Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Utah DNR Elk loss report

The Utah DNR reports estimated 75% loss of Elk/Deer population thus far.

Got a link? I'd like to read more.

Holy cow! That's hard to believe. I take it either disease or winter kill.

Winter kill. Much of UT has 200% or more of normal snowpack and there's a lot of winter left yet. Just because the calendar says it's spring doesn't mean the flowers are blooming.
When the animals get weak, disease can wipe them out, too.

Rock Chuck: And I am now starting to worry about Montanas Big Game herds!
Snowing now here with winter storm warning until tomorrow (3/31/2023).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

75% total mortality rate for deer and elk in Utah sounds like an apocalyptic mortality rate. I hope it isn’t true but if it is that’ll cause significant problems for the next 10 years at a minimum.

The Bears will eat well when they come out of their dens.

I do not have a link. This is relayed from my daughter listening to the radio news. She lives in Morgan, UT.

The news is the same for Wyoming, where they say 50% or more of the antelope herd has died in the central part of the state.

Edit to add...LINK

South East Idaho isn’t much better, I’m afraid. Deer are just laying down and dying at this point. The worst part is yet to come when the first green up appears. Deer that are used to nothing but dry old forage can and do founder on the first green shoots.

No way 75% of Elk died, even on a given unit. There will probably be close to that number of winter kill in the Northern part of the state, since there is no winter range left due to human habitat encroachment. The Southern half of the state will fare much better, as they actually have plenty of winter range for the animals to get out of the snow.

Snow pack is heavy.....most in 40+ years

https://www.ksl.com/weather/snowpack

Dang, I have 20 points in Utah, was hoping to finally draw in the Wasatch area this year. I might oughta just put in for another point this year.

If true across the western US, I wonder how it will affect the out of state hunters applying for tags.

It has long been my opinion, the Division of Wildlife routinely issues a disparity of out of state tags sold at an inflated rate. It is a big revenue stream....residents don't pay as much and thus don't count.

I had already feared that mortality. About 10 years ago here in NY we had a hell bender of a winter. Come Spring, there were tons of reports of deer winter yards full of dead deer. And our turkeys took a real bad hit too. It took about 4 mild winters for the herds and birds to recover.

Sorry to hear that and we can hope for the best.

I drew the Wasatch late rifle elk last season. Plenty of snow up there even then.

True, but back in 2011-12 we lost 75-80% of the deer herd statewide to drought and EHD. Still hasn’t come back. Mother Nature is an evil bitch.

If it were me I would just buy a point. I live up there and the snow is brutal. The deer look like hell and the elk not much better.

Just my 2 cents.

yep.....I'd be buying a point

We have a lot of local winter range.....opens to motorized travel again April 15th

That will most likely be on sleds.....but.....

Shed hunters are delayed till April 30th ? Correct me if wrong

Along with the mega snow year....Highway 6 has taken a terrible toll on deer/elk/moose

https://www.ksl.com/article/5059692...ah-roads-with-over-1000-killed-this-year

Big flakes coming down as we speak up north. Still more areas covered with snow on the ground vs open grass. 4 ft piles of snow along the roads @ 4000' elev.

Hard to find a "balance" between water in the rivers and reservoirs vs animals in the hills. "Experts" and pan handlers are STILL crying about the GSL drying up!

Man will be man and think he has all this figured out including solutions for everything. Mother Nature kicks ass and is no respecter of persons. The strong will survive...

Global warming