Re: Mulw deer population????
Originally Posted by
Husky7mm
MULE DEER DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS.
What you are seeing is the effects from years and years of long liberal seasons. When it was 4 point only literally 80-90% of the legal bucks where harvested every year. Now that there is an any buck season the harvest is more spread out but I would put money down the harvest has increased. In Unit 4-3 last year the buck to doe ratio was 5 bucks/ hundred does. THAT'S A PROBLEM!!!!! Its a little misleading talking about bucks and bulls per hundred does/ cows. People are lead to believe they actually counted hundreds of deer, and moose for that matter. Only the elk are counted in hundred and hundreds
Heres a fact. Mule deer and WT and elk dont compete for the same food. They are mostly interested in different feed. Mule deer also can winter considerably high than elk or WT. I scout year round and some mulies winter up near the goats. What is with all this BS about not enough habit for all three. The forest and grass lands are littered with feed right from the bottom of the valleys to the rocks. Deer even eat conifers. Feed is everywhere. You dont need open grass lands and sage brush to winter mule deer.
The problem is predation!!!! By man and wolves and cougars ect..... Literally thousand of hunters are pounding the kootenays every hunting season looking for an elk to bring home and the deer, especially the mule deer pay the price for the lack of many hunters success at elk. Elk respond very well to presure, mule deer bucks dont live long enough to. There simply is not enough mule deer buck to go around for the amount of hunters that actually hunt here. It starts on sept 1 when any one under 17 with a gun and anyone with a bow or cross bow can shoot any buck they like, the weather nice and the deer just stand there in the cuts, even some decent 4 points. Easy, too easy. Thats what people want right "opportunity". Then it increases as elk season gets into full swing and it doesnt end until half way though the rut when the snow pushes the last few out of the limited acces areas. Literally 1000's of hunters hammering on a few 100 bucks. Ya thats right a few 100 bucks!!
Add a pack of wolves to every valley and half a dozen cougars. Bingo bango mule deer are not going anywhere, but slowly down. Thats a fact. You will all see the changes will come. Many hunters would shoot the last deer on the mountain just to have something to show for there efforts. This has to stop. The changes will come or the Mulies in the EK will go the way of the caribou. Mule deer death by a thousand cuts. SO STOP CUTTING THEM! Be a responsible hunter and demand a change. The mule deer pays the price for the liberal seasons of the EK.
This is getting out there even for the internet. The comments about habitat are insane. Anyways here's the proper information not something off a roll of toilet paper.
When it comes to buck:doe ratios in an un-hunted population you're going to end up with about 66:100, very light hunting 30-50:100, moderate hunting 10-30:100 and heavy hunting pressure would be less than 10:100.
Here's the readers digest for the 2009/10 flights for mule deer in the EK:
"Snow conditions were poor in Creston but excellent in the East Kootenay during surveys. We
observed 146 mule deer in MUs 4-06 and 4-07 (88 does, 36 fawns, 17 class II bucks and 5 class
III bucks) in 222 minutes survey time. Buck ratios of 23:100 does (90% CI: 3-44) were estimated
for these MUs using the mule deer model. We observed 238 mule deer in MU 4-21 (110 does,
34 fawns, 40 class II bucks and 8 class III bucks) in 155 minutes survey time and estimated ratios
of 40 bucks:100 does (CI: 29-46). A total of 183 does, 58 fawns, 30 class II bucks and 17 class III
bucks were observed in MU 4-22. Survey time was also 155 minutes. Estimated buck ratios
were 32:100 does (CI: 16-2
. We observed the most mule deer in MU 4-02 (183 does, 58
fawns, 30 class II bucks and 17 class III bucks) in 325 minutes survey time, although buck ratios
were low (20:100 does [CI: 12-28]). Overall buck ratios for East Kootenay MU’s combined were
29:100 does (CI: 14-44). Estimated fawn ratios were slightly higher in the Creston area (45
fawns:100 does) than the East Kootenay (29-34 fawns:100 does), although confidence intervals
overlapped for all areas.
."
Readers digest for last December's flights... done by some Stent guy?.......
"We observed 842 mule deer, including 514 does, 157 fawns, 34 ≥4-point bucks and 115 <4-point
bucks over 12 hours and 45 minutes survey time. Raw buck:doe ratios (no sightability correction)
were 33:100 in MUs 4-06 and 4-07 combined (90% CI: 22-39), 23:100 in MU 4-21 (CI: 17-30), 41:100
in MU 4-02 (CI: 34-4, 45:100 in MU 4-22 (CI: 37-52) and 5:100 in MU 4-03 (CI: 1-9). There was a
significant decrease in buck ratios from 2009/10 ratios in MU 4-21, while buck ratios increased
significantly in MU 4-02 and 4-22, although 2009/10 buck ratios were likely underestimated in the
former survey as it occurred in late December and early January when bucks are usually wintering
in bachelor groups in remote habitat and more difficult to detect. Similarly MUs 4-03, 4-06 and 4-07
were surveyed post-rut in 2010 and bucks could be underrepresented in samples from these MUs."
So there you have it. 
Looks pretty darn good when you compare it to places in Regions 3,5 and 8.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Mandela
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