Wyoming Snow

[tim81212]

How are the antelope herds in the Casper - Medicine Bow area handling the snow? I hear it's way above average this year and I want to come out next season.

 

[Djfan]

I haven't heard any news about die-offs yet. I moved from So. Wyoming to NE Wyoming this year. My old town is getting hammered by snow. Up here - not so much.

 

[ccc23454]

Whopper winter wallops wildlife - WyoFile

In the light of severe winter weather, managers instate emergency feeding for western Wyoming elk, though other ungulates are left to nature’s whims. Biologists hope to avoid a repeat of the deadly ‘17 winter.

wyofile.com

 

[nrpate05]

Can't say about that area, but my coworker in Kemmerer says the deer are taking a beating this winter. I drove 191 through Pinedale a couple weeks ago and there were areas where the snow was deep enough that it covered all of the sagebrush. Wind hammered it too so tough to paw through. Hopefully it'll ease up soon.

 

[Fremont15]

Here in Central Wy this is the worst winter of my lifetime, and there is another big storm projected for mid week.

 

[manitou1]

We are North of Casper and winter has been pretty rough.
Snow cover since early November in the prairie, coupled with record setting low temps and 45-60mph winds has hardened the snow.
The last storm last week or two we saw antelope bed and never get up, dying in their beds.
The mointains have a LOT of snow.
A two-edged sword: We need moisture, but the cold and winds are hurting wildlife IMO.
March is our worst winter month here.
We have another snow beginning tonight. My fear is that a rough March may be a "nail in the coffin" for wildlife.

 

[Bob-WY]

Hard to say yet, next 6 weeks is key

 

[manitou1]

Now they are calling for another 8-12" of snow with 35-45 mph winds Tue-Wed this week here. Negative 11-negative 20 ambient temps Tue-Thu.

 

[Watts307]

How are the antelope herds in the Casper - Medicine Bow area handling the snow? I hear it's way above average this year and I want to come out next season.

Their all dead....frozen stiffs. Best checkout Colorado

 

[TOGIE]

Ours are dead too. Probs should take a peak at Texas

 

[El Guapo]

Its not hard to tell in South Central Wyo. There are wildlife yarded up where I've never seen them winter in 50+ years. From a line running sw/ne at the Quealy Dome to Bosler area west, conditions are rough. Have lost a lot of antelope already and we're set to lose a lot more.

 

[appaloosa]

This next week is going to be real bad if the forecast is correct.

 

[Kiwi]

Sounds rough! Just hope the forecast is wrong for the next week.

 

[tim81212]

Ours are dead too. Probs should take a peak at Texas

 

[jt13]

If pronghorn numbers keep declining like this, in 10 years it'll take a dozen points in the special draw and $8000 in an outfitter's pocket to shoot one off a pivot in Crook County

 

[buffybr]

I drive from Bozeman to Denver and back every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and early February. I usually see hundreds of antelope through Wyoming on those drives.

I drove back to Montana last Friday and didn't see a single antelope in Wyoming.

 

[WildWill]

If pronghorn numbers keep declining like this, in 10 years it'll take a dozen points in the special draw and $8000 in an outfitter's pocket to shoot one off a pivot in Crook County

And there will be a line of people out the door who'll happily pay to shoot it.




It's the time (past time) to rethink the antelope type 6 tags for a few years. They need less pressure and a few years of good weather. We can't do anything about the weather but we can give them some relief in the pressure department.

 

[perma]

Nothing matters until next week after this nasty incoming storm.

 

[Bluffgruff]

And there will be a line of people out the door who'll happily pay to shoot it.




It's the time (past time) to rethink the antelope type 6 tags for a few years. They need less pressure and a few years of good weather. We can't do anything about the weather but we can give them some relief in the pressure department.

Type 6 tags are an important management tool, and are typically adjusted up and down annually. Antelope have incredible reproductive potential when times are good, twins for most adult does, and bucks reach full size at 2.5-3.5 years. Having too many on the range for it to support leads to larger winter die-offs when bad storms hit and animals are migrating to find food on limited severe winter ranges.
I think wyoming is more adaptive with antelope type 6 tags than with other species, and I suspect appropriate cuts will happen in response to winter kill.

While we all like seeing a ton of animals whether hunting or riding, the more important thing is for there to be balance between numbers and habitat to sustain a healthy and resilient herd.

 

[littlebighorn]

Like everything else in life, there are good and bad years.
Antelope have survived plenty of bad winters, and if this is one of them, they will eventually cycle back.
We will just have to be patient to see it happen.