Effects of fracking on mule deer!

[holdy62]

What are your thoughts on the effects of fracking on mule deer? Does the fracking move the deer out or is it the added traffic from building the platforms and installing the pipelines?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bonecollector]

I would bet its a combination of all things mentioned, plus any added poaching that may arrise from the additional traffic in these very "off-the-beaten-path" areas.

 

[go_deep]

Yea I live in an area that is being fracted and the added traffic is insane. I wouldn't stay in those areas if I was a field mouse more less a deer.

Trevor

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I doubt that the fracking itself would have any effect. However, any time you have a lot of activity in an area like you do in the areas where there is a ton of energy exploration you are going to have problems maintaining a good mule deer population. The mulies just can't tolerate a lot of activity like whitetails can.

 

[ando_31]

I hunt an area where fracking is heavily relied on. My immediate concerns are more with the traffic than contamination in regards to the mule deer population. The amount of new roads and vehicle traffic is overwhelming. Oddly enough it seems that all the traffic has made the animals less jumpy and that obviously makes the road hunters more successful. I have also heard numerous stories of poaching which don't get any attention from authorities since they have more important issues to deal with. Contamination has the potential to be a larger issue than traffic but it hasn't been that way yet.

 

[ssliger]

I hunt an area where fracking is heavily relied on. My immediate concerns are more with the traffic than contamination in regards to the mule deer population. The amount of new roads and vehicle traffic is overwhelming. Oddly enough it seems that all the traffic has made the animals less jumpy and that obviously makes the road hunters more successful. I have also heard numerous stories of poaching which don't get any attention from authorities since they have more important issues to deal with. Contamination has the potential to be a larger issue than traffic but it hasn't been that way yet.

I grew up in the oilfield, my father has worked on rigs for at least 40 years. I do believe the single biggest factor is increased traffic, next on the list would be poaching. It's amazing what wildlife will put up with when not getting shot at. Numerous times growing up deer and pronghorn would walk right thru the middle of location. As far as fracking goes, in most western states the fracture of the rock happens thousands of feet below the surface. No where near ground water. They have companies that specialize in cleaning the waste water that is associated with Fracking.

 

[laxwyo]

I would agree with the poaching. And since a lot of activity is in or near deer winter range, I'd say the majority of trophy bucks killed on winter range were from workers from out of state. They have zero invested in our wildlife.

 

[ColoradoV]

In Colorado the fracking boys seem to think there are 2 seasons.. The regular ones and the private season the rest of the year - just for them.

Yea lots of problems with fracking but POACHING by rig workers is #1 on the list and seems to be popular in the culture for some stupid reason....

 

[holdy62]

I guess i didnt even think about the possibility of poaching by the workers. I had a chance to talk to the rancher that we had hunted on for the past 20 yrs and told us he only saw like 4 deer all summer on the approx. 20000 acres he owns or leases.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Humblesmith]

All I know is that when I've been through Region C, there have been so much oil field truck traffic that I don't understand how any animals would want to hang around. And since many of the workers are not locals, I would expect more poaching. Plus, since most of Region C is private land, I would be very wary of wasting tags there.