[#1DEER 1-I]

We sure have had a lot of nice rain storms of late. Anyone else regret all te anterless tags that were approved that could have been held off for decision in August? Sure we could still end up pretty dry by then but why couldn't it wait? Yeah the lakes and reservoirs aren't very full due to low snowpack but moisture overall hasn't been that lacking. Statewide we've had some amazing storms over the last month for our ranges. Now hopefully we can squeeze a few in during June and July and I think the well see the anterless tags are overkill. The things a guy with a pitchfork talking about a drouth will do.

 

[stillhunterman]

No.

 

[3arabians]

The only thing this rain is doing is providing some good spring forage to produce some nice headgear for the bucks and bulls maybe. We could still see a super dry june, July, August and then the dwr offer extra cow tags like they did in 2012. My point is its still WAY too early to say this weather is doing much good. But.......I LIKE IT. Hopefully it keeps up and we see a more long term benefit.

 

[DallanC]

All this latest water is going to do is grow alot more grass that will dry out over the summer and cause more wildfires. We need snow, lots of snow that takes a long time to melt. Keep the water in the creeks over a longer, more consistent period.


-DallanC

 

[Kingfisher]

we have a saying in the snow business
rain waters your lawn, snow fills your reservoirs.
the amount of streamflow water we get from summer precipitation is about 1 to 2 percent of the total annual flow for most watersheds across utah except the virgin where it is closer to 5-7%.
i like rain, it means no one has to irrigate. that saves water in the reservoir. i love snow, it puts the vast majority of water in the creek and ponds. plus it fun.

 

[DallanC]

Exactly.


-DallanC

 

[MWScott72]

Yeah...this rain we're getting currently is nice, but unless we get ALOT over a long period of time, I just see more fires from all the green up. The snowpack is already pretty much toast, and that's not good this early in the season.

 

[#1DEER 1-I]

we have a saying in the snow business
rain waters your lawn, snow fills your reservoirs.
the amount of streamflow water we get from summer precipitation is about 1 to 2 percent of the total annual flow for most watersheds across utah except the virgin where it is closer to 5-7%.
i like rain, it means no one has to irrigate. that saves water in the reservoir. i love snow, it puts the vast majority of water in the creek and ponds. plus it fun.

I don't think it affects Utahns much. I see sprinklers running just as much on rainy days as sunny days. People are too lazy to conserve it seems.

As for snow, I think in Utah we are going to see this as more of the norm as scary as it seems. Climatic change is predicting less snow in the future for Utah and the trend has already become apparent. Granted we have wet and dry cycles but we simply are warmer overall than ever before. I rode up on top of the mountain the other day and all the lakes were at the levels they were at at the end of last year. Literally nearly no rise for a couple of them and slower stream flow than I've seen in a long time going into them from run off, and there's very little more to come. As scary as it sounds I think Utah better be deciding what we do when our snowpack is no longer there to feed our thirst.

 

[Vanilla]

Although it's a fact unless Noah is building his ark again these rains aren't replacing the lack of snow pack, let's not pretend that they aren't making any difference.

The rains we've received and those that are still in the forecast are certainly better than had they not occurred at all.

 

[Kevin D]

A couple things to keep in mind, high stream flows from a heavy snow pack primarily only benefits the riparian areas and not the hillsides where most of the mule deer browse is located. Rain, on the other hand, does great benefit to the hillside browse. It is mostly humans that benefit from a high heavy snowpack and not so much mule deer.

Sure late rain and the accompanying surge of new plant growth increases the fire danger, but so what? As a percentage, how much acreage in Utah actually burns anually?? Maybe one or two percent?? The rest is left unaffected and is a net benefit to wildlife. As a trade off it is a no brainer, we want and need the rain and are much better off because of it.

As far as the number of antlerless tags issued, there is still much to be determined. The absolute worst case scenario for big game would be a hot dry summer with meager plant growth followed by an extremely harsh winter. This is the condition where we see massive die offs. If we knew this was going to be the case, wouldn't we want to reduce big game populations beforehand to lessen the impact on the winter range?? I would think so.

Something to think about....

 

[#1DEER 1-I]

A couple things to keep in mind, high stream flows from a heavy snow pack primarily only benefits the riparian areas and not the hillsides where most of the mule deer browse is located. Rain, on the other hand, does great benefit to the hillside browse. It is mostly humans that benefit from a high heavy snowpack and not so much mule deer.

Sure late rain and the accompanying surge of new plant growth increases the fire danger, but so what? As a percentage, how much acreage in Utah actually burns anually?? Maybe one or two percent?? The rest is left unaffected and is a net benefit to wildlife. As a trade off it is a no brainer, we want and need the rain and are much better off because of it.

As far as the number of antlerless tags issued, there is still much to be determined. The absolute worst case scenario for big game would be a hot dry summer with meager plant growth followed by an extremely harsh winter. This is the condition where we see massive die offs. If we knew this was going to be the case, wouldn't we want to reduce big game populations beforehand to lessen the impact on the winter range?? I would think so.

Something to think about....

Yes but as was stated at the wildlife board meeting, we jumped the gun without knowing what the summer was going to look like. The tag numbers that were set now, could have been set in August when we were closer to knowing how much moisture we receive this summer and what our habitat conditions going into winter will be like.

 

[martymcfly73]

After summer wildfire season I'd bet they're going to be scorched. It's going to be ugly.

 

[#1DEER 1-I]

After summer wildfire season I'd bet they're going to be scorched. It's going to be ugly.

I doubt our fire season is goig to be extremely abnormal. We've got a lot of rain which is holding it off right now. June is always hot and dry, July usually brings a storm or two and then going into August the last few years we've got pretty good rain. Of course we will dry out, just like we have every other year since we've been a desert. We will have fires this summer but low snowpack is really affecting people more than it will wildlife at this point. Hope for a decent winter and a few more rain storms along the way.