Winter kill update
- Thread starter ccc23454
- Start date
JM77
Well-known member
That's a cool story. Feel better?
I guess my only point was I don’t know what constitutes “fully recovered” or who determines it with what measuring stick. This was just the best idea I had. Happy Monday.
Shangobango
Well-known member
I am in the same boat. As bad as I wanted to try and burn all these pronghorn points in the special before the price hike, I am just buying another point and will just pony up when the time is right.
Maybe I will hit a longshot deer tag in New Mexico or Arizona.
Last edited:
BuzzH
Well-known member
The very last people I would ever believe or talk to, is people that live and hunt in the units in question and have been for the past 5 decades.
As if they would ever know anything about local wildlife herds, populations, etc.
I think that's what a lot of people get frustrated with, they know what it was and saw the potential.
Honestly, the GF will be happy when the older generation of hunters are dead and I'm sure wish they would die. If nobody remembers how it was and remember where the herds were 20-30-40 years ago, they can tell the new hunters and johnnie-come-lately types how fabulous things are.
Ask Jeff about the local pronghorn herd that he and his family hunts instead of being a wise guy.
Would you say a unit that in the past issued over 1000 tags is "recovered" when that unit now issues 75 total tags?
Seems to me there's still a bit of recovering to do...but hey, what do I know?
rogerthat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2015
- Messages
- 2,604
It’s for the kids
JM77
Well-known member
Fully recovered is the number of animals that the habitat can support. All too often we are way far from that number and still issuing licenses. Isn't hunting the tool we use to remove surplus animals?
As far as what constitutes "way over objective" when it comes to elk? You're definitely wrong saying elk are way over objective in most of the state. That's buying into the garbage we were fed by the Task Force. Objectives, in many cases, are political numbers, sometimes determined in part or whole by area landowners.
Want to jump my shit, no problem, buts lets see who you are. I don't hide on these boards, I never have. Happy Monday to you...
BuzzH
Well-known member
I think a good place to start is to look at some historic herd data, quota's, etc.
I would also set some realistic herd objectives based on carrying capacity and science instead of what the GF budget, outfitters, and landowners want.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Nice edit on the buck pronghorn ratio's...you must have actually looked at some numbers. That's what you should do before deciding what's best for the children instead of the pronghorn herds.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2000
- Messages
- 11,620
The Easter Bunny did not stop at Buzz's place.
Winter kill. mtmuley
375H&H
Well-known member
No Easter bunnies left. They just went through a winter holocaust and are in recovery mode.
375H&H
Well-known member
The game and fish needs to stop screwing around and finally hire biologists to help manage the wildlife. No wonder Wyoming hunting has sucked forever.
appaloosa
Well-known member
Are you seriously so bored at work that you have to spend the entire day policing internet forums?
No kidding. Another busy day working for the people at USFS. I came to check over lunch and it was the exact dumpster fire I expected.
BuzzH
Well-known member
My schedule would kill the average man. I typically have more done by noon than most people do by 6 pm, fact.
WesternWyoming
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 10, 2021
- Messages
- 120
Wyoming feeds elk at feed grounds to keep them out of their traditional winter ranges in the basins where there are tasty hay stacks. So elk are doing OK, and are over objectives in most places; hence, increases in tags. Deer & pronghorn are in bad, bad shape because of this winter's deep, long cold and unusually deep snows that cover the sagebrush, their primary winter diet. WGFD doesn't feed them (generally) because their digestive systems can't handle it.
Is that Mountain Time Zone? Just checking times and to do lists before I bow to you....
I understand what you're saying. As far as snow levels it's pretty normal here in the upper snake region of Idaho. A little more than normal and sticking around later than usual but nothing earth shattering. A few areas set record snowfalls. But no PANIC levels reported. Our issue is the melting and re-freezing. It happened in my area twice. Instead of fluffy snow the animal have to dig through to feed it becomes ice they have to chip. That burns more calories. It was weeks after that first melt that we started seeing crows flying around that wintering area. Then it did it again. Idaho needs to get on it and starting cutting some tags back NOW.A couple of interesting things.
First, I think we have a recency bias in our views of the severity. It doesn't mean this isn't a bad winter, rather it means relative to our recent memory it is terrible. Generally, winters had been mild for the past few decades. I recognize the issue isn't just total snow fall amount but the hardening of the snowpack that is the biggest problem. In trying to find something positive, I think if we give the animals a break, they will rebound. They were built to survive these.
View attachment 271002
Second, You can watch the entire snow season here, Nationwide or by region, in the animate section. Some areas are not hit as hard as others or got the benefit of melting. You can also see the bad areas where the snow came and never loosened its grip.
National Snow Analyses - NOHRSC - The ultimate source for snow information
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov
