltop yesterday, I wonder if they are trying to decide to start feeding or not.

go4steelhd · Jan 6, 2017

I wish they would do some aggressive feeding efforts this year. I would help pitch in for part of the cost. And hopefully lots of other hunters would as well. I know they try to not to feed much. But this winter will have the same effect as 92 if nothing is done.

brymoore · Jan 6, 2017

> I saw 6-7 F&G
>trucks by Hilltop yesterday, I
>wonder if they are trying
>to decide to start feeding
>or not.

Deer capture to get data.

brymoore · Jan 6, 2017

>I wish they would do some
>aggressive feeding efforts this year.
>I would help pitch in
>for part of the cost.
>And hopefully lots of other
>hunters would as well. I
>know they try to not
>to feed much. But this
>winter will have the same
>effect as 92 if nothing
>is done.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/winter-big-game-feeding-reserved-emergencies-0

IdaMatt · Jan 6, 2017

That makes sense.

There's way more than 18" of snow on the South slopes on the Southfork of the Payette. Sawtooth zone is in REALLY bad shape.

backcountryID · Jan 6, 2017

With the extra snow coming, the thaw, and then back to the freeze, this could get devastating. I know F&G doesn't like to feed them but the herds are going to need a lot of help this year.

There are herds of 30-40 elk on the valley floor within Boise city limits.

I worry we will be talking about the winter of 2017 for decades.