Elk Winter kill??

BPKHunter

BPKHunter

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I see some posts about dead elk. 20 years in Idaho, including 2017, I've had some good taste's of Winter Kill, but not much here in terms of Elk. I do recall a late winter storm killing some bulls that had headed back into a basin they couldn't get out of.

How bad could the winter kill be on the elk in WY this year? I am assuming it's primarily S Wyoming. I keep hearing about "along Hwy 80".

Just curious. Feel for the critters in E and SE Idaho, WY, Utah, and Colo, based on reports. Much of Idaho has fared pretty well.

Fingers crossed for warmer weather for all you guys/gals!!
 
Im sure its above average most the state, and especially here in the western regions. The elk refuge reported 3x the amount of calf loss this year, more than ever I believe, and thats from a herd that gets supplemental feed daily during the winter. So thats not a good sign for many of the other wintering ranges that do not have the supplemental feed aspect. going to be interesting when the snow finally melts and numbers can truly start to be known about winter kill of all major species
 
Not bad over here at all , SC/SE Wyoming. Our little part of the state is doing fine actually.
Not far to the North and West though another story.
 
North west seems fine for the few parts i been to. We didnt get the harsh winter like parts of the state did. Been on the mountain a few times. Them darn bulls were hiding in the timber with 3 to 4 feet of snow bedding instead of hanging out in the open meadows. They have gotten very wise to the predators. Bed 50 yards into the timber and watch the open for danger.
 
So the info from NW Colorado and From SW WY, Phillip Damn Bio who runs 124 elk. The consensus is about double normal winter mortality. However, for both the Baggs area and 124 they are over objective and they believe that this winter will put the herds back real close to upper end of the objective. They decided not to cut in the area because a good hunting season will get them back to objective… He felt that after this next hunt they may be cutting back some on cow opportunity.
 
elks96 said:
So the info from NW Colorado and From SW WY, Phillip Damn Bio who runs 124 elk. The consensus is about double normal winter mortality. However, for both the Baggs area and 124 they are over objective and they believe that this winter will put the herds back real close to upper end of the objective. They decided not to cut in the area because a good hunting season will get them back to objective… He felt that after this next hunt they may be cutting back some on cow opportunity.
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Maybe this will be the lucky year I draw 124. ???
 
Bookhead said:
They tried to do that at the task force and it started out limiting landowners to a percentage of the quota with more strict requirements to a complete 180 then completely dropped for the most part minus a few miniscule changes
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Yeah I know. The problem was the make up of the task force. It never had a real chance. But after this year and the fact that there will be some units where the landowners take 100% of the opportunity, we should have a new push on this outside of the task force… Maybe this issue could be a bargaining chip for the elk cap issue that is coming up soon?
 
elks96 said:
Yeah I know. The problem was the make up of the task force. It never had a real chance. But after this year and the fact that there will be some units where the landowners take 100% of the opportunity, we should have a new push on this outside of the task force… Maybe this issue could be a bargaining chip for the elk cap issue that is coming up soon?
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There is no area that I am aware of that landowners take 100% of the resident opportunity. Even 50% for that matter.

The cap was brought to the Commission via the task farce. I believe the Commission will discuss this in more depth before we hear any proposals.
 
jm77 said:
There is no area that I am aware of that landowners take 100% of the resident opportunity. Even 50% for that matter.

The cap was brought to the Commission via the task farce. I believe the Commission will discuss this in more depth before we hear any proposals.
Click to expand...
I would have to check but wasn’t there a couple guys talking that with cuts this year the landowners will get the tags? There were a couple guys advocating to close the season in certain areas all down as there were not going to be any other tags beyond on the landowner pool. I could be wrong, but at the virtual meeting with Governor there seemed to be someone suggesting that was going to be issue some place…

As for 50% I believe that type 1 124 tags are at 50 or really close, maybe higher, but I have never been able to get a true answer on that…
 
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jm77 said:
You know, the way they want to slaughter all the elk, I'm surprised they haven't come up with this idea yet.
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Most of the areas that have that high of a percentage of landowner tag allocation have few tags and they aren't letting people kill animals on their lands anyway unless their outfitted so really I don't see how it's going to make any difference giving qualifying landowners their own quota valid on private land only
 
Bookhead said:
Most of the areas that have that high of a percentage of landowner tag allocation have few tags and they aren't letting people kill animals on their lands anyway unless their outfitted so really I don't see how it's going to make any difference giving qualifying landowners their own quota valid on private land only
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124 is mostly public.
 
Took a ride last sunday up the Grey's river rd and then the Little Grey's rd. Made a big loop. Saw 8 dead Elk from the road. One young bull all within a 1 hundred yards of the road.
 
Chesterwyo said:
My understanding is it’s the people with land in the southeast corner that get those tags. Powder flat, powder rim area.
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One thing is for certain, I don’t think we will
ever know for sure given the current setup.

I would definitely like to know more and get the data in clear concise manner but even when I have asked the Bio for 124 he can’t say for sure who gets what.

Which makes a person wonder how they can enforce the family rules etc.
 
elks96 said:
One thing is for certain, I don’t think we will
ever know for sure given the current setup.

I would definitely like to know more and get the data in clear concise manner but even when I have asked the Bio for 124 he can’t say for sure who gets what.

Which makes a person wonder how they can enforce the family rules etc.
Click to expand...
Could that info be given with a FOIA request?
 
In Wyoming you can apply for landowner tags if you have 160 contiguous deeded acres. You can get two tags for each species whether you have 160 acres or 10,000.

You have to have 2000 animal use days per year. To determine this the Game Warden comes to the property and sets up a test section and counts droppings and has a formula to use to determine animal use days.

This is certainly subjective. If they set the test area up on the top of a sun baked ridge there will be fewer droppings than if they do it in damp area with grass.

I had a resident guide once that had purchased 160 acres and he didn’t get his tags. The person that had purchased 160 acres right beside his got theirs. He thought that person was better connected politically than he was.

It would be interesting to know how many 160 acre tracts get landowner tags.
 
WVHUNTER said:
In Wyoming you can apply for landowner tags if you have 160 contiguous deeded acres. You can get two tags for each species whether you have 160 acres or 10,000.

You have to have 2000 animal use days per year. To determine this the Game Warden comes to the property and sets up a test section and counts droppings and has a formula to use to determine animal use days.

This is certainly subjective. If they set the test area up on the top of a sun baked ridge there will be fewer droppings than if they do it in damp area with grass.

I had a resident guide once that had purchased 160 acres and he didn’t get his tags. The person that had purchased 160 acres right beside his got theirs. He thought that person was better connected politically than he was.

It would be interesting to know how many 160 acre tracts get landowner tags.
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The days of the game warden buddy are mostly over and a 160 acre parcel better show verifiable use for 2000 animal days or it won't qualify. In fact many small parcels are being re-evaluated and denied tags.

What amazes me about this topic is those who complain about giving a landowner two tags to be a steward to wildlife on their property, but look the other way on crap like the One Shot hunt.
 
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