Mulw deer population????

[Husky7mm]

Hi WF
I live for mulie hunting, this year was tough, so was last year and the year before..... I've hunted the highest peaks and the lowest valleys and everything in between. I've read every book and article on them both local and otherplaces. I have hunted the thick crap and crawled my way up alder chock shoots to get up into remote basins. I've waded and post holed though waist deep snow and chained up and tracked up just to hunt to the last day. All this time virtually ignoring elk and WT hunting just to spend one more day hunting mulies. YOu know what I turned up over the last 6 yrs. Small bucks, young bucks no older then 3-4 yrs old. Thats the age there making it too. Only a misinformed fool would travel here to hunt just for a trophy mule deer exclusively. I saw more trophy bucks in 3 days on the gang during a heavy snow yr than here in 6 yrs.
I would bet money everyone who comes here to hunt comes here for everything but mule deer, BUT they all have a tag in their pocket and they shoot what they come across, and it goes on for 3 mths straight, I'm sure every MD deer I've ever past up has been harvested. TOO much recreactional demand. Not enough Mule deer. Let them recover, do something to help them.

[Fisher-Dude]

You know something I knew this is the exact comment that I was going to hear from you ,,,,,,,,,,,point well taken and I did my part this year I let 5 spikes three two points and a couple of small 3 x4 s go so you can enjoy your hunting oppurtunity now how about letting me enjoy hunting a respectable buck of about 150 or so that I can enjoy a challenge to harvesting a mature mule deer species .........I do believe your missing my point the mule deer population is hurting and I beleive all my time and my buddies time in the east kootenay hunting this species tell me there is .......Bouno Fortuna

PS so you say everything is great according to your scientific data maybe you should have a late season form the 15 to 30 of november and I will be able to hunt my opputunity and make it 4 point or better season on that then you ll be happy Fisher Dude with your meat hunting expedition and family memories and I with hunting memories of presuing and harvesting a mature species of a mule deer .

The guys you hunted elk with this year took a couple of 3 year old mule bucks in the past few years from St Marys. Did you rag on them about their choice of game? Did you want them to go without? Do you want to legislate away their ability to shoot a deer? If there are no deer, how did two out-of-towners find them?

Lots of questions, few answers.

You're just looking to have a season where you see no one else in the bush. That's exactly what will kill off hunting for ALL BCers if we go down that path.

Not sure what a "mature species of mule deer" is, but I guess it must be some distinct scientific wonder from all other mule deer.

[OutWest]

Everywhere I hunt I saw 5X the amount for people. The further I went the more hunters I saw and less game to boot.

The only hunter I saw all year was Mark! Saw tons of game too. Looks like you need a new spot fella.

[Husky7mm]

So you were hunting mule deer in 4:20 4:06 4:05 4:03 4:04 4:21? Your right these area's don't usually hold a tonne of game and thoughout the season receive very little hunting pressure if your in the right spot How about some directions to that whitetail haven up in friutvale. Look like a pretty good supply for an army of hunters, should be never ending post it up on HBC *****

[twodog]

Two trips to regions 3-5-8, one last week and the other mid October. Talked to the CO this weekend and he said this is the worst he has seen in close to 20 years. He said we have a Predator problem and the balance is away out of sync. His very words. He said one game check in a good location saw only 2 bucks come thru in the 3 day long weekend this month. Pretty sad state of affairs. Northern Vancouver Island had the same problem approx. 15 years ago and they turned it around. Hopefully whoever is in charge has the brains and ba--s to correct things. Now is the time for them to earn their pay.

[GoatGuy]

Hi WF
I live for mulie hunting, this year was tough, so was last year and the year before..... I've hunted the highest peaks and the lowest valleys and everything in between. I've read every book and article on them both local and otherplaces. I have hunted the thick crap and crawled my way up alder chock shoots to get up into remote basins. I've waded and post holed though waist deep snow and chained up and tracked up just to hunt to the last day. All this time virtually ignoring elk and WT hunting just to spend one more day hunting mulies. YOu know what I turned up over the last 6 yrs. Small bucks, young bucks no older then 3-4 yrs old. Thats the age there making it too. Only a misinformed fool would travel here to hunt just for a trophy mule deer exclusively. I saw more trophy bucks in 3 days on the gang during a heavy snow yr than here in 6 yrs.
I would bet money everyone who comes here to hunt comes here for everything but mule deer, BUT they all have a tag in their pocket and they shoot what they come across, and it goes on for 3 mths straight, I'm sure every MD deer I've ever past up has been harvested. TOO much recreactional demand. Not enough Mule deer. Let them recover, do something to help them.

We go out there every year surrounding Nov long weekend exclusively for MD. We harvest 3-4+ year old bucks and there have been plenty in the 160-180 range + a few bigger.

They are out there!!! And I can tell you there are spots that are seeing mule deer at their highest since the die-offs in the 90s.

Overall, it's no surprise mule deer are down. It's no surprise most hunters don't see big bucks. If the objective is to increase the number of mule deer and the number of class IVs you better start looking at the habitat. I can promise you that is the only way you'll see long-term change in the EK. Predator control and changing hunting seasons won't solve the problem of forest ingrowth for a species that evolved in open habitat. Just like in regions 3, 5 and 8, when you have fire suppression in a fire maintained ecosystem the native species will dwindle over time.

[GoatGuy]

HEY GG how can hands on experience be out to lunch. STOP SKIM READING WHAT I'M SAYING AND CUTTING AND PASTEING! 3 buck per hundred does. I said 3 buck per 10 does.30 bucks and 100does misleads folks to think they are counting deer by the hundreds.( only elk here get counted that way) Are you drunk. I never said the world was coming to an end or that region 4 mule deer were colapsing. They're just going nowhere. LAY DOWN SOME BOOT LEATHER. How many worn out pairs do you want to see?
I'd like to know where the game in the area you hunt winters, then Tara can counted them and H1947 can scower the hills for 3 weeks strait and pick up all there sheds. Outlandish! Where is this magical spot where nobody hunts and games is everywhere? Are there unicorns and sasquates there? Send me a PM I dont want to ruin the last good spot in the koots.
Anyways they're counting the deer right now and they have extra money this year. Thats good news for a change. I'm sure even you'll argree.

Should have read this first - funny. We've pointed lots of folks in to the areas we hunt and taken lots of new hunters in. Dont mean to offend but you don't really seem to fit the profile. Different frame of mind. We're happy to see hunters and happy if someone else harvests an animal. Very different from the "don't hunt my spots, shoot my animals and don't wave to me because all I'll do is scowl back."

Rather see the money go in to burns/enhancement than monitoring, especially when it comes to MD. Wouldn't be surprised if we found buck:doe ratios below 20:100 but it still wouldn't have anything to do with conservation and any changes in seasons wouldn't increase the population.

[bigben]

We go out there every year surrounding Nov long weekend exclusively for MD. We harvest 3-4+ year old bucks and there have been plenty in the 160-180 range + a few bigger.

They are out there!!! And I can tell you there are spots that are seeing mule deer at their highest since the die-offs in the 90s.

Overall, it's no surprise mule deer are down. It's no surprise most hunters don't see big bucks. If the objective is to increase the number of mule deer and the number of class IVs you better start looking at the habitat. I can promise you that is the only way you'll see long-term change in the EK. Predator control and changing hunting seasons won't solve the problem of forest ingrowth for a species that evolved in open habitat. Just like in regions 3, 5 and 8, when you have fire suppression in a fire maintained ecosystem the native species will dwindle over time.

Did I hear that clearly suprise mule deer are down,,,,,,,,,,exactly what I said we have a crisis in the kootenays ..........next year go somewhere else to hunt muleys so I can find my one needle in the haystack .........and also take me along so I can shoot one of your 160 class muleys that your continuing to see so I can take a picture with you and then all three of us Fisher Dude you and myself can take a picture of the two point that Fisher Dude harvests in the hunting for oppurtunities ,,,,,,,,,funny I met a guy in the store two weeks ago and he said the same thing and I have to agree with you without the animals to hunt you will watch Cody Robbins and is allstar crew shooting world class muleys on private land ,,,,,,,,,,,,good day to you sir and as JOHN WAYNE said I am sticking to my guns ,,,,,,,,

[bigben]

The guys you hunted elk with this year took a couple of 3 year old mule bucks in the past few years from St Marys. Did you rag on them about their choice of game? Did you want them to go without? Do you want to legislate away their ability to shoot a deer? If there are no deer, how did two out-of-towners find them?

Lots of questions, few answers.

You're just looking to have a season where you see no one else in the bush. That's exactly what will kill off hunting for ALL BCers if we go down that path.

Not sure what a "mature species of mule deer" is, but I guess it must be some distinct scientific wonder from all other mule deer.

I guess your missinformed two of those bucks where inthe 160 class and other two was by there choice not mine so I guess I have to lose three hunting partners because I have an opinion that I don t want to shoot immature muleys give your head a shake ................... , and again I am telling you that I am not for this season I would of kept it to a four point restriction ,,,,,,,,,,,,and again I did my part in letting you and your buddies shot the immature muleys that I suspect would grow into mature bucks that some people here in the kootenays would like to continue to hunt ........nobody else in the bush lots of elk and whitetaill for your hunting opputunities leave the mules alone for awhile until the species comes back at a repectable level Have a nice day Goatguy and feel free to come for coffee so my fingers will not get numb from dicussing this topic with you

[GoatGuy]

Did I hear that clearly suprise mule deer are down,,,,,,,,,,exactly what I said we have a crisis in the kootenays ..........next year go somewhere else to hunt muleys so I can find my one needle in the haystack .........and also take me along so I can shoot one of your 160 class muleys that your continuing to see so I can take a picture with you and then all three of us Fisher Dude you and myself can take a picture of the two point that Fisher Dude harvests in the hunting for oppurtunities ,,,,,,,,,funny I met a guy in the store two weeks ago and he said the same thing and I have to agree with you without the animals to hunt you will watch Cody Robbins and is allstar crew shooting world class muleys on private land ,,,,,,,,,,,,good day to you sir and as JOHN WAYNE said I am sticking to my guns ,,,,,,,,

They are down, it isn't a crisis, and in the long run mule deer will continue to decline. In the long-term you'll find the same thing with most ungulates in the EK. Ingrowth, increased development on winter range, fenced tracts of property which fragment critical habitat and highway traffic will all contribute to this.

Changing hunting seasons won't help that, neither will an occasional dose of predator control, but that's what all the locals will complain about like they do now.

Why worry about the big picture when we call all point fingers at each other and worry about the things that won't make a difference? Plenty of that around.