Mule deer study in the Okanagan

[Bugle M In]

I have been in contact recently with J_T about elk.
He passed on some recent documents and all I have to say is "wow, what a mess".
Calf recruitment is low and bulls are to find to count, let alone any "mature ones".

And yes, I have been saying and arguing with one member here in the past that cats are on the rise.
I see them a lot more then ever before.

We have some serious issues going on.
I don't hunt some areas that others are complaining about, but that tell me that something in their neck of the woods
isn't going good.
And then I wonder why wolves show up in my area where the hunting wasn't bad.
I guess they are just looking for new food sources in new areas.

If you can folks, get out there and cull some preds.
For now, that is all we can really do.
We can really make the forests grow up any faster and some stuff is going to take industries help as well.

But preds we can do something about to balance the forest for our ungulates.

[LBM]

That's the same scenario around the south country with cats. Cats everywhere but no one wants to shoot a male that isn't going to make book and they would get pissed if guys shot females. Our season would be closed after 29 females were shot. With bull river bighorn sheep going on draw last yr lots of guys were pissed and vowed to remove some cats from their winter range. Well this season they removed the female quota for cats and the hounds men pounded the cats in the Pickering hills. A guy I work with has hounds and knows one guy who helped take 10 cats from the sheep wintering grounds and knows other guys who also took cats. Hopefully they keep removing as many cats as possible for the next few yrs. I'm going to get my friend to take me and the kid out next season for 2 cats.

Interesting not what the harvest data shows over the years. Also not what many others are saying that are actually out there including some Bios. Also not the best way to manage them either, just causing more issues. You did get one thing right houndsmen did pound some areas, again causing many more issues.

[Deaddog]

Studies are great. However it is what you do with them that counts. Remember the two million dollars that went to moose studies? Lots of data but zero done as far as helping the species. Let’s hope this is not another replay

[Wild one]

Studies are great. However it is what you do with them that counts. Remember the two million dollars that went to moose studies? Lots of data but zero done as far as helping the species. Let’s hope this is not another replay

Could not agree more without corrective actions the study is a waste. Still seeing no real effort put into moose either.

[HarryToolips]

That's the same scenario around the south country with cats. Cats everywhere but no one wants to shoot a male that isn't going to make book and they would get pissed if guys shot females. Our season would be closed after 29 females were shot. With bull river bighorn sheep going on draw last yr lots of guys were pissed and vowed to remove some cats from their winter range. Well this season they removed the female quota for cats and the hounds men pounded the cats in the Pickering hills. A guy I work with has hounds and knows one guy who helped take 10 cats from the sheep wintering grounds and knows other guys who also took cats. Hopefully they keep removing as many cats as possible for the next few yrs. I'm going to get my friend to take me and the kid out next season for 2 cats.

If you know someone who wants to help a,fellow hunter with taking cats I'm all game, I just don't have hounds and have never hunted cats but I'd love to do my part and nail one....

[HarryToolips]

And to reverse the current trend on this thread, I can honestly say that in my part of reg 8, numbers definitely aren't the highest I've seen but, they ain't in the dumps...I'm seeing decent numbers of mule deer on winter range, and decent yearling recruitment...that said, I'm concerned with the amount of constant development on winter range, and if the preds are moving in like some claim that is definitely a concern, and i will continue to attempt to knock down preds...

[j270wsm]

Interesting not what the harvest data shows over the years. Also not what many others are saying that are actually out there including some Bios. Also not the best way to manage them either, just causing more issues. You did get one thing right houndsmen did pound some areas, again causing many more issues.

What is the data showing?? What is everyone saying?? All the guys I know from jaffray and cranbrook that have hounds keep saying that there are tons of cats between Montana and cranbrook.

[northof49]

I am going to say a disease of some kind. Yes there are more wolves. Yeah been some fires. etc etc. I have 19 cameras in Kamloops region 3 spread out. Last year I just did not see many mule deer period. Just did a spring drive. In regular wintering areas and fawning areas there is nothing. I honestly put 8 hours behind the wheel with binos and did not see a single Mule deer this week. SCARY.

No disease....they just got eaten.

[Husky7mm]

Cats, no bag limit, open season yr round, no tag required just like a coyote and a wolf.....

[J_T]

What is the data showing?? What is everyone saying?? All the guys I know from jaffray and cranbrook that have hounds keep saying that there are tons of cats between Montana and cranbrook.

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned 10 cats in the Pickering. My cat hunter contacts are saying they (and others they know) took 32 in the bottom end of the Bull/Pickering. Even if, that is an inflated statement, it still represents a lot of cats. Cut it in half, and that is still a lot of ungulate consumption.

Have you noticed recently (last couple of years) that the sheep are not grouped up in November and December like normal? I think they're being chased so much they get completely disbursed.