Gila rainfall 2013

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salsola

Active Member
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178
Hi all,

Updating the precip from around the Gila area.

Rainfall totals from Apr 1 to May 31. Colored circles are 10 mile radius around each RAWS station. Towns are in italics, station names and rainfall totals in regular print.

Again, data from here:
http://weather.nmsu.edu/ws/network/raws/

Compared to to "normal" amounts based historic records... it's not good. Here's rainfall from nearby long term stations for April & May for the previous 50+ years:


Beaverhead 0.97"
Glenwood 1.01"
Luna 1.07"
Magdelena 1.2"
Quemado 0.86"

gila_rain_may31_2013_zps654f0d40.jpg
[/URL]
 
I was around the northern boarder of 16B yesterday and it is crispy. I did see a couple of groups of good bulls but it is dry..

J
 
Looks like Mangas,Slaughter mesa and the Alegres peaks might have gotten some last night,but just verga here north of Quemado. Bone dry otherwise. Elk are feeding anywhere and anytime, like and with the cattle. Lots here and some good bulls.But they need nutrition. My windmill well is keeping alot of critters going with water at least.
 
A couple of my friends own a ranch in 13 near pie town. They were just up there this weekend, and they said it's the driest they have ever seen. No grass and the tanks are dry. Doesn't sound good at all.
 
Just my luck. I drew a NR 16D first rifle tag two years on the driest summer on record and this year I got lucky again and drew a 16B first rifle tag and it sounds like another dry year with potential stunted antler growth coming again!!!

We are getting dumped on up here in SD. I wish I could send it down south.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-13 AT 10:20PM (MST)[p]Locals ranchers here say it is the driest since 1950's. But monsoon type clouds the last few days have produced a few drops,but mostly VERGA (rain that does not hit the ground).

On a good note we never get these clouds or rain to speak of in June. Monsoons usually start around 4th of July into Sept. So maybe an early monsoon? I hope so. Yesterday a dry lighting strike along with VERGA, hit near Quemado Lake and 25 acres or so burnt. They jumped on it with helo drops and massive crew assault and it's pretty much out.

Lots of elk,antelope and deer feeding and drinking mid-day. Only water is stock tanks and wells here. Ranchers are selling off stock. Lots of skinny cattle. Some wildlife look pretty good,but saw some thin cow elk hitting a stock pond today at noon just off HWY 60 near Quemado.Elk are hitting the grass along, the roads,not good.
To those planning on driving out here,SLOW DOWN and keep your eyes on the road. Lots of elk being hit and cars and people smashed!!!!!!!
 
It is really bad in my usual haunts right now as well. Zero water and I've been finding dead turkeys, all of which seem to be the younger birds. Tanks I've never seen dry are absolutely bone dry. Very concerning and I'm turning my scouting focus to some new country as a result. Seeing very few animals, but I'm guessing they are somewhere near water on private. Please bring the rains...

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www.streamflies.com
 
While it is depressing, I appreciate the reports from the ground. Thanks Hank and NMelktrout. Certainly helps knowing that we shouldn't rely on the places that "always have water" this year.

I'm hunting the northern units this year for both deer and elk, and the last storm cycle brought some rain. Patchy rain, for sure, but I know something fell, somewhere. Certainly helped the firefighters get a grip on the fire near Pecos.
 
>While it is depressing, I appreciate
>the reports from the ground.
> Thanks Hank and NMelktrout.
> Certainly helps knowing that
>we shouldn't rely on the
>places that "always have water"
>this year.
>
>I'm hunting the northern units this
>year for both deer and
>elk, and the last storm
>cycle brought some rain.
>Patchy rain, for sure, but
>I know something fell, somewhere.
> Certainly helped the firefighters
>get a grip on the
>fire near Pecos.

Thank You salsola for the helpful links you have posted. They have been very useful for this tech challenged one. This is what the NM forum is all about to me.
Thanks to all who have good input!
 
We are getting pounded right now in Silver and it looks like 16B and 24 are also getting it pretty good..
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-13 AT 07:22PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-13 AT 07:21?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-13 AT 07:20?PM (MST)

Salsola's posts are as informative and relevant as you will find on any hunting website, at any given time. If you hunt the Gila region, these posts have more bearing on your hunt than any other, regardless of unit. Big thanks, Cody

Jason, give us an insider's update on today's precip!


http://themeateater.com/
www.streamflies.com
 
Not much to say other than we have been having flash flood warnings all day in the Gila. I looks like 21A,24, the 16s all got SOLID rain.... They say it is going to be dry and windy this weeekend but I am sure some of the tanks had to have gotten filled. I am heading bass fishing in the Wilderness next week so I will let you know what I see. I saw quite a few nice bulls along the river and there seems to be alot of feed. I am also finding water in the bottoms of canyons so it isn't too bad, if they search they can find it.
 
Hey Hank, I know exactly what Virga is, but there is a big difference between that and Verga! Just ask someone who speaks Spanish.
 
Thanks for your input. Grande Puerco.
I've seen the rain type spelled both ways,even in weather texts.

As far as Spanish is concerned, I gave up on it a long time ago....I don't speak NM Spanish enough,constantly corrected.
 
I was going to correct to virga, because there's some really cool stable istope fractionation that takes place during the progressive evaporation that happens during virga. But now considering the possiblity of translating, I concur with BigPig ... "heh heh"
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-13 AT 02:50PM (MST)[p]Thanks amigos,I'll have to look it up in my NM Spanish Dictionary.
My Spanish Nana didn't teach me everything I run into these days...she'd have a tizzy. I'm laughing at myself along with you guys.
On the weather front still hot but cloudy/smokey today with 20% chance up here in 12 tomorrow. I'll put my rain moccasins on....
 
>Not much to say other than
>we have been having flash
>flood warnings all day in
>the Gila. I looks
>like 21A,24, the 16s all
>got SOLID rain.... They
>say it is going to
>be dry and windy this
>weeekend but I am sure
>some of the tanks had
>to have gotten filled.
>I am heading bass fishing
>in the Wilderness next week
>so I will let you
>know what I see.
>I saw quite a few
>nice bulls along the river
>and there seems to be
>alot of feed. I
>am also finding water in
>the bottoms of canyons so
>it isn't too bad, if
>they search they can find
>it.
Just asking what conditions you found on your fishing trip.Thanks Walt
 
We've been getting spit on the last 2 days, I smell the rain and hear the thunder. Lighting show too. Don't want to jinx it, but hoping for early heavy monsoon!
Hear of measurable rain down in the Gila,looks like Mangas,Escondido pk.s getting it now.
 
Thanks for the update also,I drew 16b archery elk 19-24 just hoping for rain. I have a friend that lives between Deming and Silver City and he tells it is pretty damn dry.
 
Yeah, and it's moving into 13 too. Actually dampened the ground here,lots of thunder and lightning. Sure smells good,come on rain!!
 
Anyone have any idea what the totals are now for these same areas.Hunting in 13 2nd bow season and most of the areas I normal hunt I have been told are dry as of middle of may.thanks Billc
 
I know one thing... the last week we've got some rain here in Clovis; however, salsola is always updating this and Im sure he'll have more soon!!!
 
Walt..
IT WAS and is DRY... but there are a ton of elk along the East Fork and Black Canyon...You can see the vid.. I also took a peek at a special little tank that I know of about 1 mile from the road, it had alot of water.. So yes, things are dry but they are surviving.. I think right know feed is the issue more than anything..
J-
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-28-13 AT 12:33PM (MST)[p]Updating the precip from around the Gila area. Not that you all don't know the story, but here goes. Basically not much happened in June. About the only stations that got precip worth mentioning were Magdalena (.45") and Pelona Mt (.71"). Most other stations were either zero or hundredths of an inch.

Rainfall totals from Apr 1 to June 27 (think of it as cumulative precip for the growing season-- antlers or vegetation). Colored circles are 10 mile radius around each RAWS station. Towns are in italics, station names and rainfall totals in regular print.

Again, data from here:
http://weather.nmsu.edu/ws/network/raws/

Compared to to "normal" amounts based historic records... it's not good. Here's rainfall from nearby long term stations for April- June for the previous 50+ years:

Station apr- june
Beaverhead-- 1.54"
Glenwood-- 1.63"
Luna-- 1.73"
Magdalena-- 1.9"
Quemado-- 1.32"

Depressing. I'm going to go find a trout stream that isn't 1) closed 2) burned over, or 3) fishless from the previous fires.

Have a good weekend, all.

gila_rain_june28_2013_resize_zpscf2178b8.jpg
[/URL]
 
I'm with you Salsola, very hot and dry around everywhere here. I checked your sites this morn. Depressing for sure. Going to jump into a cold stock tank by the windmill here,shock the critters. Lots of elk out eating and drinking in mid day. Have seen some decent racks but not what is normal.Very smokey some days too.
Only good news is clouds building and hopefully slight chance of rain here the whole next week,95 today. Come on Monsoons!!!!!
 
Looks like the Gila has been getting some much needed rain the last 3 days, with maybe more on the way.
 
Gila report: I was just down in 21A this past weekend and the fire damage is terrible, I hope they don't close the unit like they did with 36 last year; we need a lot more rain! Ill try to get up some pictures when I'm not work
 
We got a pretty good shower in Silver last night... we need more but it looks like the rains are starting..
 
>We got a pretty good shower
>in Silver last night... we
>need more but it looks
>like the rains are starting..
>


How's the Gila 16b looking for rainfall totals in July?
 
Was down at the Magus Bowmen Shoot and it rain Friday nad Saturday it rained from 4:00 pm on till 4am next morning straight poored! Washed the road out in several spots in the road! Also rained here and there over the The pass and was soaked!! Starting to become green all over water runnig down the steam hard and huge puddles. It dumped good!! It was raining from Silver to Minbres to the shoot that whole time...
 
>Was down at the Magus Bowmen
>Shoot and it rain Friday
>nad Saturday it rained from
>4:00 pm on till 4am
>next morning straight poored! Washed
>the road out in several
>spots in the road! Also
>rained here and there over
>the The pass and was
>soaked!! Starting to become green
>all over water runnig down
>the steam hard and huge
>puddles. It dumped good!! It
>was raining from Silver to
>Minbres to the shoot that
>whole time...


That's great news. Thanks for the update.
 
Also weekend before in Red River to Eagles Nest to Albuquerque it rained all weekend off and on. Dumped at Eagles Nest really hard. So its looking better boys I am thinking those horns back ends should finish up nicely!
 
Actually, I wouldn't mind if it stopped raining now. Four weeks ago when it was bone dry, I had no problem glassing up some nice bulls--just concentrated around what little water was available. Seems like it's been raining everyday since, and all the tanks are at capacity now. Those bulls that were so easy to spot a month ago have returned to parts unknown, and are not giving up their whereabouts so easily...
 
Pretty much flooded today from Cuba to Albuquerque and it is super green and gonna get greener! State is coming alive with color except Shiprock and Farmington still really dry!
 
weather.com is reporting 6.48 inches so far in July for the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Normal for all of July is 2.65 inches.
 
WOW. WE GOT POUNDED IN SILVER last night.. I haven't seen a rain like this in YEARS....
J
 
was there for five days north of 16b and in rained everyday. tuesday is rained so hard washed out roads and rocks all over highway 59.
 
I'll have to agree with mozey, I hope it doesnt rain another drop. How do you guys think all of this water will affect the early Sep. archery hunts?
 
I myself could care less how it affects the elk hunt negatively. When peoples homes and livelihoods are at stake because of the drought, I think some of you are really out of touch with reality. How many people died because of fires this year? Screw your elk hunts! Spoiled brats. Now you're worried because there will be too many waterholes and its going to be harder to hunt? F-ing joke.
 
>I myself could care less how
>it affects the elk hunt
>negatively. When peoples homes and
>livelihoods are at stake because
>of the drought, I think
>some of you are really
>out of touch with reality.
>How many people died because
>of fires this year? Screw
>your elk hunts! Spoiled brats.
>Now you're worried because there
>will be too many waterholes
>and its going to be
>harder to hunt? F-ing joke.
>


So talking about elk hunting on a hunting message board is out of touch with reality? Someone asked a question about how the rain would effect his elk hunt, on a hunting message board no less. I think it is you who is out of line here.
 
ditto on that.... yes fires affect alot of things and people in different ways. your comment way out of line. why you think we talk about it?? because we dont care? BS we all care of the out come of all the enviroment and hunters included..
 
Mahoppe, do you speak english? I think what WH was referring to was the 'i hope it doesnt rain another drop' comment. He is right, that is a selfish comment, wishing for no more rain in a drought stricken state just for personal 'i want to kill a starving elk over water' reasons.

Anyone driven around recently? Noticed the lakes and resevoirs are at fractions of capacity, with some expecting to go dry by the end of summer? Been down in the rangeland around Corona and Roswell and seen all the dead cattle everywhere? The dry springs? Yes, the rains have been exceptional and great, but we need, oh ... about 20x more just like it to be back to normal. Still alot of empty tanks out there, not every square inch has gotten dumped on.

So, to wish for no more rain because there is too much water for the wildlife, is completely asinine. Let em spread out again; let em drink. And keep doing your rain dance.
 
Thanks sweetbull.

I stand by my comment. I get its a hunting website. I have a hunt this Sept in the Gila. I would rather not even see an elk because of too much rain than kill one over the only muddy tank within twenty miles. And yeah, to those that want it to stop raining so their hunt can be easy, I feel sorry for their overall view in life. Sounds a lot like the "me" generation I am a part of. Its a shame.

Now how it will affect the elk hunting? Well if we keep getting rain, then more feed. If we keep getting rain like this for a few years, then I will predict that in a few years elk hunting will be very very good. As for this year,you might have to walk further than the nearest tank off the road to find an elk.
 
The irony is probably lost on the ignorant--but I find it quite amusing that someone who is clueless of the facts surrounding most, if not all of the anonymous posters here would feel compelled to post a self-righteous rant about the evils of the "me" generation.

You just gotta laugh at some things... ;-)
 
Most of 34 has gotten some good rain. Was out of town for 6 days and came back and we had gotten an additional 4"

Where to find the bears now. No acorns and water everywhere.
 
>Thanks sweetbull.
>
>I stand by my comment. I
>get its a hunting website.
>I have a hunt this
>Sept in the Gila. I
>would rather not even see
>an elk because of too
>much rain than kill one
>over the only muddy tank
>within twenty miles. And yeah,
>to those that want it
>to stop raining so their
>hunt can be easy, I
>feel sorry for their overall
>view in life. Sounds a
>lot like the "me" generation
>I am a part of.
>Its a shame.
>
>Now how it will affect the
>elk hunting? Well if we
>keep getting rain, then more
>feed. If we keep getting
>rain like this for a
>few years, then I will
>predict that in a few
>years elk hunting will be
>very very good. As for
>this year,you might have to
>walk further than the nearest
>tank off the road to
>find an elk.

***+1000 Anybody that makes these comments about wanting it to stop raining so their hunting will be easier are self-centered Plicks!!!
 
sweet bull you can kiss my ###. and yes i speak english. i truly am disturbed you agree with no rain for our state???? hunting or not we must have it!!! but you want to make comments and be we talk smart a## to me?? god will help you really understand that you dont know what your talking about at all!!!
 
Let's reign it in gents. Water is always a sore subject in the desert, Southwest. Especially in these days of epic drought. Also remember who is making a statement and realize that much is lost in translation, especially on an internet hunting forum.

Though this drought is dead serious, I actually laughed when I read Mozey's post because I know he is one of the most respectable hunters on this site AND because I know he is the last hunter to worry about sitting water. The dude can outhike and outhunt 98% of the posters in this forum and most likely has a better understanding of and respect for this drought than any of you. I know that about him from years of reading his posts. Don't forget how many threads on this forum are cluttered with questions from dudes asking about hunting water.

I personally hope it continues to piss rain despite knowing that my plans to pattern a couple of giant bulls just got washed down the drain.

-Cody


http://themeateater.com/
www.streamflies.com
 
Agree, I am betting some of the comments were tongue in cheek.

Rain/hail has ruined some of my garden, and I still cant get enough.

Had a boomer miss us today. Maybe tomorrow.
 
Dude get over yourself, all the guy was saying is a comment specifically aimed at rain and elk hunting only. He doesnt want all the cattle to starve and everything to die of lack of water but the elk. His comment wasn't directed to be serious in any broad form, but just pertaining to elk hunting only. Please get some rest or take a drink, or maybe quit drinking, whatever it takes to relax. As for me and elk hunting purposes only i would hope it stopped raining also, but if your starving or something and all the cattle are about to die, i hope it rains. What a tool.
 
Mahoppe - Your 2nd post, much like your 1st, is so poorly worded that I can't tell if you're coming or going. If you actually read my post then you will see that it's 100 % pro rain. Please learn how to write, and more importantly, learn basic reading comprehension before posting on public forums.

I can also vouch that Mozey is one of the better hunters/shed hunters out there, as I have scouted some of the same bulls he has, although his success rate on them is better than mine!

Got at least 2" of rain in the Jemez the last few days, but still not enough. The rains have been good for scouting, as the elk are spreading out much more, but still found a dry tank though. Saw some hungry cattle. Keep the rain coming.
 
And that is exactly why I didn't name any names. If it applies to you, so be it. As for mahoppe, I also don't know whether you're coming or going... Let it rain.
 
Was in 16a this past weekend. The Cooney tanks don't look like much more than a big wallow. The grass has really taken off and the elk have put on a lot of weight in the last month, but all the tanks aren't anywhere near being full. We still need a few more inches out there.
 
Updating the precip from around the Gila area.

July was above average for most stations and a few had truly impressive rain totals. 10.05" at the Mogollon station, 7.6" at the Magdalena station, and 6.24" at Pelona Mt.

Rainfall totals from Apr 1 to July 30 (think of it as cumulative precip for the growing season-- antlers or vegetation). Colored circles are 10 mile radius around each RAWS station. Towns are in italics, station names and rainfall totals in regular print.

Again, data from here:
http://weather.nmsu.edu/ws/network/raws/

Compared to to "normal" amounts based historic records the July rains brought most stations up to historic norms (Beaverhead is still behind the average) and a few to way beyond normal. Here's rainfall from nearby long term stations for April- July for the previous 50+ years:

Station........ apr- july Precip (in)
Beaverhead...... 4.12
Glenwood........ 4.4
Luna...... 4.77
Magdalena....... 4.37
Quemado... 3.46


Good luck everybody!!

gila_rain_jul13_zpsa2e55800.jpg
[/URL]
 
Thanks salsola for clearing things up. I'm hearing of tanks overflowing in 13 and 15. I wish it would have come sooner but rain in the gila is always a good thing overall. Salsola where do you get those charts from, if you dont mind sharing. I have been searching on the internet for those for arizona also. I would take a tag in the gila with a smile on my face even on a drought year, good luck to all you guys this year who have them.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-31-13 AT 08:16PM (MST)[p]Not sure which charts you are asking about. The long term data comes from here: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmnm.html
and the monthly data comes from the other website I posted. This might get you AZ info (site is down right now): http://azclimate.asu.edu/

The map is DIY using ArcGIS. One of the perks of my otherwise boring day job. Hope that helps.

Weather data can be frustrating because it is so site-specific. Just because the RAWS station got that much rain it could be completely different just a few miles away. I crossed the state east to west over the weekend and was shocked at how much of the state still looked droughty then 20 miles down the road the grass was lush and green. It's all local all the time.
 
Very cool, salsola.

Confirms what I've actually witnessed in my hunt area: the tanks are full, the ground is spongy wet, and there's lots of recent erosion. For those that think it can't rain too much, especially in a fire scarred area, I wish you could have been with me as I was exploring the Los Conchas fire scar immediately after a big gully washer. Incredible how much the landscape changed in just one afternoon. In one particular canyon, I came across three different dead bull elk, all buried in mud up to their velvet covered antlers. It appeared that they all escaped the fire, only to get caught in the subsequent flash flood. At the bottom of that particular canyon was a 15-foot high pile of very large uprooted pines that had initially survived the fire only to be lost to flash flood. If you've ever witnessed a flash flood, and I've been lucky to have barely escaped from a couple, you've seen that the water is dirt black, because it takes all the top soil with it and leaves just the bare rocks.

In my hunt area, I think the conditions are getting pretty close to where there could be that sort of perfect storm. I'm not saying it can't use the rain, but it probably needs to be gentler and spaced out a little more.

Anyway, it's useless to get emotional over such things, because regardless of what any of us may hope for, it's not going to add or subtract a .01 of an inch either way regarding what mother nature decides to do. But just for the record, the tanks I'm hoping to concentrate my hunt near are at least three miles from the nearest road. I've been called many things in my life, but nothing more insulting than a lazy-azzed-tank-sitting-road-hunter. Ouch... ;-)

Not sure I'm worthy, but thanks anyway Cody & Kevin for the kind words...
 

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