Colorado winter kill.

[ColoradoV]

Just a heads up but many area of Colo will see significant winterkill for mulies this winter…. I am in pagosa/Durango/silverton area for the next while and there is 2-4’ more snow here than even a big winter. I lived in Durango for 8 years and the most snowpack I have seen here. Unless the deer made it to nm they pry did not make the winter.

Gunnison basin will soon have more snowpack than 2008 and that was the year that changed hunting in there forever. We already have more than 2017’ winter and that year there was 80%+ fawn mortality. I helped a buddy on a3rd rifle tag in the basin last year we ate it and I would not plan on it getting better but worse this yr.

Nw corner of Colorado announced 40%+ cuts on all tags not just mulies other places will likely or should follow suit.

About the only place that will not see impactful winterkill for mulies will be the front range units and eastern plains.

Sad to see and very real at this point..

 

[JimP]

This winter has been a strange one. I sit in a valley just off of I-70 and while we have gotten snow most of it has melted off within a few days. I took a drive a while ago to the south up Gypsum Creek and you really don't get into a lot of snow until you are almost into the canyon. But the hills around us has been packed with snow all winter and the animals that I have seen are all doing quite well.

Just not as many of them as there should be, but that has been a ongoing problem for years.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I live 1/2 way between Dolores & Cortez, west of Durango. We had more snow that I have seen in many years. I am sure we have had more than our normal amount of winter kill, but still seeing quite a few deer every day. Havn't been able to up to Disappointment/Dry Creek Basin yet, a big wintering area. Hope to take a drive up there next week as I got the OK to start driving again after surgery.

 

[disabled combat vet]

Do you know how chimney rock / pagosa area is doing ?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Do you know how chimney rock / pagosa area is doing ?

More than normal, but a lot of has melted. The higher altitude mountain areas got a lot.

 

[disabled combat vet]

More than normal, but a lot of has melted. The higher altitude mountain areas got a lot.

yeah my friend lives across from chimney rock and we hunt the forest service by his house and arcuhleta creek area

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

My son and I went for a drive yesterday to Disappointment and Dry Creek Basin. Still some snow, but not bad. Saw lots of deer, some elk and a few antelope, a small group of Desert Bighorns and lots of turkeys. Looks pretty much like normal. This is prime winter range and the animals are there!

 

[RICMIC]

I just spoke to my bud who told me that just about every four legged wild critter is dying or already dead where he lives (Raymond Mts., south of Afton, WY. His son found 5 dead antelope yesterday, the local deer are in as bad shape, and even mature bull elk have been found dead. The elk are swarming the haystacks, and some of the ranchers are not chasing them off unless they are short of feed. Several years ago, when there was less snow, but colder weather, they found a half dozen dead elk calves right behind the ranch. There is four feet on the flats, and some drifts that are triple that.
On the other hand, the desert to the SW here they winter their sheep was almost bare until a foot came recently. That was actually good news for them because it had been a severe drought.
I would expect that there areas where there are elk feed-grounds, that the elk are likely doing OK.