Get ready Gambels hunters!!!!!

[stanley]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/201...eather0115.html

 

 

 

Keep your fingers crossed bird hunters! Anyone who has been around AZ Gambels much knows that the numbers from year to year ABSOLUTELY depend on winter/spring rain! I was chasing birds in some of my favorite haunts over the holidays, and there were some nice little green shoots (sp) starting to show.... It doesn't take too many big storms to get those seeds going!!!

 

Pray for 2-3 nice wet systems over the next few months folks, and we'll be chasing "75-150 bird" coveys next fall/winter!! It would be nice to see a double hatch this year!!!

 

S.

 

[Red Rabbit]

Next week's weather does look good for the fauna and flora. Hope those on the east side of Tonto Creek by Roosevelt Lake are prepared.

 

Now to figure a way to get 100 birds not to run and flush 100 yards ahead.

[CouesWhitetail]

Rained hard here in Globe the other day. Lots of thunder and lightning! Nice storm. I too have been seeing greenup in the places around here. Seems like tiny filaree starting to grow.

 

Amanda

 

[Red Rabbit]

In addition to the quail, some good rains might help with revegetation of some of the burns in the coues units. Good greens may help the does with fawn fetus development. Wonder how much good feed during deer fetus development helps out towards a healthy mature adult deer, in that, is it like humas where poor prenatal care leads to stunted growth in body and mind? What is the health of a 5 yo deer that developing as a fetus in a green winter/spring compared to one developed during a brown one?

[CouesWhitetail]

In addition to the quail, some good rains might help with revegetation of some of the burns in the coues units. Good greens may help the does with fawn fetus development. Wonder how much good feed during deer fetus development helps out towards a healthy mature adult deer, in that, is it like humas where poor prenatal care leads to stunted growth in body and mind? What is the health of a 5 yo deer that developing as a fetus in a green winter/spring compared to one developed during a brown one?

 

 

Yes, I believe you are exactly correct Doug. If I remember right there is some research demonstrating this. I was just thinking about this the other day actually and wondering if 5 years ago we had good rainfall for fetus development and it's partly why we have a pulse of big bucks this year. I know we had some good rainfall for antler development this past season, but I think we may also have had a pulse of strong fetus development 5-6 years ago.

 

Amanda

 

[Kilimanjaro]

If the rains come at the right times (winter rains for the desert birds, monsoons for the Mearns), the population change can be unreal in just a season or 2 of above average rainfall AT THE RIGHT TIME. This 15 year drought has devestated the gambels and scalies in the southwest (AZ, NM, and west TX).

 

Pray for rain in this desert. We need it.

[Traveler]

As I recall the green is needed for for a vitamin that is tied to the amount of eggs in a clutch. (can't recall if it is A, E or Iron) I know the few years we get a good soak in late Oct or Early Nov, the early green up of filaree and grasses, I personally noticed a big difference in clutch sizes. Hopefully we will get a normal March. We have had some bone dry Marches in recent years.

 

 

[Coues79]

If the rains come at the right times (winter rains for the desert birds, monsoons for the Mearns), the population change can be unreal in just a season or 2 of above average rainfall AT THE RIGHT TIME. This 15 year drought has devested the gambels and scalies in the southwest (AZ, NM, and west TX).

 

Pray for rain in this desert. We need it.

 

You couldn't be more spot on. That's what we all need to do; Pray for it.

[Coues79]

Lets hope that the forecast remains in tact all through next week and the meteorologists have this one pegged down. Here's the forecast as of this morning for the valley and up along the rim.

 

 

"SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE THIS COMING WEEK... ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTH AND EAST OF PHOENIX WHERE 5 TO NEAR 10 INCHES OF RAIN ARE QUITE POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLOODING OF NORMALLY DRY WASHES... STREAMS... AND LOW LYING AREAS COULD OCCUR IF STORMS CONTINUE MOVING OVER THE SAME AREA FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. IN ANY CASE... A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FLOW OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND STREAMS. IF YOU ENCOUNTER FLOODING OF WATER OVER THE ROAD OR DEBRIS SUCH AS ROCKS OR MUD... TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER WAY TO YOUR DESTINATION."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"THE FIRST STORM WILL ARRIVE BY MONDAY AFTERNOON CONTINUING INTO TUESDAY MORNING WITH WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 7000 FEET... DECREASING TO 5500 FEET BY TUESDAY MORNING. THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY SNOWFALL ESTIMATES FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING:

 

2 TO 6 INCHES ... ... ... . 6000 TO 7000 FEET 6 TO 10 INCHES ... ... ... 7000 FEET AND ABOVE

 

A SECOND COLDER STORM WILL ARRIVE TUESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH SNOW LEVELS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 5000 TO 6000 FEET. THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ESTIMATES FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING:

 

4 TO 10 INCHES ... ... ... 5500 TO 6500 FEET 8 TO 12 INCHES ... ... ... 6500 FEET AND ABOVE

 

A THIRD AND EVEN STRONGER STORM WILL ARRIVE ON THURSDAY... LASTING THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RAIN AND SNOW... ALONG WITH VERY STRONG WINDS. A SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THREAT IS POSSIBLE FOR LOCAL AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. VERY HEAVY SNOWFALL IN THE HIGHER ELEVATION AREAS MAY ALSO OCCUR. THIS STORM IS STILL ALMOST A WEEK AWAY... AND PATTERNS MAY CHANGE. STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... FOR UPDATES CONCERNING THIS STORM."

[grizzwald)-->]

I read an article in the AZ Republic a few months ago that referenced a SRP Hydrologist , the article went something like over a period of the last 106 years when AZ has had a weak monsoon (almost non-existent in 09) followed with an El Nino winter the state has seen well above average precipitation... Not sure how much truth there is to it but it looks like we’re off to a good start!!!

 

Here’s the article, the reference is towards the end

 

 

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/n...rought1122.html

 

[Kilimanjaro]

Well, I don't know exactly how much rain has fell in southern AZ in the last 72 hrs, but I have to say that I've nver seen this much rain fall in the winter time in the 7 years I've been here. Tucson metro got some serious rain. The 36's got a soaking like I've never seen this time of year. And it needed it BAD. It was SO dry out there. Sounds like you N AZ gambles chasers are socked in with lots of the white stuff. That'll help the birds up that way for sure.

 

My precious little birdies will be "cawing' early this year with the explosion of green coming really soon and hopefully we'll all start seeing tons of little fluff balls running around EN MASS shortly!

 

Stanley, we got our wish, I believe.. Now lets just hope that this weather pattern stays and we get a few more rounds of this, have a nice cool spring, and then a great monsoon season (last yr was dismal and the mearns pop. shows it). We have that, and we'll have the "good 'ol days" again real quick.

[Kilimanjaro]

Here's what I am hoping more of this next season!! These are pretty hard to come by this season in my usual areas that have historically produced well..

 

 

[NRS]

I have seen a lot of little green plants that the quail like to eat popping out of the ground the last two days. Lets just hope it keeps on for the next couple of months.

[stanley]

Bingo Scotty!!!!! Let's pray for more through the spring (all be it, maybe not ALL at once... )!!!!

 

Ruby and I had to work a bit for these three over the Christmas break. Based on how excited to get these she was though, she'll likely have reason to go bonkers next fall/winter!!! No matter what happens in the spring, this week's storm will absolutely help!

 

How about some early prayers to the 'Monsoon Gods' for the Mearns now!!

 

S.

 

 

 

 

 

[grizzwald)-->]

Scottyboy those are some shweet pics with the fencepost! A bumper crop of gambles would be awesome no doubt about it, we'll hope for the best in 2010!