Gunnison Basin Winter

[ColoradoV]

The winter kill in the Gunnison Basin will in the words of the CPW be "extreme" again. The 60's will fair better than the 50's but it is not good. I took a drive Sunday and saw over 50 dead deer then lost the stomach and gave up literally too many for the coyotes to eat. I saw 1 live fawn but many that were dead. It will be a stinky drive down 50 as there are literally 100's of dead deer on the road. Elk seemed to fair better. Next blizzard arrives today with over a foot of new snow.

At this point it is fair to say that we saw a catastrophic winter in both 2016 and 2018. Talk is of limiting tags further but in honesty they need to shut down every hunt in the basin for a couple of years I feel sorry for guys who put in this year as with 2 of 3 extreme winters yea it is going to be a real tough for the next few years.

Just sad.

V

 

[LCH]

Hate to hear that. Thanks for the update.

 

[mallardsx2]

Mother Nature can be pretty damned cruel thats for sure.

Thanks for the update.

 

[hoshour]

Thanks for posting the update, sad as it is. I'll call and see if I can find out if the tags they actually give out gets slashed below what the recommendations were.

It's the Gunnison curse - great country, great genetics and occasional killer winters that really set things back. Having two in three years is just about the kiss of death short-term. But, there will still be some giants that survive to reproduce and build up the herd only to have it get hit again.

 

[mallardsx2]

How much snowfall total did you folks receive this year?

 

[CODAK]

Several areas got over 60”.... in a week...

 

[D_Dubya]

That’s a shame, There will be a whole lot of guys hunting a “blue chip” unit this year who will be very disappointed...maybe a few years before they earn that blue chip status again. I spend a week scouting/vacationing in Crested Butte every summer and another week hunting in October. I was shocked at the drop in deer #’s from ‘16 to ‘17, hate to think that the good fawn crop from last year might be wiped out, but thanks for the update.

 

[Alaskabound2016]

I'll be interested to see what they do to the tags as well. I put in for a few zones around there. Definitely sad to hear how it's getting hammered and killing off the deer. Never like to hear that, especially with the fawns. Hopefully some more info will be available soon.

 

[kidoggy]

The winter kill in the Gunnison Basin will in the words of the CPW be "extreme" again. The 60's will fair better than the 50's but it is not good. I took a drive Sunday and saw over 50 dead deer then lost the stomach and gave up literally too many for the coyotes to eat. I saw 1 live fawn but many that were dead. It will be a stinky drive down 50 as there are literally 100's of dead deer on the road. Elk seemed to fair better. Next blizzard arrives today with over a foot of new snow.

At this point it is fair to say that we saw a catastrophic winter in both 2016 and 2018. Talk is of limiting tags further but in honesty they need to shut down every hunt in the basin for a couple of years I feel sorry for guys who put in this year as with 2 of 3 extreme winters yea it is going to be a real tough for the next few years.

Just sad.

V

look on the bright side . could be the harsh winters is what developed the great genetics.


whatever don't kils ya makes ya stronger!

 

[ore hunter]

do any of the gunison deer go south for winter?I put in for 77,78,711 and I think those deer migrate into new mexico for winter?but I'm not sure?

 

[HiMtnHnter]

do any of the gunison deer go south for winter?I put in for 77,78,711 and I think those deer migrate into new mexico for winter?but I'm not sure?

I would say for the most part, no. The deer that summer up high and head south for the winter are not basin deer. Sure, there are probably some that travel and intermingle but that's the case with many herds.

 

[JimP]

Go to the Colorado Hunting Atlas and take a look. It has a good set up to show you the migration patterns of mule deer that you can use for those units.

https://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html?app=HuntingAtlas

 

[ColoradoV]

Just a couple more thoughts.

I recently spent a 4 days living at 12,000 ft - skiing and scouting the high country of 74,75,76,66, and 65 from snowmachines and even got to take a look at some of the basins from the Silverton heli. Some good looking country that I will go back to for sure once the snow melts. In those units as well as what I saw in the sw corner the animals looked good as while they got a lot of snow they could get below the heavy snow. Been down I-70 recently (think 30's,40's,20's units) visiting the grandma in Glenwood and the animals will be just fine there as well. Sounds like the nw got more snow but I have not been up there.

Many places in Colorado - like just east of the divide where I live - the deer are just fine (I am looking at a group of about 40 deer right now out my window all fat and happy) they can walk down hill or into town to eat. The geography of the gunny basin is such that at a certain point the deer cant get any lower. The snow piles up and they get buried - literally. It usually only happens about 1 year in 10 but we have seen it now 2 of 3 years. Add in no vegetative growth on the winter range due to the drought last year and the basin just had the that "perfect ingredients" for the winter that was not easy on them.

As others have said some deer always make it and the genetics are there and the animals have the best early feed I have seen in quite a while over most of colorado. Or antler growth should be great this year.

 

[ore hunter]

do you think unit 444 deer will be effected,,they at on the north end of the gunison?that was my 2nd choice try?

 

[JimP]

I wouldn't say that 444 is on the north end of the Gunnison area.

The deer on 444 migrate down to Hwy 82 and not much further.

 

[hunter25]

There were scores of happy healthy deer along 82 a couple weeks ago. They've mostly moved back up now and didn't arrive until the very end of winter weather.
Snowfall was not excessive here.
Drawing second choice is not sure though. Didn't work for me last year. Didn't even get 1st choice on the 3rd season. Tag numbers have been cut back quite a bit the last few years.

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