Good calf recruitment

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

My wife brought up to me that when we see elk the cows are almost all with calves. After thinking about it and looking at some video I noticed she was right. I wouldn’t hesitate to say we have seen like 80% of cows with calves this year. I just stalked in on a group this morning that was 100% cow calf pairs. I don’t  remember seeing that in the past. Anyway just a random detail from spending a lot of the summer up here in the pines. 

[BowNut]

Bulls were busy last September!! 😃

[Alpinebullwinkle]

I have tried to informally monitor what the calf/cow ratio result has been each summer for about the last 40 years in units 27 and 1. I must say an 80% number is the highest I have ever heard of. From my experience a 50% year is exceptional. Most years my guess is 25-35% as an average. This year was one of the weakest spring precipitation and monsoon seasons I can recall, which would surprise me to have a record year with regard to the calf/cow success. Calf survival rate from birth around June until fall is another number to monitor. I had a rancher friend with a large pond on his Beaverhead property that once told me a story about his "personal" herd that came into his pond every evening. He stated that there were about 60 cows with 35 calves starting about June. Each evening he noticed at least one less calf coming into his pond and the herd would actually wade out into the pond to avoid the wolves that also showed up with the herd every evening. By the end of the summer he claimed his calf crop that started out with about 35 was down to 6. His was an interesting testimonial. 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Now those units are a different story altogether, but this year we have spent some good scouting days in 5bs 5a 6b 3c. In all of those units up until today the cows we have seen have close to a 1 to 1 cow calf.  Oh and heard several bugles the last couple of evenings after dark. Quite a bit of cow chatter early in the mornings also. 

[huntlines]

I have a camera on a water tank which has lots of cow elk coming into it. In June there were probably a calve to almost ever cow. Then I started getting wolves on camera every night. Pictures I'm getting now show a lot less calves. Probably around the 35% ratio.

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Admittedly I haven't gotten out in the field as much this year as normal due to family issues. But it does sound and appear that the lack of precipitation this spring and monsoon has not negatively affected both horn quality and calf reproduction as much as expected  

[naturebob]

Something Needs to be done! what / I don't know.  There were a lot of wolves across the border in New Mexico during spring turkey hunting too . All around my camp Howling one nite . Sucks....................BOB!