Big Game Populations?...anybody?

[schilly101]

Hi everyone!
I am new to this site and i found it while trying to do some research on the local wildlife populations in my area. I live in the west kootenays and have noticed in the last 2 years the whitetail deer and mule deer populations seem to have crashed? i spend a large amount of time in the bush both working and playing, and the amount of deer im seeing seems to be becoming less and less. The areas that i hunt were it used to be common to see 20+ whitetails a day in logging cut blocks and 40+ in farmer fields, last year it seemed that i just couldnt find the deer and was only seeing MAYBEE half that number..at first i thought it was just me having a bad season but then..this last hunting season i was lucky to see 10 deer a day when hunting in both the fields and cutblocks together. mulies i also found hard to find compaired to previous years, alot of the areas i used to be able to find deer seem to have had very small amounts of sign. Ive noticed that hunting pressure has increased a bit the last few years but i didnt think it was enough to "clean house". Ive also noticed that the animals dont seem to be showing up on the winter grounds like ive saw in the past...takeing a drive at night just outside my hometown i used to see quite a few deer out feeding or crossing the road. This year im lucky to see one and to see half a dozen is pretty rare. A little while back i took a drive out to 2 places were local herds of elk used to spend there winters and was suprised to find no sign at all in one place and only a couple tracks in another..maybee they are holding up somweres ellse now? i dont know! Im wondering if the new changes to the hunting regulations might have somthing to do with it? or was there a large die off over the last winter? searching the internet i have found next to nothing from our goverment on any up to date info regarding our wildlife..can anyone tell me, is it just me or have our deer and elk numbers dropped large amounts in the last 2 -3 years?:-?

[bigdaddy]

check out the thread,mulw deer population. yes its spelled mulw.

[one-shot-wonder]

A little while back i took a drive out to 2 places were local herds of elk used to spend there winters and was suprised to find no sign at all in one place and only a couple tracks in another..maybee they are holding up somweres ellse now? i dont know! Im wondering if the new changes to the hunting regulations might have somthing to do with it? or was there a large die off over the last winter?

The hunting regs wouldn't have much affect cause with an extremely short GOS for 6 pt bulls only. Post hunt inventory flights have shown good numbers of elk including VERY good bull numbers! Lots of reading on here, just have to do a little searching.

[Fisher-Dude]

http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/files/6/8/8/6/troll-2_thumb.jpg

[The Dawg]

http://i.qkme.me/352zjo.jpg

[RiverOtter]

http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/files/6/8/8/6/troll-2_thumb.jpg

Hahaha, did the "NO Whitetails" give it away...

[madrona sh]

Wrong post.
All trolling is to be done in the fishing section

[kootenayslam]

I also live in the West kootenays and agree deer populations are very very very low, theres a few reasons.....

-Any buck mule deer season is killing all the small bucks
-Doe season is killing all the breeding stock, hardly any does left
-Opening GOS Elk season brought in an influx of hunters, lots shot any deer they had tags for
-Wolves are also a huge issue in this area right now

hopefully the doe seasons get cut back and the any muley buck season gets cut back also, a few more road closures would help too.

2c

[schilly101]

Im not sure how fermilure you are with the west kootenays and the new elk season we have but if you saw the hunting pressure i saw here in that short amount of time you would wonder a bit yourself. I was working in the area that "the duke" used to call his home, during the season this year. and if you thought there was more than enough hunters crawling around the bush, just wait till friday afternoons. when i would drive the 30kms of logging road it would be one camper pulling 4wheelers after another. and the final weekend of that season it was just silly. guys waiting for daylight behind old brush piles, on landings overlooking cut blocks, you couldnt drive 30 seconds without seeing a group of hunters waiting for first light to start bugleing. now while obviously this will have little to do with the lack of deer im finding and obviously the elk havent been all shot off from all this, maybee this was just a large peice of a puzzle along with alot of wolves and a winter die of? im not sure..

[one-shot-wonder]

I also live in the West kootenays and agree deer populations are very very very low, theres a few reasons.....

-Any buck mule deer season is killing all the small bucks
-Doe season is killing all the breeding stock, hardly any does left
-Opening GOS Elk season brought in an influx of hunters, lots shot any deer they had tags for
-Wolves are also a huge issue in this area right now

hopefully the doe seasons get cut back and the any muley buck season gets cut back also, a few more road closures would help too.

2c

Better shut the hunting season, take a year off and let the West kootenays recover......too many hunters, especially locals!

[schilly101]

thanks kootenayslam..what you say deffinalty makes sence. i was just curious if that was the case or if the last winter we had before this was harder on animals than i thought. it does make sence what you say about the elk hunters..if i came several hours to hunt elk for a weekend and all i had saw was hunters after hunters id probley shoot a deer instead of passing it up!

[OutWest]

I also live in the West kootenays and agree deer populations are very very very low, theres a few reasons.....

-Any buck mule deer season is killing all the small bucks
-Doe season is killing all the breeding stock, hardly any does left
-Opening GOS Elk season brought in an influx of hunters, lots shot any deer they had tags for
-Wolves are also a huge issue in this area right now

hopefully the doe seasons get cut back and the any muley buck season gets cut back also, a few more road closures would help too.

2c

http://troll.me/images/uncle-sam/i-want-you-to-stop-trolling.jpg

[one-shot-wonder]

If I came several hours to hunt elk and all I saw was hunter after hunters I probably would think.....wow must be a lot of elk around here!

[schilly101]

Better shut the hunting season, take a year off and let the West kootenays recover......too many hunters, especially locals!

i would be willing to give up a season of hunting to see my area return with a healthy population so i could go back to trying to take a nice sized 4 or 5 point deer rather than shoot the spike because it might be the only buck i see the rest of the season. as for too many hunters, obviously you are not from here because if you saw the amount of people running around EVERY SINGLE CORNER for the elk season you would understand.

[schilly101]

OR the world record bull elk came from this location and now everybody from everyweres around wants to come look for his kids....by the way..what is this troll thing?

[bigdaddy]

OR the world record bull elk came from this location and now everybody from everyweres around wants to come look for his kids....by the way..what is this troll thing?

just people speaking outa there asses ,dont pay attention

[one-shot-wonder]

OR the world record bull elk came from this location and now everybody from everyweres around wants to come look for his kids....by the way..what is this troll thing?

Dont play dumb......and I am not talking about the troll question.....

You should change the title of this thread to " a nimby's only request......locals only trophy season"

[RiverOtter]

Especially after the slaughter of "Twenty 10", amazing there was an elk to be seen in 2011.......nibble, nibble,.......:)

[kootenayslam]

A lot of locals went elsewhere or didn't hunt this year because deer & elk numbers are so low in the west kootenays, not trying to stir any pot just stating plain facts.

[one-shot-wonder]

No sympathy here.....lots of OK and EastKoots guys that know how to elk hunt showed up and had good hunts. Why sit on the sidelines when the going gets tough......GOS beats waiting for 30 years to get an LEH draw.

[The Dawg]

just people speaking outa there asses ,dont pay attention

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Tracian/potmeetkettle.jpg

[schilly101]

just people speaking outa there asses ,dont pay attention

Haha! ok thanks!

what i was hopeing for was maybee sombody that is over the age of 13 on here would say..."oh hey check out this website its a report the goverment issues on populations and wildlife news" or some kind of help instead of a bunch of kids accusing me of wanting the west kootenays to be "locals only"...i dont even hunt elk here...i stopped when they opened the season to everyone..i let all the city boys run around bumping shoulders and chasing 10 elk around all day. i hunt the east kootenays in a quiet little valley and the only other hunters that are ever there and there every year. and they are 3 old guys from victoria that camp beside us. we shoot an elk every 2 or 3 years..the success isnt 100% but its always a fun time and i dont have to worry about a dozen 4wheelers comming along and spooking the cow and calf im watching feed in the morning mist.

[one-shot-wonder]

Glad you have a nice spot to hunt, its a shame you quit hunting when the elk shopping season ended (LEH)

[kootenayslam]

fact is.... people enjoy seeing more wildlife and less people, it's a hard fact to argue with.

[one-shot-wonder]

Thats fine I dont disagree with you, what I disagree with you is when hunters want to close/change seasons for selfish reasons.

Many hunters are enjoying the GOS in 4W, in case you haven't figured this out its a good thing. We need more hunter participation in this province...... If all goes well the only tweak to the 4W elk season will happen this fall and it will be harmonized with the adjacent elk seasons to further spread out pressure.

[Moose Guide]

wolves have hit my area hard, the elk especialy and also the moose. Now they are working hard on the whitetails, and our mulies have been non existant for 15 years or more. I wish for the glory days of the late 80's and early 90's but we are not likely to see hunting like that for a while!

[schilly101]

fact is.... people enjoy seeing more wildlife and less people, it's a hard fact to argue with.

Exactly!
my LEH success was about 1 draw every 8 years and my dad who is 69 years old, has never had an LEH draw for elk and only has had 2 or 3 for moose since it started. but you wont hear us B****ing about it...we would rather never get a draw and keep the hope alive than to see the mountians look like down town vancouver for 20 days....ANYWAYS! this topic had nothing to do with the new elk season here but rather it was a question to anyone out there what they belive is going on in my area and if anyone has any advice on how to find info on populations.

[kootenayslam]

I like the GOS, the question that started this topic was "why are deer populations so low"... and ... well......the influx of elk hunters is a big reason why....people aren't just hunting elk, they are shooting whatever moves, that decimates a population and it has over in the WK without a doubt.... what i disagree with is opening all of these seasons to create hunter opportunity and with no game management in mind whatsoever.

[one-shot-wonder]

Have you spoken with any of the local clubs as to whether outdoorsman are finding evidence of a winter kill last year? Were shed pickers or Cat hunters finding carcasses?

[kootenayslam]

winter kill was an issue in the prairies last year but no more than usual in the WK.

[Fisher-Dude]

I'm convinced. Let's make the entire West Kootenays a national park and ban hunting there forever in order to preserve the handful of animals we have left. Another season of GOS on anything, and the game will be completely wiped out.

Call your MP today.




















:roll:

[one-shot-wonder]

We are all aware of the increase in predators province wide these days, but if it wasnt a more than usual winter kill what else would it be then??

Do you actually think hunters slaughtered all the deer during the 1 week of Elk GOS in October......if so I apologize I am of no help to you.

[schilly101]

Have you spoken with any of the local clubs as to whether outdoorsman are finding evidence of a winter kill last year? Were shed pickers or Cat hunters finding carcasses?
I dont accosiate with rod and gun or clubs like that..i find they are nothing more than bragging rights clubs nowadays more interested in showing off how much and how big they killed this year than to actualy do anything for the wildlife. i dont know of anyone who realy picks sheds anymore and we were probley some of the last cat hunters in our area haha nobodys realy chaseing cougars around here anymore, altho i still get out to look for tracks from time to time.

[kootenayslam]

you definetly are no help on this topic,

the elk season was 20 days in october which aligned with an any buck mule deer season which saw spikes and 2 points wiped out and also aligned with the whitetail doe open season.

[schilly101]

you definetly are no help on this topic,

the elk season was 20 days in october which aligned with an any buck mule deer season which saw spikes and 2 points wiped out and also aligned with the whitetail doe open season.

i was just going to say...20 days =1 week? ummm...21 days =3weeks! durr..

[one-shot-wonder]

Well you are making your own bed......

Right now we need cougar hunters more than ever and you have shut 'er down. What about getting out for coyotes/wolves, lots of info on here for snaring.

Your pride or whatever is getting in the way of you connecting with other outdoorsman to discuss these issues in your backyard. Nevermind the trophy and dick measuring, save that for B&C nights. You should be meeting with the local clubs regarding habitat restoration projects, predator hunting, hunter recruitment all of which will benefit the critters in YOUR backyard.

The world is run by those who show up! Your actions will speak alot louder than your words.

[one-shot-wonder]

you definetly are no help on this topic,

the elk season was 20 days in october which aligned with an any buck mule deer season which saw spikes and 2 points wiped out and also aligned with the whitetail doe open season.

Theres your proof, I am the only hunter other than you that doesn't hunt the area.

[kootenayslam]

Shilly101.... there is cat hunters, shed hunters and a wildlife club that does work on conservation and habitat projects.

[schilly101]

well ill tell you somthing ive got a cat sitting in my house that places in the top 50 in north america at the time i shot it...cougar hunting is 3 generations old in my family...convince my grandfather hes still alive...tell my 69 year old dad to get off his backside...buy my brother a new set of knees and ankles...and buy me a place to live were i can have a couple hounds without the neighbours hateing me and we will gladly start 'er back up! ...oh and can you pay for gas to drive around looking for fresh tracks?

[schilly101]

Shilly101.... there is cat hunters, shed hunters and a wildlife club that does work on conservation and habitat projects.

i would like to know were these people are nowadays...it just seems like nobodys interested in putting back what we take...prescribed burns, takeing out culverts that block spawning fish and exchange with a small bridge..ect ect

[one-shot-wonder]

Guys like you dont surprise me......when the going gets tough, you guys dont get going......hence your love of the LEH elk season.

By the way I could care less about your record book tom....take it to a B&C night and tell someone who cares!

I'm done...

[kootenayslam]

Most towns in the WK have clubs with people that are interested in these issues, look them up and get involved.

[schilly101]

one of the biggest things i think we need more of is road closures...yes i like my road access as much as anyone but we cant always keep takeing we need to give the animals a chance and its not like we cant still hunt that area...i shot a elk 3 years ago..my last one..hiked 7kms back on a closed road shot him and packed him out on my back...if i can do it, others can too!

[kebes]

I got one day out in the west kootenays with my dad this season (one evening) and saw a huge amount of elk sign (it was just after elk season closed) crawled into one cutblock holding 7 muley does and saw one pretty nice 4 point white tail just after dark crossing the road. I'm not convinced numbers are so far down as much as animals are getting used to a bit more hunting pressure and learning how to play hide and seek better :).

[kebes]

ps, I'm not 13.

[schilly101]

Most towns in the WK have clubs with people that are interested in these issues, look them up and get involved.
well im going to call it a night...thank you for your time you were a pleasure to talk to, at least you had somthing worth listening too..unlike mister "i cant get past the LEH elk hunt topic" i might take your advice up! thanks for your time.

[rogerb]

for what it's worth, I shed hunt locally every ten days or so through winter & spring & noticed whitie sightings/tracks on the wintering grounds in early winter seemed to be down from previous years. on the last two outings however numbers have been very good - last week's total was over 50 flat tops in one six hour walk about. the does condition looked very good too - only a few showed noticeable ribs through their coats. quite a few trios - doe & double yearling fawns. lots of cougar tracks about down low but that's fairly standard here I think. the odd wolf track down low too but less than what I had expected this winter so that's good. all in all I think its been a pretty decent winter for the whities in the valley bottoms - no idea how the elk, moose & mulies further upslope are making out. hopefully a lot of this recent snow will start going next week & we can get up into the hills to have a look.

[6616]

Hi everyone!
I am new to this site and i found it while trying to do some research on the local wildlife populations in my area. I live in the west kootenays and have noticed in the last 2 years the whitetail deer and mule deer populations seem to have crashed? i spend a large amount of time in the bush both working and playing, and the amount of deer im seeing seems to be becoming less and less. The areas that i hunt were it used to be common to see 20+ whitetails a day in logging cut blocks and 40+ in farmer fields, last year it seemed that i just couldnt find the deer and was only seeing MAYBEE half that number..at first i thought it was just me having a bad season but then..this last hunting season i was lucky to see 10 deer a day when hunting in both the fields and cutblocks together. mulies i also found hard to find compaired to previous years, alot of the areas i used to be able to find deer seem to have had very small amounts of sign. Ive noticed that hunting pressure has increased a bit the last few years but i didnt think it was enough to "clean house". Ive also noticed that the animals dont seem to be showing up on the winter grounds like ive saw in the past...takeing a drive at night just outside my hometown i used to see quite a few deer out feeding or crossing the road. This year im lucky to see one and to see half a dozen is pretty rare. A little while back i took a drive out to 2 places were local herds of elk used to spend there winters and was suprised to find no sign at all in one place and only a couple tracks in another..maybee they are holding up somweres ellse now? i dont know! Im wondering if the new changes to the hunting regulations might have somthing to do with it? or was there a large die off over the last winter? searching the internet i have found next to nothing from our goverment on any up to date info regarding our wildlife..can anyone tell me, is it just me or have our deer and elk numbers dropped large amounts in the last 2 -3 years?:-?

There have been several mule deer and moose composition surveys done over the last 3 years as well as West Kootenay elk surveys.
All the info you seek is available on the MOE species inventory data base.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wildlife/wsi/siwe.htm

http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/siwe/details.do?id=4633 (mhtml:{09A407A8-972C-48B4-96E9-66C975CC0012}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/siwe/details.do?id=4633)

http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/siwe/details.do?id=4632 (mhtml:{09A407A8-972C-48B4-96E9-66C975CC0012}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/siwe/details.do?id=4632)