Winter Conditions and Your High Country Deer or Elk Hunt - Part 3 of 3

At the time I posted the second article in this series, deer and elk had already converged on the alpine and their traditional summer areas, WAY ahead of schedule. Like I mentioned, this year–for many of us–is far from normal, with a good portion of this “abnormality” being the direct result of last winter’s snowpack–or more precisely, the lack thereof. In this article, I'll discuss how the previous winter can affect summer conditions and forage availability (and ultimately deer and elk activity and habitat use), and then I'll take a look at how this summer has progressed and will identify a few points you should consider when scouting and planning for your upcoming high country hunt.

Snowpack and Summer Forage Availability

In order for deer and elk to maximize their body condition, lactation, antler development, etc. during the summer, they need ample, high quality forage. In order for there to be ample, high quality forage, the plants they select to make up that "forage" must have warm sunny days, and plenty of water in order to maximize their production. Generally, insufficient water (aka soil moisture) equals insufficient forage (either in quality, quantity, or both) which leads to deer and elk either not reaching their full potential–OR–them moving to an area that DOES have sufficient–or at least better–forage quality and/or availability.

For this conversation, it’s not hard to wrap our heads around the fact that, in general, the more snow on the mountain you have going INTO summer, the more water/soil moisture you’ll have DURING the summer (at least early on), which should result in more, and higher quality, forage for deer and elk. Unfortunately, however, that’s not the complete picture. Snow/water equivalent (i.e. how much water is in the snow), and how fast the snow melts are two other very important factors to consider when trying to “predict” what summer conditions (at least early- to mid-summer conditions) are likely to be.

The relative Snow Water Equivalent for the central Rockies on June 1, 2011 and 2012. While at first glance it may not seem like too much of a difference, note that the legend shows subtle color changes for significant differences, and then look to see just how different these two years were. Images like these can be found at: http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?region=Central_Rockies&year=2011&month=8&day=1&units=e

In many areas, the winter of 2010-2011 was a long one. But, what's important about that–beyond what we talked about in the previous articles–was the snow/water equivalent and the rate in which the snow melted. In many areas, the snow was fairly “wet” (i.e., it contained a great deal of moisture). For every unit of snow that melted, a significant amount of water was released into the surrounding environment. Because most areas saw the snowpack melt rather slowly, much of the water that was released was able to soak straight into the ground, and the prolonged duration of that process allowed a good amount of that moisture to sink deep into the soil structure of the mountainside. …lots of water, deep into the soil structure, meant PLENTY of water available for plants to use over a prolonged period once the warm rays of the summer sun cranked up the engine of production! While some areas saw all that happen “late,” once things did start cranking, the amount of forage production was incredible.

What a difference a year can make; a look at the same slopes (at slightly different angles) during the same week of July in 2011 (left) and 2012 (right). In 2011, too much snow kept deer and elk out until early to mid-August. In 2012, lack of moisture has the entire basin so dry that very little high quality forage is available for deer and elk that want to utilize the area; the brown slopes and ridges aren’t dirt and rock–they’re simply covered with brown, dead/dormant grass and alpine tundra that in normal years should be a blanket of bright green.

Contrast that with 2012. For most of areas, there was significantly less snow than “normal,” and in many areas, the snow that did fall was relatively “dry” (i.e., the snow/water equivalent was low), so there wasn’t a lot of moisture in each unit of snow that we had. Compound that with the fact that it was an abnormally warm spring that melted most of our snowpack in a matter of days and weeks, rather than weeks and months, and most of us were left with mountains that were “high and dry” well before “normal.” ...little moisture to begin with and a rapid runoff that doesn’t allow much time for a deep soaking, and you end up with very little soil moisture available for plants. Continue into a warm and dry period, and you end up with a scenario where the cool-season plants exhaust most–if not all–of the available soil moisture in short order, leaving very little for use later on.

What do I mean by “cool-season” plants? Without going into an in-depth botany lesson, some plants are adapted to grow during cooler weather, and when water is more plentiful, and go dormant or “die off” when temperatures get warm and water becomes a little more scarce. Often, these plants are the first ones to “green-up” in the spring, but turn “brown” when the summer heat picks up and/or the soil dries out. While most will green back up if adequate moisture becomes available, they “flower” and do the bulk of their growing in late-spring and early summer. Most high country plants are cool-season species.

Cool-season grasses and forbs stay green and growing so long as soil moisture stays adequate. Taken in mid-June 2012, initial forage quality and quantity in this area was looking good, but with several more weeks of summer to go, how long things would stay green was anybody’s guess.

Because of their growth characteristics, in years like this where initial soil moisture conditions start out relatively dry, many cool-season plants will undergo a somewhat “accelerated” growth and development. In other words, they’ll “green-up” but put up minimal “vegetative” growth, and almost immediately flower and go to seed. Essentially they respond to dry–or drying–conditions by accelerating their entire growth cycle. Once they go to seed, unless they continue to have adequate moisture to their roots, they go dormant, turn brown, and dry up. While deer and elk can definitely capitalize on the early growth, subsequent mid- and late-season growth is wholly dependent upon adequate soil moisture, and on whether or not the level of moisture is suitable for the needs of the plants that the animals are interested in. No moisture, no growth. No growth often means few to no animals in that area...

Sponge Mountain

Forgetting about summer rain for a minute, in years where snowpack is limited, and we want to try and anticipate where animals might go in order to find the highest quality, and quantity, of forage available, think of whatever mountain range you hunt as a giant “triangular” sponge sitting on your back deck in the sun. …start out with the sponge wet, but fully “wrung out.”

If you take a pitcher of water, and slowly pour water over the top of the “peak” of the sponge, you’d probably see most of the water soak in and saturate it. This isn’t unlike what happens when heavy, wet snowpack starts to melt. As the sponge become saturated, however, water is going to start leaking out of the bottom, and start flowing over the sides as you continue to pour. Your “mountain” is fully saturated.

But if we started with the same sponge, and only poured a little water over the top, and stopped short of having water run out the bottom and over the sides (like what you might experience during a light, dry snowpack and associated runoff like many of us saw this year), we’d probably see most of the water soak in and stay suspended inside the sponge…at least initially. Over time, and especially after sitting in the sun for a while, we’d likely see two things; the top and outside edges of the sponge starting to dry out and get hard (crispy), and water starting to leak out the bottom. In this case, both gravity and solar radiation are working on the water we poured in–one pulling it down and out of the sponge, and one evaporating any moisture off of the surface that it can.

Although a real mountain has vegetation sucking water out of it, and animals drinking from it, what you see in your “sponge mountain” is what you see on the mountain you hunt. The sun–in conjunction with photosynthesis and evapotranspiration–works on pulling water off the top and “surface” areas, while gravity constantly pulls water downhill. While different soil structures and plant communities can affect the rate at which this happens, it nevertheless happens.

Unfortunately, the tops and “edges” are what typically dry out first; for those hunting the high country, that usually means the very areas you want to hunt. If your area receives regular bouts of summer rains, then the “pitcher” keeps adding water to the top, vegetation continues to grow, and animals have lush, high quality forage to enjoy. If it doesn’t, then the top starts to dry out, vegetative growth slows down or stops altogether, and deer and elk head out in search of “wetter” areas. Where is that? …again, think about your sponge.

Even when the top and outside edges start drying out, the bottom usually stays wet. If we were to cut a slit deep into the side of the sponge, we’d probably see the interior is still fairly wet as well. Same thing goes for a mountain. When the high country starts to dry out, often lower elevation areas hold water a little longer, as do some of the drainages, swales, low spots, “cuts,” etc. that are scattered across the terrain. Put those things on the “shady” “cool” side of the mountain (north and northeast faces), and they’ll hold water even longer.

The results of no snowpack this past spring, and a lack of summer moisture during the summer. Brown areas are actually dead/dormant grass, not dirt and rock. In “normal” years, this entire mountain is a blanket of deep green similar to the areas you can see in the bottoms of the “swales” next to the willows where the last remaining soil moisture on this particular part of the mountain can be found.

Another example of the “sponge” drying out from the top; note the “brown” grassy slopes up high, and the “brighter green” areas in and around the willows toward the bottom of the picture. Being south facing, this entire basin was quickly drying out from a lack of spring snowpack and no rain. Not a single animal was seen in this basin after glassing for several hours after daybreak; in “normal” years, elk can be found in all areas of this photo.

Again, more moisture often equals higher quality and quantity of forage, so if the high country starts drying out, it doesn’t take many animals long to “pour down the mountain”–just like the water–and seek out those pockets of “greener pastures.” When faced with low winter snowpack, it is often a good idea to investigate lower-elevation areas–especially those on the north and northeast facing slopes–in order to find the small swales, benches, pockets, and “cuts” that might hold moisture a little longer into the summer months. By holding those areas as a “Plan B,” you can often save your hunt should your high country areas–and the animals you find there–turn out to be, shall-we-say, “less than remarkable.” If you don’t find animals, or just not the quality of animals you’re looking for in the high country after a dry spring and initial start to summer, think about going lower, or around the mountain to the north and northeast facing bowls and basins.

This group of cows and calves (that were a part of a group of about 40 animals) were found nearly 2,000 feet lower than “normal” at this time of year in one of several meadows that had a little higher soil moisture, and better forage quality and quantity, than areas higher on the mountain.

Summer Rains

In the previous sentence, I said “initial start summer.” While initial conditions aren’t necessarily what they’ll be like later on depending on summer rains, initial conditions often set the stage for how things will progress throughout the summer into early fall. This is where understanding your individual area, and careful monitoring of your area throughout the summer comes in. In some cases, ample summer moisture can “make up” for a low snowpack; cool-season grasses go through their initial growth cycle in spring, but then continue to grow and stay green as summer rains keep soil moisture high enough for them to take advantage of it. In other areas, and depending on the timing and amount of the summer moisture, the initial “damage done” by the lack of adequate snowpack can last through the entire season.

For many of us across the Rocky Mountains, our summer rains depend upon the monsoonal flow of moisture coming out of the Gulf of Mexico. Without the monsoon flow, we see very little summer moisture. With it, SOME of us see plenty of moisture. The problem with the monsoons, is that the moisture often comes in the form of thunderstorms and pockets of rain, as opposed to large blankets of rain showers and overall rainy weather. While one mountain or ridgeline may see multiple inches of rain in a matter of days, an adjacent mountain or ridge may see nothing more than a trace.

A screen shot of the NOAA’s website, and the base reflectivity radar image of the western United States from July 24th, 2012, at 5:13pm. Notice how some areas are getting good rain, but other areas are completely missed–typical for the monsoon flow and late summer rainstorms. You can check daily images like these at: http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=ftg&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no

This is again where initial conditions from last winter’s snowpack become important. In years where you have ample–or even average–snowpack, any rain received in the summer, whether a little or a lot, can provide a boost to the vegetation growing in the high country. This can help maintain high quality and quantity of forage. In years with below-average snowpack, however, sometimes the only areas to see any vegetative recovery are those areas that receive a LOT of summer rain. Again, cool-season plants will “green-up” again in the presence of ample moisture, but unless there is enough moisture, they can’t crawl out of the proverbial “hole” that the lack of initial snowpack dug them into.

This is where careful, and focused, monitoring of your hunting area comes in. While putting “boots on the ground” is often best, at the very least, regularly monitor local weather stations, or the NOAA website and their radar data, to follow what’s going on in your area. Is your high country unit, or even just the mountain–and basin–you want to hunt, getting any rain? If so, how much? How often? Just because the “area” is getting rain, is your ridge? Remember, deer and elk will readily seek out greener pastures; repeated rain on an adjacent ridge, or in an adjacent basin, can kick the production of cool-season grasses and forbs over there back into high gear, and pull the animal(s) across entire mountain sides. If you’re hunting on the edge of a draw unit, “your” animals may completely leave your unit if summer rains pound the adjacent unit, but leave yours high and dry!

I purposefully held off on writing this article for a little while this summer once I saw we were entering into an “early” monsoon season–I wanted to see how things were going to progress. As it looks like the monsoon flow is going to be sticking around–at least for now–keep these things in mind as you continue (or if you’re like me, start…) your summer/pre-season scouting:

• Beyond normal “behavioral” and “seasonal” movements, where you found animals earlier this summer may not be where they are now depending on the rain your area has–or hasn’t–received.
• Continued dry conditions in your area may cause animals to move out of the areas they were in previous years, or even earlier in the summer, in search of literally “greener pastures.” Identify those potential areas–those “greener pastures”–and look there if the animal(s) you found earlier in the season seem(s) to have disappeared on you.
• Lots of summer rain in a localized area can overcome a dry spring, and can pull animals into it due to the resulting “bump” in forage quality and quantity.
• A little rain in your area may create a temporary spike in soil moisture, but dry soils beneath the surface may pull the moisture down and disperse it. You might see a temporary spike in vegetation quality/quantity, but don’t dismiss the lower elevation “Plan B” areas–deer and elk may head right back there after things start drying out again.
• For you high country deer hunters, willows prefer moderate to high moisture areas. With adequate soil moisture, they’ll have good growth, and will be highly palatable and of high quality. In dry conditions, not so much; they’ll still be “good,” but they may not be great. Look for willows in avalanche chutes, low spots, north/northeast bowls/drainages, and other potentially “wet” areas to find the higher quality willow patches. Find those, and you’ll likely find the deer–and likely the higher quality animals.
• Beyond vegetation issues, little to no rain can leave areas dry, focusing animals into tighter areas adjacent to any remaining water. Find the water and you'll find the animals–especially you elk hunters!
• Lots of rain over an extended period can start springs flowing again and can fill every bog, puddle, wallow, etc. This will allow animals to scatter across the landscape. If you focused on “pockets” of water early (and set game cameras, tree-stands, blinds, etc.), you might need to expand your scouting if your area gets a lot of rain.

About the Author:
Chris Roe is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, behavioral ecologist, an elk behavior and vocalization specialist, and a passionate elk hunter based out of north-central Colorado. Chris operates Roe Hunting Resources where he offers advanced online educational resources for hunters interested in learning more about the animals they’re after. Concepts discussed in this article and many others can be found in Roe Hunting Resources’ Elk Module, or in The Elk Hunter's Strategy App available through the App Store or the Android Market.

Understanding Mule Deer Habitat

Habitat, habitat, habitat!  How many times have you heard about “habitat” with regard to Mule deer?  Probably once or twice I reckon!  But in all seriousness, how often do we talk about habitat from a hunter’s perspective? How often do we consider what we need to be thinking about while we’re out scouting and hunting? How do we take “habitat” from a general sense, and make it a practical—and beneficial component of our scouting and hunting efforts? In this article, I’ll share some of my thoughts as a “hunter/habitat” guy.

First things first: Are we talking high country muleys above timberline, brush country bucks in lower, drier elevations, or something in between? While there are generalities across each of those areas that are somewhat universal, they all have their specific habitat components that are sufficiently different enough from one another especially within the context of maximizing our success in the field. Therefore, I'll talk about them separately.

The Generalities:

All things being equal, the more diverse the habitat is, and the “younger” the habitat is, the better it is for mule deer. While mule deer generally prefer more “open” habitats, diversity is the key. Meaning, if you find areas that have a lot of different plant types in it, those plants are of different heights, they’re patchy, and many to most of the plant types are “young” with vigorous growth, the more deer you’ll likely find. When you hear land managers, habitat managers, and biologists talking about “edge effect,” or “patchiness,” or “knocking back succession” with regard to habitat, that’s what they mean. Those folks are trying to increase the quality of food, the quantity of food, and the spaces and places within which deer and other critters can live, hide, and eat.

A Fecon head in action as it chews through trees and brush to open up pinion-juniper and sagebrush to create edge, patchiness, and improve overall habitat quality and diversity on the Battlement Mesa Habitat Improvement Project.

These “generalities” hold true when trying to find the places that hold either the highest numbers of deer, or hold deer most consistently from year to year. Now, obviously hunting pressure, natural predators, human disturbance, and seasonal changes like the rut can all affect where mule deer can be found from time to time (and that’s especially true for big bucks), but when allowed to follow their natural preferences, muleys will seek out the best habitat within the region they reside.; Knowing that comes in quite handy as we move into the specifics of different regions…

Tips for Evaluating High Country Habitats:

If you’re a big high country mule deer fan, you probably know that sub-alpine willows are a huge component of a muley’s diet in the high country.; If you’re not, well…now you do. But what do we need to know about willows up in the alpine?

Classic high country mule deer habitat.  Note the short, sub-alpine willows below the rocks and along the bottom of the basin; these are the areas to look for big high country bucks!

First, not all willows are created equal. Although deer like most willow species, the ones that attract the most deer, the most consistently, are those willows that are generally below the top of their head and which have the most new growth on them.

When you look across an alpine basin, take note of the type of willows. Are they taller willows, up against the creek drainages and river bottoms, or are they short clumps of willows scattered across the basin? The willows along the creek bottoms and drainages can be good food for deer, but only if the deer can reach the tips of the branches where the best forage quality is. Often, more muleys are found scattered out in the clumps of short willows (sub-alpine willow) found in the more “upland” areas of the basin, rather than along drainage bottoms.

But even sub-alpine willows aren’t all created equal. Look to see if there are any places where willows are growing in or along avalanche chutes. Often, these willows get pummeled by snow and rocks on an annual basis, resulting in portions of the shrub breaking off, which stimulates the plant to send up new shoots to replace the broken pieces. These new shoots are younger and hence of higher quality than other parts of the plant, and even other willows in the surrounding area. So, many times you’ll find muleys camped out in these willows.

As I said earlier, the more diversity the habitat has in the way of structure and age class, the more likely it is that you’ll find deer—the high county is no different. When looking at an alpine basin, the areas that have the most “patchiness” and the greater variety of plants, will be the areas that are more likely to hold deer. So…if you find an alpine basin that has:

• Good amounts of sub-alpine willow in it;
• The willows are roughly three feet tall or shorter;
• The willows are patchy and scattered in clumps across the basin;
• The patches include small clumps of pine trees, alpine tundra, and grasses; and
• The patches of vegetation are broken up by rock outcrops and avalanche chutes

be sure to spend some time behind your optics!!!! These areas are prime areas for muleys–especially big bucks!

My 2011 high country muley. The buck was found with three others in a basin full of sub-alpine willow, rock outcrops, avalanche chutes, and small clumps of trees. You can watch the exciting hunt at www.roehuntingresources.com.

Oh, and if you find large numbers of elk in the basin on a regular basis—especially if they’re routinely scattered throughout the willows—keep looking. In most cases, mule deer will avoid areas that are heavily used by elk. Look for muleys in the steep avalanche chutes adjacent to the basins with elk in them, in nearby basins, or… look for muleys to show up once the elk have moved out of the area. Sometimes this can be early in the summer as the elk move from their calving areas to their summer areas and are just passing through a particular alpine basin. Other times it’s in September after the elk have left the high country and drop down into the timber and lower elevation areas.

Tips for Evaluating Lower Elevation Habitats:

When talking about “lower elevation habitats,” we could cover everything from Ponderosa Pine and Aspen forests, to Pinion-Juniper/Sagebrush flats, to Pine and Oak brush areas, to hills covered with Mountain Mahogany and Bitterbrush. How in the world do we wrap our mind around all those areas without writing a book on each of them? Well…in two ways:

1. By focusing on three little words, “Find the Water”; and
2. By really embracing the “generalities” I talked about earlier in this article.

A classic example of “low-elevation” mule deer habitat. Note the diversity of vegetation and structure in this picture; plenty of food, hiding cover, and escape cover for muleys that want to grow big and old!

Find the Water!

In many low elevation habitats, water is the key. Find the water, and—all other things being equal—you’ll find the deer…as well as every other wildlife critter in the region! In some areas, this could mean focusing on the areas along prominent rivers and streams that have water flowing in them year-round. In other areas, it means trying to find the tiny, isolated pockets of water that might come in the form of a tiny seep on the side of a canyon, or a sheltered pocket in dry creek bed that happens to still have water in it from that last storm or could be from the spring run-off. Wherever it might be, when you’re in lower elevation, drier habitats, water is often the key to finding deer.

When scanning the landscape trying to find these pockets of water, look for subtle differences in the color and varying height of the vegetation. Often, areas that have water nearby look slightly brighter green or will have taller vegetation than the surrounding vegetation. If you’re in cattle country, don’t overlook stock ponds, and stock tanks. Water is water in many areas, regardless if it’s from a natural source or a man-made one!

I snapped this picture right before dark as these two bucks, and several others, made their way down to water in some highly diverse, highly productive low-elevation habitat.

Embrace the Generalities!

Once you’ve found the water, the next step is to start trying to piece together as many pieces of the “general” habitat considerations as you can. Start trying to find the most “diverse” areas near water. Look for areas that have the best young or “new” growth on the shrubs and other plants that are somewhat near water. Again—all things being equal—these areas will hold more deer than areas with little to no diversity and that have “older” plants and shrubs with little to no “new” growth, or all of the new growth is too high for the deer to reach.

In low elevation areas, there are a couple of shrubs in particular you should keep an eye out for.

• In “wetter” areas (those areas along creeks, streams, and shady “wet” areas), chokecherry and Rocky Mountain maple are important shrubs that deer will often seek out.
• In “drier” areas, mountain mahogany and bitterbrush are two important, and highly preferred, deer forages that can be found in a variety of elevations, and that are great for deer year-round.
• Lastly, for hunters hunting during the late seasons, when deer are on their winter ranges, sagebrush can be an important winter forage for deer.

With all of these shrubs, diversity of habitat and water are still the key, but if you can find these mixed in along with everything else, the odds of finding deer will go way up!

Chokecherry during early summer. Berries turn dark purplish-black in fall. Inset shows leaf detail and the two “bumps” at the base of leaf used to identify chokecherry from similar shrubs.

Rocky Mountain Maple

Mature mountain mahogany. Shrubs of this size may have slightly reduced food quality for deer to a certain extent, but are beneficial for providing hiding cover as well as escape cover.

Bitterbrush mixed in with Ponderosa Pine. Inset shows leaf detail.

About the Author:
Chris Roe is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, behavioral ecologist, a wildlife behavior and vocalization specialist, and a passionate deer, elk and turkey hunter based out of north-central Colorado. Chris operates Roe Hunting Resources where he offers advanced online educational resources for hunters interested in learning more about the animals they’re after. Concepts discussed in this article and many others can be found in Roe Hunting Resources’ Elk Module, Deer Module, Turkey Module or Annual Subscriptions. If you are interested in tips and tricks for bowhunting for elk this fall, check out our Elk Hunter's Strategy App available through the App Store or the Android Market.