Good start to winter for ungulates..?

[Pemby_mess]

Just picture the upper portion of the northern aspects, hardly any accumulation. It piles up not far below. If you seen this spot on a map it would make more sense I think. It's about as far NE as it gets for stones. Apparently not the only location that has these tendencies for sheep.

There might be a regional phenomena there. Or the study was being carried out during repeated outflow events. Which actually kind of makes sense if it was done from the air.

[.264winmag]

Don't know what to tell you, other than these sheep make a living there all winter. It's north facing. Two ridges in a row, both bowl type ridges all northerly aspect. This isn't a hunch, its fact. Fella spent 5 years straight netting and collaring them in the exact same spots.

[Pemby_mess]

Don't know what to tell you, other than these sheep make a living there all winter. It's north facing. Two ridges in a row, both bowl type ridges all northerly aspect. This isn't a hunch, its fact. Fella spent 5 years straight netting and collaring them in the exact same spots.

I'm not disputing the observations. However the "why"s of the observations seem like they may be miscommunicated a tad.

when you say "bowl type" ridge, i'm thinking a Northern alpine cirque formed by glacial moraines. So while the snow on the moraines themselves may be wind scoured and shallow - the "bowls" just beside them will be deep and loaded. The reason the stone sheep hang out there is likely due more to the availability of food than depth of snowpack. Likely predator protection has something to do with it too: where they can hang out at tree line munching and run up the wind scoured moraines as an escape route when confronted by wolves.

This until, the area becomes popular with large numbers of sleds packing out the deep snow for the wolves to run along.

[.264winmag]

Something like that. No trees anywhere nearby, No vehicles can get there and sleds not allowed. If the snowpack were too deep they'd not be able to get at the food, they can always get grub there.

[Pemby_mess]

Don't know what to tell you, other than these sheep make a living there all winter. It's north facing. Two ridges in a row, both bowl type ridges all northerly aspect. This isn't a hunch, its fact. Fella spent 5 years straight netting and collaring them in the exact same spots.

actually, what you've said here clarifies it a lot. The animals are utilizing the eccentricities of the micro terrain for both food and safety. Confusion lay where erroneous rules of thumb were being used to describe macro phenomena. Thanks for persisting and making your point through a mental picture.

[Pemby_mess]

Something like that. No vehicles allowed in the area.

yeah, unfortunately when vehicles come in, it upsets that little niche they're using and forces them out into other areas where they're more vulnerable.

[Salty]

Good start to winter for ungulates? Yes. Because the most important thing of all happened, the fall rains came to flush out another crop of feed after the summer drought. This will have them going in to winter well fed and leaves something to paw for which is the biggest concern for winter mortality for mule deer at least, as was shown from the excellent study done state side that was posted here last year. I want to say Montana? Can't remember right now..

[horshur]

Give the link a read. It is not about deer but it diagrams population cycles. There are a few profound statements to ponder some that even contradict the conclusions. It is a ten minute read.


https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/51/1/25/251849

[horshur]

Sunspot activity correlation.

http://discovermagazine.com/1993/jun/pacemakeroftheha236

[.264winmag]

Good start to winter for ungulates? Yes. Because the most important thing of all happened, the fall rains came to flush out another crop of feed after the summer drought. This will have them going in to winter well fed and leaves something to paw for which is the biggest concern for winter mortality for mule deer at least, as was shown from the excellent study done state side that was posted here last year. I want to say Montana? Can't remember right now..

This too. I noticed green grass still at 5000' nov.9 in the timber. 2 ft of snow outside the timber ground not yet frozen. Good grub late into the year fer sure.