Let's have a whitetail cull

[SUAFOYT]

http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/news.shtml

Found this interesting. Have seen a few up our way. Is it possible that if this gets out of hand we can have them added to Schedule B or C? Wishful thinking on my part.

[Fisher-Dude]

Tinney was right. Fields full of hybrids! :wink:

I tend to trust Geist's point of view moreso than some some "naturalist" from Kamloops. It's also good that Mr Jury sounds like he is willing to look into enhanced seasons - hopefully he speaks to his region 8 counterpart who still thinks a one whitetail deer limit is the way to go while the population explodes. :(

[Kirby]

thats nothing, read the morons reply to the hunting the editorial!
They say
"It would then be a good idea to place a ban on tourism with all these crazy people with guns running around"

"Do you think all these hunters are going to eat what they shoot?"

Kirby

[Chuck]

I think he's onto something - and I don't mean Ralph. I can't say I've ever seen a Mulie/Whitetail hybrid, but since I started deer hunting around home in the 1950's, almost all, if not all were Mulie. They were just everywhere. Not now though in the W. Kootenays. You have to actually HUNT for them.
It's nice to know that there are people concerned about this and trying to figure it out imho. I've also heard that the introduction of Elk has done nothing to help the Mulies either. But ya, I think they should be more liberal with the Whitetail limit and season - at least try it for a season or three. M2c.

[dana]

Do you guys know who Ritcey is? Not sure if Ralph is the Sr and Frank is the Jr or if it is the other way around. Sr Ritcey is who Geist learned under in his early research days studying moose in Wells Gray. Ritcey is one of the founding father's of modern conservation in this province.
The article takes Geist's comment out of context. Geist goes into detail about the hybrids in his book Mule Deer Country. The situation in the Kamloops area is not what Geist is refering to. He goes into detail about how there needs to be a high buck to doe ratio among the whitetails and a low buck to doe ratio among the muleys. Is that what we have in the Kamloops area? Umm, NO. Small little pockets of whitetails are not going to take over the large booming populations of muleys. Ritcey is right. There has been fragented little populations of whiteys in the Thompson since the 50's. Their population dynamics go up and down based on how hard of winters we have. In the 50's mild winters with lots of fires in the summers to promote new veg. In the late 60's through the 70's, sevre winters that kicked the $hit out of the whiteys since they can not move around in deep snow like the muleys can. Whiteys yard up, muleys stot with little energy consumed. Whiteys then are sitting ducks when it comes to lions and wolves, and the muley can stott to safety. Thus whiteys pops drop drastically. All we are seeing right now is the results of dry conditions and mild winters.

As for extending seasons, really what more can a guy want. Any whitetail buck from Sept 10th through Dec 10th. Longest season in the province I believe. Yes, it would be nice to have some anterless LEH tags handed out, but that would be about it.

[Baba Ganoosh]

Keep your eyes peeled for the hybrids.. I've come across a few In the area between Tunkwa Lake and Savona. I've seen lots in the Nechako River area around Fort Fraser and Vanderhoof. Mostly have Muley face with a wide flat tail that is really dark. Got pics somewhere of one fawn with a one Muley ear and one whitetail ear!!!!

[3kills]

baba bring on the pics....

[Chuck]

Hmmmm...... verrry interesting. I do know mulies can take more what winter throws than whiteys can and in that way they are tougher, but what makes mulies so sensitive and disturbes them so much that they bugger right out of what were once former ranges is beyond me! Clear cut logging? some kind of environmental loss? Not enough fire? Just thought that these whiteys might be the key, as there sure is a passle of 'em around now where not long ago was just mulies.