Winter: How bad was it?

[daveytech]

This topic has probably been covered well but now that people have been out scouting I want to ask.

Did the winter take a toll on the areas that you hunt?

Are you seeing less older or younger deer?

Thanks!

[MuleyMadness]

No effect in my area, Southern Utah.

[bigbuck92]

Im still seeing fawns with spots here. We had a really bad winter and im guessing we're gonna have a early winter this year by the feeling in the mornings.

[Bowtech43]

I've been hunting the Wasatch Extended Area and up here it seems like business as usual. I had an elk herd of 10 cow and 13 calf come about 50 yards from where I was hunting and many of the calf were tiny. So it seems like the elk did fine, and I haven't noticed a drop off in the deer either as I saw 20+ in two days. I actually killed a 3x3 yesterday that was very healthy and plump. I heard the north and northeastern units were hit the hardest. Can anyone confirm that?

[WillysDad]

I think they estimated a 2/3 mortality rate here for mule deer fawns. No indication if it was from wolves, etc.. or the long winter. Our last snow storm was June 26th.

[daveytech]

WillysDad: That mortality rate sounds pretty bad to me. What was the source of that information?

That is unfortunate because I really, really like Idaho. Could wolves really be responsible for so many deaths?

BTW: MuleyMadness - I like the site/forum update. Nice and clean.

[WillysDad]

Not sure where I read that. Wolves are for sure taking their toll. Here in eastern Idaho we recieved somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 in. of snow. I was still snowboarding through June and would have been still into July had I not broke my ankle. I'll search for the source of the info. I have to say that I have not seen a single fawn this whole summer. :>/I've been scouting in unit 67 mostly and a bit in 65. I've seen lots of does! I hope someone comes in and tells me I had heard that info incorrectly. I'll check the Fish&Game.

[79Ford]

Havent been out scouting much, but during the winter we saw less and less last years faws as the winter progressed. Winter grounds for the area i hunt had probably 4-5 feet of snow, hard for the deer to survive that.

[m gardner]

Doesn't look like the winter hurt them in southern Utah but the lions and coyotes have been whacking them pretty good. Less than 30% of the does have a fawn with them. The dogs were out every night chasing which put the deer out of the area occasionally. We had two bucks leave abrubtly and when we left the stand about 100 yards away there were the tracks of a large lion in the dust over our tracks.
Mark

[Huge29]

Price DWR office indicated that the estimate for that area was 60% mortality this year vs Anis, I think it was him, indicated that the state long-term average is about 40%, which may indicate not nearly as big of a problem as I had expected from what I am seeing out there.