Winter Kill in WYO.?

HunterHarry · Jan 20, 2004

A buddy of mine was considering a Muley hunt in western Wyoming next year, but started hearing rumors about a real bad winter setting in there and was concerned about a big die off this winter!
You guys have any info?

Morty_Pass · Jan 20, 2004

I would hold onto that question until late march. Its not really time to tell whether or not there was a big die off. A lot of snow doesnt always mean a bad die off. I have heard that they have been getting pounded with bad weather. I havent had anyone tell me the deer were looking poor. Hopefully spring will come quick for those deer. The game and fish do a annual winter kill survey every year in the western winter ranges. I dont think they will do it until May, i could be wrong, but they conduct the survey when all the deer are off the winter range, so I'm thinking May.

later, MP

Devlin · Jan 20, 2004

Well Harry your right on the winter kill,it was the worst since 1963.Tell your friend and all his friends not to put in and any body else you know.You may want to circulate some flyers around also so maybe someone won't waste there money applying...P.S...JUST KIDDING...it wasn't that bad of a winter and should be some good hunting if you can get lucky and draw a tag...have a great day Devlin

HunterHarry · Jan 20, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Jan-21-04 AT 05:50AM (MST)[p]Thank You

Packout · Jan 21, 2004

I have been up a couple times and I can say that the deer in certain areas are very poor. Many of the large bucks I have seen don't look like they will make it. Some are shedding 4-6 weeks early, a sign of stress. In other areas the deer look like they will be in good shape.

As was said earlier, Mid March is when you get the winter kill. In 2001, WY had those late Feb-March storms and they had a horrible winter kill on mature bucks. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Prism · Jan 21, 2004

We still have A LOT of winter left and from what I've heard and seen there will be more winter kill this year than there has been in several years. I've seen a lot of bucks already packing 1 antler and a few that have lost both-not good this early in the year. Ditto on the March thinking. Heavy snow in Feb. and March will take most of the deer, especially if it doesn't warm up soon. I've seen a lot of poor looking animals in northern Utah also. It hasn't snowed much in 2 weeks around here, but what we do have hasn't melted at all. If we get a storm ontop of all this snow it will mean serious trouble for the animals.

AntlerKing · Jan 21, 2004

I think the 19??highes aren??t helping them out at all. The cold and snow will take a toll. If they get more snow out there with the cold weather they sure will be in a bad way. Here in Utah there not doing to good, three weeks of a 9?? high isn??t helping out (Utah).

nontypical · Jan 22, 2004

I've been up filming and taking pics a few times,and some of the mature bucks are not looking too good.The weather has been staying cold,and is supposed to continue that trend.Most of the fawns are looking okay,but the critical months lie ahead...My advice?Put in anyway.I guarantee you there will be some big bucks around.Later,N.T.

DougW · Jan 22, 2004

The weather pattern is back to snow and cold up there by late this weekend, maybe REAL cold, even by WY standards. Unfortunately I don't see much good news in the next week or two for deer up there. On the other hand the moisture is needed badly.

Doug

saminwy · Jan 23, 2004

odds are, when we start getting winters to break our drought cycle, there will be bad winter kills. the western part of the state is starting to look like this may one of those years, though the eastern half is still very dry so far. after as many years of drought as we've had, the winters its going to take to get us back where we need to be are going to kill deer, plain and simple. on the + side, when a drought like this breaks, deer numbers tend to grow very quickly, or at least they have in the past. unfortunatly, theres no way around the fact that there is going to be a low beforethings start to improve. right now deer numbers are down in part due to drought, they will get worse before they get better.

sam