>Elks,
>Im always wondering wondering where you
>are reporting from.. Meeker? Craig?
>Rangely? Rifle? Hayden? Maybell? Surprised
>we've never crossed paths.
>Besides the fact, from what I've
>seen going from the Gunnison
>Basin, Eagle County and Now
>Garfield, Rio Blanco, and pieces
>of Moffat County. The NW
>part of the state is
>no where in the
>same shape that the central
>part of the state from
>my observations. As I sit
>in New Castle it is
>currently 40 degrees and raining..
>Its surprising how much more
>snow Gypsum/Eagle have then the
>lower Roaring Fork Valley does.
>But Eagle/Gypsum also sit almost
>1000ft higher in elevation. In
>my opinion the deer in
>the NW part of the
>state are not at as
> big of disadvantage than
>that in the Central part
>of the state whose wintering
>grounds sit at 8k plus
>fit like the Gunnison Basin.
> I honestly don't run
>around all winter with a
>note book documenting all the
>deer I find dead.. I
>usually don't start seeing the
>dead loss until spring when
>I get out shed hunting,
>but I imagine I'll find
>a few as usual. Like
>others have said before me;
>winter's roughly half way through.
>And although the temps have
>been getting warmer Im not
>counting my eggs before they
>hatch. All it takes is
>a good solid week and
>a half-two weeks of cold
>weather to put things in
>a bind. March and April
>can still be brutal SOBs.
>
>A big problem I've witnessed in
>NW Co is how many
>deer fall victim to Lions...
>
>
>Coloradoboy
To answer your questions. I currently am in Rifle. In 07/08 I lived in Craig, worked in Hayden and then moved to Rangely and am now in Rifle. To answer your questions, I try to keep a journal of every day I am in the field. I started this journal in 2001, and I try to document what I see every day. Most of my time out this time of year is predator hunting, calling and some trapping. When I lived in Craig I spent much more time further north along the WY/CO border and now I am in rifle I spend a bunch of time in 10/11/21/22 and not as much time in Craig. I do however have lots of friends still in Craig and get up there a couple times each winter.
My journal is pretty complete. I can look in it and typically see the temps(according to truck), wind speed direction, sky conditions, etc. I also can tell you where I was, how many calling stands I made, number of coyotes seen, number called, number shot at, number missed, etc. It notes other hunters if any, and usually anything else out of ordinary. For most winters I have no winter kill data, but I did keep the data in 2007/2008 as that winter was unreal(and had reported dead elk that were being shot and left for dead by a rancher in that area). I am not making it point to find deer like I did in 07/08, just noting what I have seen in units 21/22/10/11 this year. My good buddy is keeping informed with what he is seeing further north.
It is a neat thing to have, but unfortunately the Journal is something that is really complete at times and not as complete other times.
It is a cool thing to have... Kind of like a man diary...
This last weekend I went through Eagle County and agree the snow id deeper and was getting added too as we speak, but temps were warm in upper 20s and lower 30s. I also agree it is too soon to say with a 100% ability what things will be like, but I can not see us loosing the total deer on a state wide level like we did in 2007/2008. that winter was unreal and the snow issues stretched from Durango all the way to Lander/Muddy Gap areas of WY.
Also realize that the original question is what we are seeing where we hunt... Thus my take in the NW is going to different than that of the central mountains, Durango, etc
This year I have not been out as much as usual, but still have 46 days in the field since Sept. 1.
The other thing that really screwed the deer in 07/08 was the DOW did not drop the tag numbers like they should have, infact I remember being in a meeting where the DOW person from Craig, called it a normal Mortality year and that feeding was not needed, and that counts indicated no need to reduce tag numbers. LOL! Talk about making a guy see red. Hopefully if they do have a die off this year they will be smart enough to cut tags back right away instead of waiting a year.