Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

:D 4500' snow level this weekend, with lots of moisture(unless you're comparing it to Ivans) headed this way!!! KOOL!! First freezing temp of the season at the Snotel site at sheep springs (Colockum) Wa.
Looking at this weekends weather conditions, they are very similar to what we usually have in late Oct./early Nov. for the eastside M/R elk season. I for one, would like to not see a warm [:o]dry October into November this year for a change.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Well, I know that Utah is expecting some upper level snows here pretty quick. Supposed to drop to below 30 here in the next couple of days here in Central Nevada. If it does snow a little and hold the temp, I may get a good chance at a decent deer during the early season in 7 years of hunting!!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

I was in the Coluckum yesterdayand it was freezing rain/sleeting on us. I was glad for the cold cause the 3 foot rattler I almost stepped on was moving to slow to react quicly to me or the load of 7 1/2's I put into him.

The snow that I assume fell last night may move some deer lower for the rest of the High buck season too.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Bldhound and I got snowed on just up from Stampede Pass this morning at about 4500 feet. It was sticking on a ridge above us that was at 5000 feet. That was the first time I've been snowed on during early archery elk season. It snowed up there last year about this time, too, but I wasn't up there. They were moving like crazy this morning. We cut fresh tracks everywhere. I left Bldhound up there with our campmates to put the hurt on a bull they bedded this morning. I hope he comes home with meat and a great story.:D

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

How high and where were you yesterday Scottr??
Since you encountered the rattler I woud guess you were in the 3000'-4000' range which
is about the area I have always run into those critters.
Thanks for the report!:)
Sounds good Slee. I sure would love to have a season with the weather we had many years ago when my Dad was stilll with us and we woud encounter snow on Snoqualmie pass on M/R deer general opener (Dating myself there) and almost every year have snow onthe ground when we set up elk camp- Now that's when the seson started a week later but..........

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

I was helping at a game check station last night and we had a few groups that had been up in the high hunt area come out. They said they got up to 8" of snow so desided to pull out.
Feels more like late Oct then Sept. The upper peaks are snow covered from what I can see.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Summit

We were at about 4000 ft. The rattler encounter was actually in the Quilomene but right near the border with the Colockum. We were following up on some blues that flushed to the trees when I encounted the snake on the edge of the forest.

Where the snow hit was us higher up by the power lines on the top of the pass in the Colockum.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Slee I have a story but not any meat or pics! It was still awesome up there, it snowed until about 5:30, it didnt stick where we were at but looking back at the higher mountains it had a hardcore chalk line on them.

A hiker guy came down the PCT that was a very cool thing because.....................he stopped & talked for a minute or two real polite wanted to see the huge bear we were trying to gig. He started out in Mexico on the PCT 4 months ago & had a couple of more weeks to go till he reached the end.....................man what dedication to his love of hiking. Must be nice to be able to take off 5 months or so to do a trek & still be young enough to enjoy it.

The idiots in the jeep drove right through where the 5X5 bull was bedded down, they drove within 40 yds of him. Lee & I went in there with a buggle or two later & heard some comotion then realized the wind was wrong & backed out. They were going back in there this morning.

The reason I wasnt there was I came down with a MAJOR MIGRAINE took my meds at the last minute & it was all I could do to make it home. It was so bad that I had to stop at the bottom of the mountain for a bit, I need to talk to you or your wife about that, I was scared.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Well, it Snowed here in Nevada this morning, the whole Northeastern part of the state, down to about 5000 feet or so, some 3"+ in the higher elevations of the mountains. I hope it holds out until October so I can hunt in the snow!!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

We got about 3 inches of snow this morning! the fall is just going to fade away without ever getting here! Oh well, it will make my buck tag easier to fill!:D

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

STILL SNOWING...:D Yes, it should make my buck tag easy to fill, as I drew an area who's herd is typically in the VERY HIGH COUNTRY until the snow starts flying!!!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Sounds about the way I envisioned it up there Scottr, Thanks for the info!
Kind of sounds like we're all happy about this condition, let's hope it doesn't change[:'(]:([X(] radically! Good luck to all!!:D

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

It has snowed 3x in the last week here in central Idaho. Snow lines were around 4500 feet. We were at 8,500 feet and it was snowing like crazy. The bulls are active all day long. This sure seems like winter is coming. I built a fire last night here in the valley to take the chill out of the house. September? No way. This is great. Time to get the skiis waxed!!!!!!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

First day of fall and it's 81 degrees in Alabama....

I'm sick of mowing grass!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Your right Summit, sure feels like the old days, when I was a kid I'd remember gettin snow in the latter parts of the Modern Deer season, kind of looks that way again. My apple tree hasn't had an apple on it for over a month and since I've lived here (7yrs) I'm usually busy processing them during the early M/L season. The only drawback is with the weather over the past month is the wait is almost unbearable;) This too should kick the deer into rut a little earlier than normal:D Last time we had an early rut I found a nice 5X3 Blackie layin in the open during broad daylight:D He made for good table fare;):D[8D] and a nice place on my wall for that one;)

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

:D I just hope it keeps up, and doesn't change to "Indian summer" through October and November trapper T!! Good luck with your NE Wa. Elk hunt......I've been curious about that are too, especially since it is not spike only! I have seen many elk track at sullivan lake area east of Ione. If I ever get drawn for a moose tag - I will deer, elk, and moose hunt in the Selkirk GMU, simultaniously!

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

I hope, I know that Elk over there can be like a needle in the haystack, but I have got a nice lil' herd spotted and monitored, so hope is we can get right on'em and have a good hunt.

I got a feeling that we aren't gonna have any Indian summer, right now it's getting that early morning fog around here that kind you get right before it starts freezing at night:D but I noticed that it's almost fifty outside[:'(] that's about the only part that bothers me, but here in the next couple weeks the temps should be dropping off....let's hope[8D]

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Boy...remind me never to trust my gut anymore[:'(] 70's here and hotter over East[:'(]

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

:D Maybe St. Helens will do a BIG eruption that will turn our weather colder and wetter like it did the summer of 1980!!! A guy can dream can't he???;)

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

Well here it is October 20, and we have been getting wet, but we sure could use for it to cool down 5-10 degrees (I'm dreaming there!) then things would be great! They spoke of a 3500' snowlevel last weekend, but looking at the mountains from the Everett area it sure didn't look like it.

RE: Could it Be? Early Winter in Northwest?``````
 

:D October 23, and it seems it might finally now be here in the higher elevations. I was supposed to leave early this morning to go set up M/R elk camp, but was asked to work today, and decided I should- so we'll be leaving about 3;30 today.