Harsh winter effects on this years elk hunt

[Hike4Elk]

Wanted to get some feedback on how the harsh Utah winter might affect the elk hunt this fall. I'm planning to draw a LE September archery tag and wanted to know what you guys have seen in the past with the rut timing/ intensity or other factors after a bad winter- thanks

 

[Bux n Dux]

Wanted to get some feedback on how the harsh Utah winter might affect the elk hunt this fall. I'm planning to draw a LE September archery tag and wanted to know what you guys have seen in the past with the rut timing/ intensity or other factors after a bad winter- thanks

It will sure make sitting water less effective… Feed will be more available, which could spread them out more… and then there is the obvious winter kill issue, which could be killing elk that otherwise would be available to hunt.

 

[DBLung]

Permit numbers are about to be published. If the DWR wants a chance to prove they're not about the money, they will decrease tag numbers. If tag numbers stay the same as last year, it will be clear there is no science behind their decisions. The worst thing that can happen this fall is, lots of hunters and nothing to hunt.

 

[Bux n Dux]

Permit numbers are about to be published. If the DWR wants a chance to prove they're not about the money, they will decrease tag numbers. If tag numbers stay the same as last year, it will be clear there is no science behind their decisions. The worst thing that can happen this fall is, lots of hunters and nothing to hunt.

How do you figure that? Most units in utah have wintered very well for elk.

…and the state just revised most age objectives to increase tag numbers and hunter opportunities for bull elk, which this season will be the first to reflect that. So obviously, numbers will go up as a result of that.

But by all means, just make outrageous assumptions. ?

 

[littlebighorn]

Permit numbers are about to be published. If the DWR wants a chance to prove they're not about the money, they will decrease tag numbers. If tag numbers stay the same as last year, it will be clear there is no science behind their decisions. The worst thing that can happen this fall is, lots of hunters and nothing to hunt.

I totally disagree DB!
Tag numbers are based on the unit biologist's counts and estimates on the population and health of each herd they oversee. How many tags they issue has no positive effect on their paltry salary so tag numbers they recommend are based on their work in the field.
It's a slap in the face of hard working underpaid DWR biologists to say they are in it for the money!

 

[Robiland]

You will be fine this year for archery hunting. Tags for most of the state will remain the same. Everyone is up in arms about the elk herd. One thing the DWR can do and should do, would be to eliminate all cow tags for northern Utah. NO archery choice cow/spike tags, just spikes. Doing this just one year, maybe 2, will help return the herds to pre 2023 winter or better. May be a few less big bulls, but they will be there. Everything will be fine. This is not the 1st hard winter. And wont be our last.

 

[wstrntines]

Wanted to get some feedback on how the harsh Utah winter might affect the elk hunt this fall. I'm planning to draw a LE September archery tag and wanted to know what you guys have seen in the past with the rut timing/ intensity or other factors after a bad winter- thanks

There will be plenty of elk to hunt as well as plenty more places they can live and get water. You’ll have fun and you probably won’t have to deal with smoke from wildfires.

 

[dvolmer]

Deer and antelope were hit very hard. Elk are able to handle bad winters very well as long as there isn't a bunch of wolves. Deep snow they can handle, deep snow and wolves not so much. Makes them easy pickin's!

 

[BrowningRage]

For the majority of units, the winter won't have the impact many think it will. I've been in Southern and Central Utah several times over the past month and there was not the deep snow covered ground like Northern Utah. Id say anything north of Highway 40 will have it much harder than the rest of the state... Get your tag and go hunt. What if winter is like this for the next 3 years.? Or if the drought ramps up? Or you are struck by lightning..?

 

[huntin50]

Older bull elk are suffering especially this year in Northern Utah. More so in the last 30 plus years IMO. Sad. A normal winter many of these would have survived. It snowed another 10 inches on Cache Valley benches last night.
34 years ago April 6th I was married in Logan. 60 degrees, people planting gardens, flowers were out, lawns were being mowed, people golfing. This year, 2 FEET of snow in my yard. I'm 60 years old and never remember a winter like this. Prepare for flooding.

 

[middlefork]

Been a few years bigger but yes the valley has been hit hard.

 

[huntin50]

On the news today it said we have 3 more inches of water in our snow pack than the floods of 1983. I think it was Northern Utah. Statewide snow pack is 201%, and snowing.
Tony Grove has 14 feet of snow with a lot of water content.

 

[middlefork]

The information on snow pack is basically being generated by the snotel sites.

How those sites are averaged is one way to look at it. I posted two individual sites that influence Cache Valley water supplies. Both were current SWE totals generated at the time. And the historic high SWE recorded by both sites.

I'm not arguing your personal observations concerning the snow pack in Cache Valley.

I'm guessing 1983 totals don't show up on these two sites because they were not recording in1983. 1983,1984 do show in others.

CBRFC Map

www.cbrfc.noaa.gov

 

[30Hart]

Deer and antelope were hit very hard. Elk are able to handle bad winters very well as long as there isn't a bunch of wolves. Deep snow they can handle, deep snow and wolves not so much. Makes them easy pickin's!

Not totally true...Wyoming is taking a beating on elk in non wolf areas, huge winterkill.

 

[middlefork]

This may explain better my post above.

Utah's snowpack breaks 71-year-old record; Cox issues flood declaration as melt nears

Utah's snowpack is now higher than it has ever been since statewide records were first established in the 1930s. That is leading to more flood planning in Utah.

www.ksl.com

 

[all4freedom]

Permit numbers are about to be published. If the DWR wants a chance to prove they're not about the money, they will decrease tag numbers. If tag numbers stay the same as last year, it will be clear there is no science behind their decisions. The worst thing that can happen this fall is, lots of hunters and nothing to hunt.

They are proposing an increase in tags. Money!!!!

 

[c3]

I only have anecdotal evidence, but often these epic snow years are good for elk if they can get down low enough.

In 2010 on the San Juan unit, Camp Jackson above Blanding had 600" of snow that killed all the turkeys on the unit and many of the deer. The elk actually did really well and grew giant front ends with 100 deg temps in early May and tons of water down low.

It snowed, sleeted and rained on them all June and July that year when they went up high and they all had dinky top ends.

Like I said 100 deg temps in April and May can make for some giant front ends with and epic winter before

Cheers, Pete

 

[sneakem]

I've also witnessed the opposite as animals nearly starve as their bodies generally usually use the nutrition at the start of the antler growth instead to regain body condition.

Almost every catastophic winter I've witnessed in my short life has resulted in subpar horn growth. Especially with the winter/early spring ranges in terrible condition due to years of drought.

 

[phantom]

I talked with a friend out by Morgan/Hennefer, and he said the DWR folks have come out and picked up 55 dead bull elk plus some cows that have starved. I find this upsetting. Was there anything done to try to help these animals?? Can anything be done now or is it too late? I support the RMEF but never got an email on a "raise money for feed" nor from other groups. I know winters are hard and this one is record setting, but I don't see much being done to help these animals until spring. What can be done? I have heard WY is really bad. Is anybody feeding the elk in WY??

 

[JPickett]

the same guys that always kill elk, will kill elk again this year everywhere. it really is true 10% of the hunters are 90% of the harvest with elk. ive worked hard to be in that 10% myself.

"wolves have ruined this area"- ive kill bulls there

"winter killed them all and F&G didn't do a thing"- ive killed bulls there

"too crowded now! something needs to be done with tags!!!"- ive killed bulls there

ive found way better excuse makers then elk hunters in most of my experience.

but, carry on

 

[nontypical]

I talked with a friend out by Morgan/Hennefer, and he said the DWR folks have come out and picked up 55 dead bull elk plus some cows that have starved. I find this upsetting. Was there anything done to try to help these animals?? Can anything be done now or is it too late? I support the RMEF but never got an email on a "raise money for feed" nor from other groups. I know winters are hard and this one is record setting, but I don't see much being done to help these animals until spring. What can be done? I have heard WY is really bad. Is anybody feeding the elk in WY??

WGFD have been feeding elk for a couple months now.

 

[Homer]

WGFD have been feeding elk for a couple months now.

lol....very few of them....in the big picture

 

[BBB]

Wyoming feeds 20,000 elk a year, that’s the Manti and Wasatch herds combined. I’d say that’s more than a few.

 

[phantom]

I am glad to see that some feeding was going on. Still sad to see all the deaths.

 

[elkhunterUT]

Guys need to chill on the "Sky is falling" narrative. Of course there has been some mortality for Elk in some areas due to this winter, but no way should it discourage you from applying and hunting this year.

I am watching the Utah Wildlife Board working session right now and they just shared mortality data for elk that are collared. They are seeing a 96% survival rate for collared elk across the state. They said there are certainly some pockets that have been hit fairly hard (northern part of the state mostly), but it is not as catastrophic as people are spouting on this website and others.

Put in and have a good hunt if you draw - I understand the angst in burning a lot of points and the worry about having a herd to hunt after a harsh winter, but I would base my decision on real data and not some chicken littles on MM.

 

[BBB]

I agree with elkhunterUT when it comes to elk. The sky isn’t falling for elk. Wyoming doesn’t emergency feed elk due to heavy winters as much as to mitigate crop damage and livestock/elk interaction (disease management). They’re annual feeding grounds have been around for decades. Wyoming has been feeding elk since the 40’s I believe.

 

[desperatehills]

I just looked up my elk unit in Wyoming......they added 25 tags