Habitat restoration for deer - share your stories

[Hydrophilic]

Would be great to see what folks are doing to be part of the solution for declining mule deer populations. Degraded habitat and loss of habitat are a component of the decline. Let's hear some stories or see some pictures. Whether its volunteering on public lands or improving habitat on private land. Maybe you are using private dollars to support public wildlife, or you tapped into available grants/funding. Seeing some whitetail/blacktail projects would also be great.

Fact sheets from the Mule Deer Working Group

Why restoring habitat matters! Winter feeding is successful at making people feel better while often harming the deer.

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-2-winter-feeding/?ind=1598461089273&filename=1598461088wpdm_MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%202%20Winter%20Feeding.pdf&wpdmdl=5599&refresh=60649c93272e41617206419

Nutrition

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-19-mule-deer-nutrition/?ind=1598463948506&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%2019%20Mule%20Deer%20Nutrition%20Web.pdf&wpdmdl=5619&refresh=60649c475825f1617206343

Antler size - a function of age, nutrition, and genetics

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-27-mule-deer-antler-development/?ind=1598464899413&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%2027%20Antler%20Development%20%20web%20version.pdf&wpdmdl=5627&refresh=60649a1a8d22d1617205786

Forestry practices and mule deer management

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-15-forestry-practices-and-mule-deer-habitat/?ind=1598462658920&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%2015%20Forestry%20Practices.pdf&wpdmdl=5614&refresh=60649c72690521617206386

Fencing

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-13-understanding-mule-deer-and-fencing/?ind=1598462534367&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%2013%20Fencing.pdf&wpdmdl=5613&refresh=60649cc34931c1617206467

Pinyon-Jupiter management

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-21-pinon-juniper-management-for-mule-deer/?ind=1598464128037&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%2021%20Pinion-Juniper%20Management%20Web.pdf&wpdmdl=5621&refresh=60649c22d32091617206306

Habitat limitations and carrying capacity

https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/fact-sheet-5-carrying-capacity-how-many-deer-can-we-have/?ind=1598461598219&filename=MDWG%20Fact%20Sheet%205%20Carrying%20Capacity.pdf&wpdmdl=5605&refresh=606495bfba05b1617204671

 

[rtraverdavis]

There’s a really cool project happening in Oregon right now in the Metolius winter range area. (OWF just hosted a video presentation on it, but for some reason the link to the video has been disabled or I would post it.) In a nutshell though, it’s a partnership between the Forest Service, ODFW, OSP, and local conservation orgs (like OHA) to work with landowners and FS to identify key habitat areas for the Metolius herd. Within that, the habitat work itself consists of noxious weed control, reseeding with beneficial native browse (bitter brush in particular), juniper thinning, seasonal road closures, and the installation of several guzzlers. There’s also an increased OSP presence to deter poachers, which have been particularly active in the area.

This is basically carrying out the plan in the Oregon Mule Deer Initiative, without the predator control component. OHA has been a big part of getting this project up and running, and is particularly important to me as the Metolius herd is near and dear to me.

Here’s a map of where it’s taking place:

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/travel_management_areas/metolius.pdf

 

[duckhunt]

When I bought my acreage here in iowa I got 9 acres. Have an old grove of maple trees to the north and west of the house. The rest was pasture ground. I went through the states reap program and put 2600 trees in the pasture ground. A mix of oaks, walnut, cedar and spruce trees with 3 different types of bushes to go along the borders. 1 acre is pretty swampy with a very small pond on it so I left that alone. It's amazing all the wildlife I have in there.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Planting bitterbrush, sage brush and forbs on public ground.

 

[SixPoint]

View attachment 179062
Planting bitterbrush, sage brush and forbs on public ground.

That looks like quite the unit. What exactly is the process? Does the dozer rip the sod and then seed? Any issues with annual grasses or weeds coming in post disturbance?

 

[jimss]

If you have cheatgrass in critical mule deer habitat and winter range I have just the answer that land managers and biologists need to start using! There is a relatively new herbicide called Rejuvra that controls cheatgrass for the life of the seed in the soil (3 to 5+) years. The response of antelope bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, and other native browse species is 2 to 5x that of nonsprayed areas. There is also incredible response of native forbs that are also important to muledeer. Another benefit to controlling cheatgrass is the loss of fine fuels that fuel catastrophic wild fires. Many shrub species that mule deer depend on get killed by high intensity wildfires. We had several wildfires this fall on the properties I help manage and the wildfires that burned through areas where we had sprayed Rejuvra and dense cheatgrass thatch was gone were a mosiac, natural burn. We will monitor these areas closely this summer.

I've been conducting detailed Rejuvra research for the past 10+ years here in Colorado. Wyoming has been doing some large scale cheatgrass applications for several years via plane and helicopter. The word is slowly but surely getting out. If you have cheatgrass in your area....get the word out about Rejuvra to land managers! The mule deer and other wildlife will thank you.

Cheating the Sage — Partners in the Sage

Cheatgrass and other invasive grasses loom as a major threat to mule deer sagebrush habitat. Now is the time for hunters and land managers to act!

www.partnersinthesage.com

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5889438b893fc0576c2911de/t/5d8158635aa51130461c270f/1568757873076/Cheating+the+Sage.pdf

Learn about threats to mule deer herds

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources serves the people of Utah by managing and protecting the state's wildlife.

wildlife.utah.gov

There are several publications on the research conducted throughout the Western US using Rejuvra. If anyone has any questions and wants to chat or possibly head out in the field and look at some of the work we are doing you can email me directly at [email protected]

 

[Hydrophilic]

My favorite Whitetail habitat guy talking about one of my favorite plants - RED OSIER DOGWOOD

R.O.D. is a whitetail magnet, from what I hear. Here in OR it is one of my favorite shrubs. It's native range is much of the United States, so not only is it fantastic deer candy, it also supports other native wildlife, acting as a host plant (think Monarch and Milkweed) to several different native bugs, supports native pollinators, and berries for birds. Can't go wrong with native plants. The beautiful thing about this shrub is you cut pieces off an existing plant, shove them into the ground, and if conditions are right it will turn into it's own plant. You can create a thicket for free this way and attract Whitetail to your property. I will be planting some of this at our place in MI.

How to plant live stakes

Some recommendations - cut long pieces ~2 ft, place a pilot hole in the ground with a stake, and place most the cutting into the ground. This allows access to moisture during dry spells in the Spring when root growth is just starting to occur, but is not quite developed enough to sustain a new plant.

 

[1_pointer]

We had nearly 40ac that we recently bought heavily logged last summer. Be interesting to see the new growth and changes over the next couple years.

Haven't personally done anything for mule deer in almost 11yrs, but was involved in brush/fuels reduction projects in a previous job. Some used hoofed power instead of diesel.