Record Snowfall

[Nuck]

I live on the east coast. It looks like areas in the west are getting pounded with snow this year(like southwest Co). It has been many years since some of these areas have had snow of this magnitude. Just curious if anyone had any information how the elk herds are handling all of this snow. I know winter grounds are shrinking, just worried about the herd.

[WapitiTalk1]

Good question....

[RAMMONT]

I live one the east coast. It looks like areas in the west are getting pounded with snow this year(like southwest Co). It has been many years since some of these areas have had snow of this magnitude. Just curious if anyone had any information how the elk herds are handling all of this snow. I know winter grounds are shrinking, just worried about the herd.

What people "know" isn't necessarily true.
Where I live in Montana we had far more snow last year. On the other hand, I have friends in Flagstaff Arizona and they are saying that they just had the worst snow storm in years. Not all wintering ground is shrinking, not where I live, I don't doubt that it's happening in places like Colorado where the progressives are migrating to but thank goodness that's not happening where I live. You need to be very specific when you ask these kinds of questions, the west is a big place and weather really isn't global, it's local. What happens on one ridge of mountains isn't necessarily what will happen on the next. Typically we get more snow than our nearest city but not this year, and I live about 30 miles from that city but on the west side of a mountain rather than the east side where the city is.

We wont know how the herds will be effected until the spring when the early season counts are done.

[Swede]

We have about an inch of fresh snow here now. It is not a record, but it is the third time we have had that much just this winter. I do not know if our blizzard is over or not.

[Lefty]

Idaho just reported one of its best elk seasons ever, even after the 16/17 where all deer fawns were lost
Were suppose to get 12-36 inches tonight in the mountains . Tonight's lows will barely get below freezing in the valley . High winds have closed highways and the interstate (I-15)

[elkstalker]

Until last week our local herds were still up in the timber most of the time, now that we have a fair bit of snow they will finally be accessing their true "winter range". We've gotten some snow here in MT, but just enough to push us over the average, before February most of the state was well below average. There may be some local issues but for the most part they should be just fine.

[Nuck]

I hunt southern Co. San Juan mountains Durango area. Durango (6500 elevation) is reporting almost 50” in Feburary(near record). What does that mean for the higher elevations? Yes the progressives have definitely move in on the the winter grounds there. Be a good while (years)since this area has seen this kind of snowfall. Just curious, How do elk that have never seen this kind of snowfall adapt?

[Swede]

I lived in the deer winter range of north central Washington. The worst thing the deer had to deal with were dogs. The land was parceled out in numerous areas into five acre blocks. Most of those folks on the lots had a dog or several dogs.

[Lefty]

Unlike deer; elk are tough and can travel deep snow easily.
Western snow fall is a bit different than Eastern snow or Cascade range snow. While 50 inches sounds like a lot It may not be much, where was the 50 measurement taken? At the winter range or the top of the mountain. Ive snowmobiled the end of June,.. when tomatoes were 30 inches high in the valley

We had a fluffy powder snow last week of nearly 10 inches. Even with temps in the teens and barely 20 degrees by sunset the snow had settled to less than 5 inches. After last nights wind and rain only the deepest drifts exist. But weve piledover 60 inches at the past the past 4 days

[Swede]

I lived and worked in the northern Great Basin. It appears to me that elk will get trapped by deep snow on rare severe winters Some did not make it out onto the open winter range. After a while they got weak and died in depressions like stream courses. Elk can forage higher on things like moss, and Mountain Mahogany than deer and survive in deeper snow. One of the factors that affect survival is the duration of the snow pack. As snow pack that builds in February is preferable to one that begins in late November. Time and severity (depth) of the snow pack are both factors.

[Lefty]

Took this yesterday pic is at 7000 feet east of flagstaff of the San Francisco mts

This area had over 24 inches of snow last week same elevation 30 miles away
Lots of fresh elk sign

[Elkduds]

Plenty of current snow depth info here:


https://www.fs.fed.us/r5/webmaps/SierraSnowDepth/

[snowbank]

The other morning there was a nice bull on the hillside above my house. He was pushing snow with his chest. Hopefully the cows have already lost 1000ft where they can survive. we have had more than 30 days below zero and snow almost every day. it will be a challege for our elk herds if this continues.