Yellow-bellied marmots. When do they start hybernation?

easy_money

easy_money

New member
I know yellow-bellied Marmots go underground earlier than you would expect.

Does anyone know why? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
What's the trigger-Lenght of day,temperatures, the grasses they eat drying out?
I'm trying to figure out when the marmots that live above 10,000 feet around here will be gone. It's not any easy trip just to go up there and check on them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
When do you guys expect to quit seeing the marmots that live in the mountains around you?
Thanks

P.S. What times of day do expect to see them out?
 
The native americans here like to harvest their rockchucks two weeks after the cheatgrass turns brown. The rockchucks are the fattest then and they will be "going down" shortly after that. (In my opinion, "Rockchuck is NOT what's for dinner". I'm just sayin'.) So, ours are already staring to give it up for the year. If you get out early, you can still find some but as the day warms, they are not very willing to stay out after the shooting starts. Earlier season 'chucks want to be out so you can figure on waiting them out. By now the rockchucks don't care whether they stay up or not so its harder to get a good shoot. This is High Desert at about 4200 ft. I would think your mountain 'chucks would be out later.
 
Sounds like I better go for a hike this weekend and see if I can shoot a few before the season is over. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Better enjoy it while it lasts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Thanks guys /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
I don't know why or when they start to hibernate but here are some observations I have made over the years.

The ones in the lower country southwest of me are out earlier in the year. Their little ones are out earlier too. Those ones start to disappear by the first part of July. The ones north of me are out a month - six weeks later. They stay out that much longer too. The temperatures are warmer to the southwest and cooler to the north. The grass greens up then dries out much earlier in the southwest and later to the north.

I wonder about day length too, but think it would be tied to a specific location. We have had a wet June and the grass is drying up much later than normal. I am curious to see if they hibernate at the same time as usual. Although it has turned hot here recently and that may play a part too?

I have seen the high elevation ones (some actually in WY) out in late August. I don't hunt them though so those are just casual observations. Don't know if they are really active up there that late or if I just see the occasional one out sunning.
 
Range sounds like he is leaning toward it being tied to food supply drying up. Which makes perfect sense.

And Colorado has a season for them after they have kinda become scarce for the year.Matches other things I have heard about some of Colorado's laws.(no offense meant,I just have a friend that was raised in Colorado and who now takes issue with some of the regulations there)

Those are great observations. Thanks guys.
smile.gif
 
They're still out in force here. I've killed more this year than ever but still not many. I saw a whole bunch out on the last day of the archery hunt last year up about 9000 feet, september 15 I think.
 


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