Saving declining Mule Deer....
- Thread starter packmule
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
From what I know the various states are working on it. Extended drought seems to be the big culprit. I know Colorado & Wyoming have really cut the tags in a lot of areas in each state. If we get the moisture for a couple of years, then we might see some improvement in deer numbers and the tags that are issued. Just my view you know.
I don't mind the idea of that shed hunting season that was discussed on another thread. I think any idea that can help keep people out of the muley habitat when they are most susceptible to winter kill is a good idea. I read a book once where the author claimed he was watching a big muley buck bedded when along came a cross country skier with a dog. The dog chased up the muley. The snow was deep and difficult to traverse. The muley went far enough to evade the dog but died shortly thereafter. There is obviously no way to tell whether the deer would have lived or not if he wasn't jumped but if a deer is willing to run himself to death to evade humans, then I think it would be wise to keep humans from muleys during times where stress may be the determining factor of life or death.
RUTTIN
Veteran member
Here in Utah they have even started to transplant deer from areas that are doing well to areas that are struggling. I think in some of our areas the problem lies in to many tags, and the growing elk population competing for winter forage attribute to some of the decline.
Squirrel tail
Member
i deffenatly think in northern montana and most of idaho knocking down the wolf numbers will help but i think the loss of winter range has an equal or greater effect
Musket Man
Veteran member
I think alot of the decline is from poor winter ranges or loss of them due to development. Mule Deer dont seen to adapt to those kind of changes as well as other species. Some bad winters and drought have taken their toll too.
Timberstalker
Veteran member
Oregon Is way behind the eight ball on this one. No hounds hunting cougars and bears, no baiting bears, WAY too many tags issued, loss of habitat, Juniper tree encroachment, few restrictions on winter range and drought come to mind. Oh and the wolfs are coming too. It doesn't look good for the Mule deer here.
Colorado T
Active Member
Unfortunately I think cutting tags is the answer in a lot of area's. It seems like Colorado the last couple years has had a hard winter every other year and it is taking its toll. I agree with MM that a lot of the valleys the deer used to winter in has become very populated by people and is cutting off their winter range.
That's kind of my thoughts on things. Nutritional value of the habitat is keeping populations in check. Folks I know who manage mule deer ranches in West Tx are significantly altering natural nutrition, but there's still a 30-40% swing in fawn recruitment and ability to carry over yearlings when they have enough rain.
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
I agree with the drought synopsis. I am not sure I fit in with the level headed crowd. I should talk to a biologist or someone like that, but the whitetails continue to move into Muley habitat and compete for the limited resources. In Eastern Wyoming, they have had "unlimited" quotas for whitetail does to help control them for several years. The drought, whitetails, wolves, cougars, and roadkill from increased traffic, loss of winter habitat and forage, all combine against the Mule Deer. I know around Pinedale, WY, they put up these crossings and bridges for migrating wildlife to help prevent some roadkill. I am not sure how well that is working. There are probably some other factors, too.
Musket Man
Veteran member
I have seen the crossings in a few places and from what I have herd they prevent alot of road kill. Last time I went through Pinedale on my way to CO they were putting some of them in.
Whitetail are an issue. They'll outcompete mule deer bc they're just wired to be more aggressive. Having said that mule deer are moving into low density WT country here. It's mostly a mix of dry land crop fields (cotton/milo/corn) with pivots scattered all over the place, but I've dove hunted up there for the past 20yrs and just started seeing them in the last 2 yrs. I'm thinking the massive fires a cpl years ago pushed them further East.
CrossCreeks
Veteran member
As bad as I hate to say it, I thing cutting tags will help and I agree that the drought and tough winters can really take it told on the Muley's but 20 years ago they had droughts and hard winters and big Mule Deer were prevelant , I think some areas hunting pressure is problem but there is no single solution, weather, habitat , human encroachemnt, loss of habitat , wolves in some areas , I wish I had the answer for them.
Hilltop
Veteran member
We need to do a better job controlling the coyote population. Fur prices dropped so low over the past 15 years that there aren't enough people targeting them. Coyotes do have a significant impact on deer numbers so controlling them would only help... Of course if the occasional wolf ended up biting the dust it wouldn't hurt either! Lions kill a ton of deer as well... Each adult cat takes out 25-40 deer a year on average. With an estimated 2000 cats in Wyoming that is 50,000 to 80,000 deer a year taken out of the population. Of course the lions eat other animals but this just gives you an idea for one state.
My dos pesos; too many predators, too much development, not enough water, forage, quality habitat, too many tags! Until we take it upon ourselves to cut tags and actively engage in restoring habitat and augmenting the quality of the existing habitat we will not see any change for the better. For Wyoming I've said it before... General and Unlimited Whitetail tags..., 3 point restriction and draw only on Mulies. Not much can be done about the loss of winter range to development unless we as hunters join with other conservation groups to purchase winter ranges for as it has been said and mostly holds true... "what is owned by all is cared for by none."
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
ATWind, those underpasses are working Great once the critters got used to them. They have cameras inside to record the #'s. They should put more in, around Cody and on Togwotee pass to cut roadkill.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
Cutting the doe tags will probably help, but for the most part the ranchers want the competition with their cattle knocked back. They ask the G&F to issue more tags and the G&F is only too happy to accommodate them. Talking about Wyoming here. And it's just my opinion. I've seen the same thing happen in area# 72 for antelope. Ranchers complained, G&F issued WAY too many tags, and now it's a tough job to find antelope in # 72. Maybe Guy will clarify what happens when too many tags are issued.
HuskyMusky
Veteran member
Hammer the predators!?
Cougar
Wolves
Coyotes
Black Bear
Grizzlies
ID, MT, and WY should include a wolf tag and possibly other predator tags as well with every NR elk and mule deer tag, and/or these wolf tags need to be less than $100, so every Non-res says sure I'll get a wolf tag etc... "just in case I come across one" vs.... "I saw a wolf, wish I had a tag..."
Cougar
Wolves
Coyotes
Black Bear
Grizzlies
ID, MT, and WY should include a wolf tag and possibly other predator tags as well with every NR elk and mule deer tag, and/or these wolf tags need to be less than $100, so every Non-res says sure I'll get a wolf tag etc... "just in case I come across one" vs.... "I saw a wolf, wish I had a tag..."
Musket Man
Veteran member
A NR wolf tag in Idaho is $31.75. They also offer reduced price bear and cat tags in many areas for the same price. Dont know what MT and WY are doing but I think MT reduced their wolf prices alot from what they started at.
25contender
Veteran member
- Mar 20, 2013
- 1,638
- 90
You are right Montana dropped their price to $50 I get one now but not when they were higher. I didn't see or hear a coyote or wolf last season but did see a cat. A agree that they should cut the tags back. The decline where I always hunt has been significant. I think I only saw a handful of Mull Dear during archery season no bucks and just 5 years ago I would see 10 times that many 1/2 being bucks.