Wyoming Winter Vs. Wildlife 2005

Elkhunter

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WINTER VS. WILDLIFE 2005; UNFORTUNATELY A SIMILAR REPLAY TO LAST FEW YEARS

2/25/2005

CHEYENNE Another winter similar to the last few at this juncture in Wyomings basins and plains has wildlife managers proclaiming a similar lament: winter big game losses should be low, but so are chances of Wyomings prolonged drought breaking any time soon.

The exception to the
"open winter" is the significant snowpack in the Cokeville, Kemmerer and LaBarge areas areas that also experienced greater than average snowpack last winter.

The Game and Fish Department
s regional wildlife management coordinators or "supervisory terrestrial biologists" recently offered their insights about winters status. Bill Rudd, of southwest Wyoming reported Feb. 25 that severe winter has vexed the Kemmerer and Cokeville vicinity for 5-6 weeks with conditions moderating as elevations taper to the east. Last years conditions inflicted considerable losses to fawns and older deer and he predicts another year of higher than usual winter mortality in the area.

"Otherwise, as far as wildlife goes, winter is no big deal in southwest Wyoming," said Rudd, citing mild conditions across the Red Desert, including the popular deer hunting area around Baggs.

The Pinedale/Big Piney/Jackson region has experienced its typical winter deep freeze without the typical snow depths, reports Scott Smith in Pinedale.
""We started off with good snow accumulation in late October and early November but since then, significant snow storms have been scarce," he said. "Many of the south facing slopes associated with big game winter ranges are now snow free."

Smith said nothing reflects those conditions more than the National Elk Refuge being able to delay supplemental feeding until late February.

Winter has been so mildeek in the Cody Region that February helicopter surveys found bighorn sheep at 11,000 feet and elk widely dispersed on high clinging to ridges overlooking typical winter range. Hence, Kevin Hurley of Cody, expects doe:fawn and cow:calf survival ratios to be impacted little by winter.

"The winter in the Rawlins area started off like a good one but is now bare," reports Tom Ryder, who oversees terrestrial biology from Dubois to Rawlins. He adds only 12 bull elk have been documented on the G&Fs Red Rim Habitat Area where over 350 elk succumbed to eating lichen in February and March 2004.

He rates the rest of his region as very open except for the Lander Valley with
"a more normal winter" with only south slopes being bare.

Bob Lanka of Laramie, compares the string of open winters in southeast Wyoming to
"placing the needle back in the same groove of the record." The analogy is echoed from northeast and east-central Wyoming.

"Yes, open winters assist big game to survive the season," Lanka said, "but the continued drought is taking its toll on habitat conditions which is a long-term detriment to populations."

Wyomings fisheries supervisors have the same lament, particularly for trout. Al Conder of Casper says as the drought lowers water levels it increases temperatures both in reservoirs and streams.

"This is usually not a problem for our cool/warm waters species of fish such as walleye or bass, but warm water temperature is a real threat to our coldwater species," he said. "Trout experience significant mortality at prolonged exposure to water temperatures greater that 75 degrees Fahrenheit and temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit are lethal. We have lost several of our trout fisheries to low water, warm temperatures and low oxygen and unfortunately we will lose more in 2005 if the drought continues."

With the extremely mild winter in the Cody Region, Steve Yekel is very concerned about summer water levels.
"However, we have not recorded any winterkill conditions in the region to date," he said.

One upshot of the lack of winter, Yekel adds, has been great open water fishing on Buffalo Bill Reservoir this February.

Mike Snigg of Laramie is also thankful for his region has not experienced a winterkill to date,
"But we have about another month to go before we are in the clear." He believes aerators have saved Meeboer and Gelatt lakes from winterkill this year.

"On the flip side, it is encouraging to see increasing snowpack conditions in the Snowy Range which will provide improved stream flows and increasing water levels in area lakes and reservoirs," Snigg said.

He cautioned anglers not to get too excited because large lakes and reservoirs such as Hattie and Wheatland Reservoir No. 3 will take a number of above average years of moisture to recover.

Due to a classic El Nino, meteorologist Don Day of Cheyenne is optimistic March through May will be good moisture months for Wyoming
or at least parts of the Cowboy State.

This weather-altering phenomena of warmer than usual water along the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, has been the catalyst for the chronic storms hitting the southwest United States, he believes.

Day, whose Day Weather, Inc. provides weather forecasts to radio stations, newspapers and businesses, is predicting that storm track will ease north through the spring.
"The moisture should be very good for the southern Wind River Range south to the Colorado border," he said.

He said moisture prospects should also improve for the parched areas of northern Wyoming, but Sheridan will not receive the levels in Encampment. He expects a profound moisture gradient going from Colorado to Montana.

"The West has a history of 5-to 7-year cycles of 3 to 4 years of drought followed by 2 to 3 years of good moisture," Day said. "Thats exactly what were seeing in the southwest right now with the deluges they are experiencing."

He envisions the drought to continue breaking northward through the next year.

-WGFD-
 
jesus christ, i need glasses!
 
First I was going to ask why this didn't get posted in SI, but now I see only the CLOSET QUEEN would have the experience at reading that fine of print. :D :D :D
 
I musta missed some thing, looks fine to me... ;)
We are looking at the water table only being at 50% this summer... :eek:
 
Same here...the font seems fine to me. LOL maybe ELKCHSR and I have better eyes than y'all...LOL LOL
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