Alpine Conditions!?

[WoodOx]

Has anyone been up in the alpine lately?

I am aware my question is governed by location, and it will be different mountain to mountain and range to range, but nights here in the interior seem colder than usual.

Has anyone noticed in their respective alpine areas if a frost has hit and pushed mulies down yet?

Its between 10C and 15C in the valleys at night, so must be at least 5C cooler in the alpine...

[ufishifish2]

I know it was -2 the other night on one of the Williams Lake fires.
Yes, it does seem colder than usual for this time of year, but look out cause todays gonna be a scorcher!

[Hombre]

My wife and I hiked into Rohr Lake near Pemberton on Saturday.
No sign of frost,as everything is still green,and plenty of bugs.
As for Mulies being pushed down,it usually happens when first real
snow hits the high country.

[mxracer328]

weve been getting 5 degrees the last couple nights in pg

[Gunner]

My wife and I hiked into Rohr Lake near Pemberton on Saturday.
No sign of frost,as everything is still green,and plenty of bugs.
As for Mulies being pushed down,it usually happens when first real
snow hits the high country.Not in my area.A really good frost will move bucks down into the timber.Some will go back up,some will stay down,but they are off the top(7000') well before snow. Gunner

[Paulyman]

Summited the Black Tusk on Saturday, the following day it snowed up there,2315metres.

[Ltbullken]

I doubt the mulies will get pushed down by some cool temps. The big ones will stay up there until heavier snow and/or the rut. If it gets 'bad', they will move down into the scrub or sub-alpine but not entirely leave. I think the deer should stay around the alpine until the end of Sept and even into mid-Oct. I've seen awesome mule deer heards on top of Silver Star in the first week of Oct. Of course, you can't hunt there either!! :icon_frow And it may not entirely qualify as 'alpine' but close, top is at 6300'.

Anyway, I was up on the alpine in the Rockies last week and it was cool at night, maybe +2 or 3 high up overnight maybe even freezing but warm during the day (15 C). Snow at 9500'+ as well when the weather was wet/cool but it melted when the weather improved. I'm planning on a scouting trip in the alpine areas around Kamloops later this week.

[Billyisgr8]

It was 2 degrees during the day Sunday at 6400 feet at Quest lake (fishermans lake) above Sicamous. Cloudy, with drizzle and cold. The lake felt very warm to us as we were all very cold and were not prepared for it being that cold. We did catch 8 fish in 1 1/2 hours though.

[dana]

Some areas when a frost hits it kills the lush alpine vegs which the bucks love to feed on, therefore they will drop a tad in elevation to the timberline where the timber has protected the veg from frost. In other areas creeping birch is thick above treeline and the bucks don't seem to care too much about frost. The frost does kill the bugs off though and the bucks forsake their windy bedding perches.

[WoodOx]

thanks guys.

any tips on the species of vegetation that mulies tend towards, in the alpine?

[swampthing]

The mulies will still be up high. I havnt done a sept 1 alpine hunt in a few years but they were always high and in velvet in the alpine west of the fraser river. I gutted one once, back when I used to gut animals, and his belly was full of these tall stems, that had short, bristly type tops. They looked like a pipe cleaner. I guess they looked almost like cattails. but grow in the alpine. Have fun.

[frenchbar]

snow this morning on top of the mountains in 3-16...chilly this morning ...feels like hunting season:-D

[dana]

The mulies will still be up high.


They had to be in the alpine in the first place, which this year isn't the case for a lot of the highcountry. If you haven't done your preseason scouting, you could possibly be hiking a lot of alpine opening week that is void of deer. Some years based on spring snow melt, weather and bugs, the bulk of the bucks just don't make it up above treeline.

[frenchbar]

They had to be in the alpine in the first place, which this year isn't the case for a lot of the highcountry. If you haven't done your preseason scouting, you could possibly be hiking a lot of alpine opening week that is void of deer. Some years based on spring snow melt, weather and bugs, the bulk of the bucks just don't make it up above treeline.

I know around here steve thats whats happening more and more every yr more bucks down lower ..less and less up in the alpine...even the ranchers i know that run cattle up in the alpine will say the same thing.

[Camp Cook]

I'll be mule deer hunting @ or just below the tree line this Sept 10 opening and will only be going up into alpine if I glass a big buck.

[Rob]

I was up at just over 6000' on Tues. morning. It has to be getting to o degrees at night. Found a few Mulies and a shit load of mosquitos. Ill be heading up for an over nighter on the 10th, hoping to pack something out. Hopefully the cold kills off the bugs. Rob

[dana]

I know around here steve thats whats happening more and more every yr more bucks down lower ..less and less up in the alpine...even the ranchers i know that run cattle up in the alpine will say the same thing.


I think June was the clincher for us this year. Spring was shaping up perfectly with highcountry snowmelt and the bucks following it up the mountain and then June happened and slowed er right down. A combo of good heat and good moisture had the veg tall and green from pretty much the valley bottoms to the tops. No need to chase the lush if it is lush everywhere. Too top it off, for some unknown reason, the majority of the critters went into a nocturnal pattern for most of July and Aug. Can't say it was the heat as I can't say this summer was extremely hot, especially when compared to last year. Wolf sign was pretty much everywhere. Could be the factor I suppose. Stay in the timber where the feed was just as lush as everywhere else. Feed at night and stay low key and the dogs will be hungry.

[Alpine85]

4 inchs of white stuff blanket the mountains in the west koots night before last.

[frenchbar]

I know one thing for certain ..with all the fires over the past 10 yrs around here ..im not going to have to lug a deer off a 7000 ft mountain much anymore..gettin to old for that shit anyways:-D The deer will follow the grub and thats where i will hunt:mrgreen:

[mark]

Just seen a couple big velvet frames bedded way up in the open alpine last weekend, they are up there!
Reports of snow is not so good for them still being there on sept.10 though. :(

[frenchbar]

Just seen a couple big velvet frames bedded way up in the open alpine last weekend, they are up there!
Reports of snow is not so good for them still being there on sept.10 though. :(

was in the alpine a couple weeks ago and yes the bucks were around ..like they always will be..just getting to be more and more down a lot lower from what im seeing anyways..will be going out after work on the first looking for low lying 4 pts ...im getting the Muley bug big time:mrgreen: