Unit 15 NM Rainfall

[WapitiArcher]

I was fortunate enough to tag along on a friends elk hunt last year, and will be returning this year to Unit 15 NM. We had an absolute blast on the hunt, although we didn't turn up any true giants we saw plenty of elk and a good number of bulls. I was wondering if there are any NM residents that could help explain the monsoon season and its impact on vegetation, as I know it varies and dramatically impacts the antler growth. Is it all in the fall or is there a crucial "spring green up" like other states? Does any one have a reliable site they use to monitor precipitation or vegetation growth in the area?

PFA Cheers!

 

[lilharcher]

Spent my senior year of high school in Tucson, AZ back when there was a pretty regular monsoon season in August +\- a few weeks. Weather patterns have certainly changed and feel it is hit or miss on this season now, usually miss. And unless that season comes early, it really doesn’t affect horn growth much, but will help with mass (or avoidance of horns turning brittle). Curious on what others have to say.

 

[nnmarcher]

I live in Northern NM, but we usually see the monsoon season late July/early August. We did not get much rain this spring and had a pretty dry winter. I don't know about monitoring vegetation, but you can monitor precipitation pretty closely through websites tracking wildfires like https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7493/

 

[Northpark]

So really no rain last winter and I’ll believe in monsoons when I see it. Exceptional drought (according to NOAA and I believe them) across the SW. the dry winter is more of an impact on antler growth than monsoons. Don’t expect great antler growth this year in NM or AZ. I live in southeast AZ.

 

[WapitiArcher]

So really no rain last winter and I’ll believe in monsoons when I see it. Exceptional drought (according to NOAA and I believe them) across the SW. the dry winter is more of an impact on antler growth than monsoons. Don’t expect great antler growth this year in NM or AZ. I live in southeast AZ.

That's kind of what I thought. Thanks for the input. Spindly brittle horns it is! lol

 

[ScottSchiller197]

How much does rainfall typically effect elk in dry areas later in the year? I have a tag in a bordering unit and found a lot of elk in May on a scouting trip but am concerned if dry they will move to a different area?

 

[BBob]

| U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

 

[Gila]

Hallelujah! We are finally getting some rain down here. Not a lot yet but more is on the way tomorrow. We are getting up-flow from Mexico and it just might continue for a while. The Lincoln has been getting some really good rainfall lately. The Gila not so much, but at least something. The monsoons down here usually start about the 1st of August and go through September. But sometimes the monsoons don’t happen like last year.

Last year in the fall about 25% of the tanks had any water at all. Last fall the cattle were drying up tanks. You can’t count on the water sources in the Gila. It was really dry and hot last September yet there had been enough August rain to have a nice green-up in the parks and meadows. The antler growth was good last year. I didn’t see very many broken racks. Most of the bulls I saw including the one I harvested, had good mass on chocolate beams. It is still hard to tell, but all conditions so far indicate that antler growth in the Gila might be good to very good this coming season.

 

[PONYBOY]

Looking at weather reports and looks like parts of NM are getting good rain this week. Keep those fingers crossed the rain keeps up!!

 

[WapitiArcher]

Hallelujah! We are finally getting some rain down here. Not a lot yet but more is on the way tomorrow. We are getting up-flow from Mexico and it just might continue for a while. The Lincoln has been getting some really good rainfall lately. The Gila not so much, but at least something. The monsoons down here usually start about the 1st of August and go through September. But sometimes the monsoons don’t happen like last year.

Last year in the fall about 25% of the tanks had any water at all. Last fall the cattle were drying up tanks. You can’t count on the water sources in the Gila. It was really dry and hot last September yet there had been enough August rain to have a nice green-up in the parks and meadows. The antler growth was good last year. I didn’t see very many broken racks. Most of the bulls I saw including the one I harvested, had good mass on chocolate beams. It is still hard to tell, but all conditions so far indicate that antler growth in the Gila might be good to very good this coming season.

That's great to hear!! Wow, your report on the antler condition last year is much different than most the bulls we saw and outfitters we talked to. I don't think we saw a bull that wasn't broken up. Congrats on a beefy chocolate bull, that's awesome. I hope it is a good year this year! Cheers