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Thread: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

  1. #11
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    Jan 2005
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    The Okanagan Valley
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    1,655

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    On the east side of Penticton there was a pretty substantial migration corridor where there used to be an abundance of mule deer pass through now they have all but vanished.

  2. #12
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    Mar 2011
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    Southern West Kootenays
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    1,461

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    My question is how can they have let the declines go for this long without research and action!!!???
    "Target archery is seeing how far away you can get and still hit the bull's eye;
    Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get and never miss your mark."

    "A man's got to know his limitations"

  3. #13
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    Mar 2010
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    BC
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    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Quote Originally Posted by wideopenthrottle View Post
    all I know on the matter is that when up there last year, we went to a few vineyards and a park on the far side of the lake. I saw 7 or 8 mule deer does and 3 of them were injured on the back end...not sure if it was hit by cars, attacked by dogs, or attacked by predators but it looked like they may have been attacked while giving birth and had their fawns taken as there were no fawns in the groups of 2 or 3 that I saw....I know this anecdotal info means nothing but it did strike me as a bit disturbing seeing so many wounded/injured does
    coyotes at birthing, car strikes, fence mishaps

  4. #14
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    Nov 2013
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    Kelowna
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    912

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    I have participated in collaring some of the deer and this study is beginning to reveal some important information. It will only continue to do so as it continues. AS for collaring more deer, I believe they are doing so this year. I think it is fawns if I remember correctly. As for the fertilization rates, its true that almost all does are impregnated and carrying twins. The buck ratio is where they are targeting, but we are not seeing the mature buck cohort in the population. I love seeing big muley bucks, and it appears they are harder to come by than ever before in region 8. I am all for providing opportunity, but I would love to see more big mature bucks either wandering the woods or being taken by lucky hunters.

    I believe we can both provide opportunity and manage for some bigger studs in the bush by reducing the month long general open season from Oct 1st - Oct 31, down to Oct 1 - Oct 15th. In talking to a reputable taxidermist in town, he has records that show a drastic reduction in mature bucks come into his shop since the season went from ending on the 15th to ending on the 31st. His argument has some merit. He believes in the later half of October, those young immature bucks that lack experience will pair up with doe groups before the mature bucks in hopes of beating them to the breeding. That lack of experience results in a disproportionate number of young immature deer being harvested before they reach that 5-6 years needed to mature. JMO, but I think it would lead to better representation of bigger bucks. I also agree with SSS, in that in light of the recent reduction to the provincial bag limit on mule deer, we will not see any further restrictions until we begin to get an idea of how the recent changes affect both deer numbers and hunter habits.
    There was a time I thought all parties that cared for wildlife and habitat conservation could find common ground. I was wrong. Adapt....

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    N. Okanagan
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    14,182

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    The north Ok has lost 2 or 3 good houndsman in the last few years. Is anybody picking up the slack?
    Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    3,898

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Quote Originally Posted by Brez View Post
    My question is how can they have let the declines go for this long without research and action!!!???
    THEY need money, and a lot of it.
    Collars, helicopters and expert staff are not free.


    I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with keyboards and forums. - F L Wright


    Try and be kind to everyone but fear no one. - Ourea


  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Kelowna
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    912

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Quote Originally Posted by Ourea View Post
    THEY need money, and a lot of it.
    Collars, helicopters and expert staff are not free.
    Yup and the recent release of the provincial budget is the status quo......sweet FA for wildlife! It's really too bad, but its becoming a broken record.
    There was a time I thought all parties that cared for wildlife and habitat conservation could find common ground. I was wrong. Adapt....

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    600

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Seeker Quote;I believe we can both provide opportunity and manage for some bigger studs in the bush by reducing the month long general open season from Oct 1st - Oct 31, down to Oct 1 - Oct 15th

    If they reduced the any buck dates in the north Okanogan down to Oct 15th i think there would be a drastic drop off of hunters even bothering to head into the bush to hunt.The mulies dont even start to rut untill the last couple days of Oct and are held up deep in the bush and basically nocturnal until then.I put in 10 days dawn to dusk hunting this last season from the 20th of Oct to the 31st without seeing one buck until shooting a nice 2-point the last day on the 31st,he was well into rut,swollen neck and beating up some scrub brush when encountered
    .We were constantly on mulie doe's right thru and many older doe's were without yearlings from the previous yr.Preditation i believe is whats really affecting numbers,we have wolf tracks constantly ,even walking down the road near home the last week...

    Last edited by Takla; 03-05-2019 at 02:13 PM.
    Pemby Quote: "Ah well ,cant be perfect" .... " sometimes i think that this tread is actually a wormhole to another dimension"

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    BC
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    2,291

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Predators, predators, predators.....funny how the cariboo herds started to miraculously rebound soon after implementing wolf culls. Who would have ever thought ? Hmmm

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    8,515

    Re: Mule deer study in the Okanagan

    Quote Originally Posted by Takla View Post
    Seeker Quote;I believe we can both provide opportunity and manage for some bigger studs in the bush by reducing the month long general open season from Oct 1st - Oct 31, down to Oct 1 - Oct 15th

    If they reduced the any buck dates in the north Okanogan down to Oct 15th i think there would be a drastic drop off of hunters even bothering to head into the bush to hunt.The mulies dont even start to rut untill the last couple days of Oct and are held up deep in the bush and basically nocturnal until then.I put in 10 days dawn to dusk hunting this last season from the 20th of Oct to the 31st without seeing one buck until shooting a nice 2-point the last day on the 31st,he was well into rut,swollen neck and beating up some scrub brush when encountered
    .We were constantly on mulie doe's right thru and many older doe's were without yearlings from the previous yr.Preditation i believe is whats really affecting numbers,we have wolf tracks constantly ,even walking down the road near home the last week...

    Not that I want to take away from the thinking here, as I do believe younger bucks do group up with does "much sooner"
    Sadly, this is all I saw in Novemer as well, on a couple of trips, fyi (4 separate 2pt's, all with atleast 6 does in each group)

    BUT.....
    I thought with the 1MD LIMIT this past season being introduced, that I would see "LESS HUNTERS"..NOPE!!!
    I actually saw more hunters during the Novemer/Dec 4 point season, especially the November long weekend.

    What I am say is, some who may have taken 2 bucks in previous seasons, 1 being a meat buck I suspect, and then
    the other to be a big boy attempt, have made a decision to "not hunt meat bucks"....

    It would be very interesting to see how many "less" younger bucks were taken who are not 4 points are harvested in the
    next few years "due to the 1 MD limit Change"!
    I am betting due to this new limit, less young bucks will be taken.
    We may "not need to shorten" that any buck season!!

    I have no clue what kind of stats are out there, as to MD harvest, and how many are taken that are not 4 point as
    compared to 4 pt in a season.
    Maybe they don't exist???

    I think the 1 MD change has already changed some hunters thinking and is changing what age bucks are taken because of it.
    I bet you there is going to be a decline in the amount of any bucks harvested, as some hunters will take more chances looking for the big one!

    I think people...hunters need to realize that we just had a significant regulation change!!!
    Does anyone expect that in 1 season of that change there is going to be dramatic changes to what you see out in the woods??!!
    Give it some time folks.

    More important right now is to figure out what is happening to the "offspring".
    Why are they not there by "next season" after this season has ended???
    FIX that, and then you will see a difference out there for the better!

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