hoshour
Veteran member
Contact the Gunnison CPW office and ask for the area manager or another biologist. (970)*641-7060
Disastrous winter in Gunnison
- Thread starter ColoradoV
- Start date
Hilltop
Veteran member
I flew over the area on Friday. The snow pack is very localized when viewed from the air. It really looked weird how some areas looked bare and spring like while others were still just packed with snow. Hopefully the animals were willing to migrate long distance to get to better winter ground.
Farmer
New Member
I spoke with CPW a short time ago and they will not commit to how the deer are doing. They say it will not become apparent til early May which we all know is not workable for anyone applying for tags... When I inquired about Cottonwood Pass being paved they admitted that work is expected to begin this summer and the road from Taylor Reservoir all the way to Buena Vista will be CLOSED to all traffic for approximately two years!!! Anyone planning on hunting up there had better think again. Anyone who hunts that general area will see an influx of these hunters who cannot hunt off of CR306 (Cottonwood Pass Road) for the time being. Perhaps "Plan B"...
oneye
Member
Winter kill is barely setting in. Any deer already dead from the winter were not in good shape going into it. The transition from winter to spring is the hardest time on deer and is when the majority of "winter kill" occurs. So from now until May is about the time you'll see the biggest losses. It's been a sad year in some areas, I was thinking about trying to pull a tag this year, I will likely just apply for a point.
oneye
Member
Sadly it's been pretty proven mule deer will faithfully go back to their winter range year after year and won't adjust much at all. I've seen areas get habitat projects done surrounding deer winter range and the deer simply will not use it and stick to the areas they have always wintered. Muley's are a very habitual animal, and sometimes to their dismay.
hoshour
Veteran member
I disagree that winter kill is barely setting in. The biologists I've talked to in OR and WY have seen a lot of dead deer and started seeing them in the middle of winter. Yet they told me the deer went into the winter in really good shape. Not sure yet about CO but in OR, SE ID and a large portion of WY the winter kill is going to be very high and the fawn survival this spring will be very poor.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
A neighbor and I found 6 fawn & yearling dead deer last week. Called CPW and a biologist came out and took some samples. We got a skiploader and buried them. He called today and they died of Brucellosis. He said it probably came from cows. Also told us it is more of a problem around here than most people knew. Nothing much can be done either.
MountainHigh
Active Member
Got a response today from Gunny CPW: I would caution you that license numbers are likely going to be reduced this year. The last several years of below average survival paired with this winter make license reductions necessary to maintain our management objectives. The Gunnison climate has never been a friend of mule deer management.
mandrroofing
New Member
- Jan 26, 2014
- 41
- 0
It looks like there's going to be a meeting on the matter
http://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=6068&utm_source=CPW+Insider&utm_campaign=6faa81e0e9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e63c9b81f-6faa81e0e9-107052945
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http://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=6068&utm_source=CPW+Insider&utm_campaign=6faa81e0e9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e63c9b81f-6faa81e0e9-107052945
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- Oct 4, 2011
- 819
- 935
Hats off to the CPW many times they have missed the boat but this year they are doing what is right and at the license recommendation meeting held yesterday they announced big cuts to tags. The below numbers are how many tags hunters can expect will be reduced from the 2016 numbers.
66 and 67 will see the tags cut 50% across the board..
54 will see 55-60% cut in total tags...
551 and 55 will see a 70%- 80% cut in total tags...
For example 55 2nd deer season will see a cut from about 200 tags last year to about 40 this year.
IMO the tag cuts are warranted as now it is abundantly clear to everyone that the basin is again in a rebuilding phase. The winter is that bad and unfortunate to see that these areas were with out a doubt the hardest hit in Colorado this winter anyway.
66 and 67 will see the tags cut 50% across the board..
54 will see 55-60% cut in total tags...
551 and 55 will see a 70%- 80% cut in total tags...
For example 55 2nd deer season will see a cut from about 200 tags last year to about 40 this year.
IMO the tag cuts are warranted as now it is abundantly clear to everyone that the basin is again in a rebuilding phase. The winter is that bad and unfortunate to see that these areas were with out a doubt the hardest hit in Colorado this winter anyway.
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Farmer
New Member
Thanks ColoradoV for the info on tag reductions in the basin. I'm guessing you've seen the Gunnison situation first hand am I correct? Do I commit my 12 points to be one of the few hunting one of the few mulies??? At 71-years old I ain't got many solo high country hunts left in me and I can hardly expect to ever have 12 points again, don't ya know.
hoshour
Veteran member
- Oct 4, 2011
- 819
- 935
Here is the best link to the notice of meeting I could find there was a notice in the Crested Butte paper as well.
http://pagosasprings.com/big-game-licensing-open-house/
http://pagosasprings.com/big-game-licensing-open-house/
hoshour
Veteran member
Thanks. What I meant was, "Where did you see the specific recommendations that were announced at the meeting?"
- Oct 4, 2011
- 819
- 935
The numbers were presented at the meeting by CPW employees/biologists and the notice of the meeting was printed in several local papers. There is a number to call if you want the info from the cpw the phone number is printed in the press release. Folks knew about this meeting as people have been talking about it for more than a week or many people felt there was going to be big cuts to tags due to the winter. I believe the depth of cuts is the right recommendation but did surprise some..
The cuts the cpw staff talked at the meeting about are the recommendations that will be given to the commission in May and they (the commission) rarely change the recommendations on tag allocation they are given.
Every single "deer" person I talk with who has been around or seen the winter ground first hand this winter feel the cuts are warranted as the 2-3 week storm was in fact a real storm with very real impacts on the deer..
It is the hope and belief of the folks I talk with that the cuts will help the deer recover faster. As after 08 the DOW stuck their head in the sand for a full year until they admitted there was a big problem that many of us saw first hand... Well this year there is full acknowledgement by the cpw of a huge winter kill that will impact the area especially 55 and 551 for IMO a min of 4-5 years. IMO it took about 7 - 8 years for the area to start to recover from the winter kill of 2008. If anyone does not believe the winter kill is real at this point I believe they are either misinformed or choosing to stick their head in the sand..
I also have a bit or lifetime of history around here - hunted deer the year before and after the 08 winter kill and can tell you that the difference between the 07 and 08 hunting early season was just staggering. Walking into basins that in 2007 with 12 - 15 bucks in 07 held 0-1 in 08.. Take off pack repeat and see same thing was the cycle of that year. Or I would plan on some of the blue chip units will not be so blue chip this year lol..
Now off for me to ski as the 8" of snow that fell last night at my house and the foot or so at I believe I will hit up Monarch today as it got a bit more than CB over the past couple of days - should make for another day of great skiing on what has turned out to be one epic ski season...
The cuts the cpw staff talked at the meeting about are the recommendations that will be given to the commission in May and they (the commission) rarely change the recommendations on tag allocation they are given.
Every single "deer" person I talk with who has been around or seen the winter ground first hand this winter feel the cuts are warranted as the 2-3 week storm was in fact a real storm with very real impacts on the deer..
It is the hope and belief of the folks I talk with that the cuts will help the deer recover faster. As after 08 the DOW stuck their head in the sand for a full year until they admitted there was a big problem that many of us saw first hand... Well this year there is full acknowledgement by the cpw of a huge winter kill that will impact the area especially 55 and 551 for IMO a min of 4-5 years. IMO it took about 7 - 8 years for the area to start to recover from the winter kill of 2008. If anyone does not believe the winter kill is real at this point I believe they are either misinformed or choosing to stick their head in the sand..
I also have a bit or lifetime of history around here - hunted deer the year before and after the 08 winter kill and can tell you that the difference between the 07 and 08 hunting early season was just staggering. Walking into basins that in 2007 with 12 - 15 bucks in 07 held 0-1 in 08.. Take off pack repeat and see same thing was the cycle of that year. Or I would plan on some of the blue chip units will not be so blue chip this year lol..
Now off for me to ski as the 8" of snow that fell last night at my house and the foot or so at I believe I will hit up Monarch today as it got a bit more than CB over the past couple of days - should make for another day of great skiing on what has turned out to be one epic ski season...
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Pajay 1962
New Member
Thanks for the information ColoradoV. I have applied to Unit 55 for muzzleloader this year as the hunt has been booked for the past 2 years. I saw the email the other day from Eastman's about the tag reduction being up to 80% which is what you had stated above. I called the DOW yesterday and they said that they have not made a decision on the number of tags for this year in the unit. So, I have a couple questions that hopefully you can help with: 1) Where did this 80% reduction in tags come from? 2) How do they typically do a reduction? Since they don't hand out a lot of archery or ML tags, do they reduce all tags 80%, or hit the hunt types with a high amount of tags? I've waited a long time to put in for the unit, and of course the year I do, they have a high deer kill!
mandrroofing
New Member
- Jan 26, 2014
- 41
- 0
Hows the elk doing in the area?i am hearing mostly about the deer winter kill i take it the elk are doing well
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