2017 Winter Kill

[DOUBLELUNG]

It begs the question...what is a 2.5 year old deer?
Answer: It depends.

Whoops, sorry for the population modeling jargon.  All fawns and calves in the northern states are born mid-late spring, so bios have a habit of tacking on a half year for animals killed during fall hunting seasons.  A 2.5 year old deer is one that was born in the spring two years before the fall in which it was killed.  Some prefer to call the same just 2+, others will assume a June birthdate and call September and October kills 2.3, November 2.4 and December 2.5.  Still others will have actual peak birth timing data for species in their area and go from there.   

Go ahead and model your populations brother. I hang out with Biologists every now and again
I was saying: What does a 2.5 year old deer really look like...110"? 130"? 138"? Forky?
I reckon it just depends.
We had a spirited debate whilst looking over a pile of dead buckums last year...
Pretty sure my buddy kilt the most genetically gifted 78# fawn you ever did see!!

Gotcha!  A 2.5 year old buck is on his second set of antlers and was probably a spike or 2-point the year before.  A typical Washington 2.5 year old really depends by area, but in general I'd say is a 14-18" outside spread, spindly 3 or 4 point mule deer; a basket-racked 3 or 4 point whitetail (counting eye guards) and 10-14" outside.  Probably 100-110 pounds dressed. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Isn't a cold snap around birthing time the worst for mortality rates in deer and elk, Doublelung?

It can be occasionally, more so for deer and pronghorn than elk.  More of an issue in the Rocky Mountain states, where spring blizzards can actually cover the fawns with snow.  So many of the newborns are going to die anyway, it can be difficult to piece out predation, exposure and lactation issues.  Only 1 fawn in 5 or 6 needs to survive to 12 months for a stable deer population, around 1 in 3 to 4 for elk calves.  it's very common to have over half the newborns dead within 2 weeks of birth. 

[Pathfinder101]

http://wyo4news.com/news/severe-winter-conditions-impact-wildlife-southwest-wyoming


Wyoming

Not cool...

[WALLEYEGUY]

  Had a moose drop dead in our hood yesterday, young bull supposedly starved to death according to the fish and game guys.  Doubt it myself something else wrong with it but no apparent injuries. 

[hirshey]

If the spring green up happens too fast they will overindulge and die.

Especially after a tough winter. I've found lots of yearlings with just a little blood and/or green rumen around the nostrils/mouth. I suspect lots of areas in the PNW are in the average to bad winter kill this season. Especially with that week plus of single digits/below 0, followed by wet and another freeze.

[2MANY]

I spent 2 years 8 miles behind the locked gates while building JRO (Mt St Helens Observatory).
Watched the circle of life everyday.
Winter kill is a horrible thing to watch.

[dvolmer]

According to Eastman's,  A bad winter kill is determined in Late February thru mid April.  Deer can handle a few months of extreme weather and survive.  What kills the deer off is a hard winter like we have had and then a couple of late abnormally cold and snowy storms that kick the deer while they are down and week.  Just what they mentioned and I read a couple of years ago.

[Ghost Hunter]

Well I just applied for WY elk so...

I think there is a grace period for removing application    I'm going with the odds I won't draw. 

[Wolfdog2314]

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/Cold-temperatures-and-deep-snow-taking-a-toll-on-W

[Buckblaster]

That hot little weather lady on Spokane's Q6 news said this morning that this past January was the coldest on record since 1979.  It's bound to create some winter kill, likely in some areas more than others.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Chelan County PUD recently released a news release in response to recent inquiries about high bills.  The December-January billing period was the coldest on record. 

[Mudman]

Chelan County PUD recently released a news release in response to recent inquiries about high bills.  The December-January billing period was the coldest on record.

AHHH!!  Global Warming skipped us!  Call Gore!!

[Ghost Hunter]

http://wyo4news.com/news/severe-winter-conditions-impact-wildlife-southwest-wyoming


Wyoming

Not cool...

     Not sure they aren't playing it down a little.  Brother has lived in the Rock Springs - Lander area for over 40 years.  He says it's as bad as he has seen.      

[DOUBLELUNG]

http://wyo4news.com/news/severe-winter-conditions-impact-wildlife-southwest-wyoming


Wyoming

Not cool...

     Not sure they aren't playing it down a little.  Brother has lived in the Rock Springs - Lander area for over 40 years.  He says it's as bad as he has seen.      

That's sad.  I was there for the '92-93 and '96-97 winters, and those were both severe buttkickers for antelope and deer; '96-97 was one of the very few years that elk in western Wyoming had increased weather-related mortality. 

[Buckblaster]

96-97 was a killer winter here too.