Nothing in the aoove about whether or not man can control the climate. Do you disagree that climate change can negatively affect species?
Mule Deer need hunters' help
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
Nothing in the aoove about whether or not man can control the climate. Do you disagree that climate change can negatively affect species?
Bless your heart.
JWP58
Banned
Isn't mule deer a relatively new sub species of deer in comparison to blacktails/whitetails?
sra61
Member
We have hunted the Missouri Breaks for decades now I guess. The really big drop happened there after the big snow year three winters ago, I think. The next fall we saw almost no deer at all. Elk and antelope were way down too. In western MT the forests are just not healthy. I have a moose tag for the NW corner and have been up there scouting. The amount of deadfall and just jumbled up mess in the woods is ridiculous. After talking to the biologist they talk about looking for the most recent clearcuts, because that's where all the game is. Well let me tell you there ain't many of those anymore! With the end of logging and without fires there is no place for feed. I really don't think it's all that complicated. It's Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one. IMHO
M
MN Public Hunter
Guest
Climate change is a large factor in this as well as fires, freezing rain, hard winters, no rain, blue tongue and hunting....etc.etc.etc.
Well we can't control any of those EXCEPT hunting....so how about we put a stop to hunting for 3 years for mule deer?
Well we can't control any of those EXCEPT hunting....so how about we put a stop to hunting for 3 years for mule deer?
All this doom & Gloom. Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-xgd_eETE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-xgd_eETE
Mule deer need more domestic sheep on the mountain...
Why don't you keep your opinions in Indiana.
T
tjones
Guest
I am sure there is a graph showing that we did.
Ha! Not the first time I've been told to keep my thoughts to myself.Why don't you keep your opinions in Indiana.
You do have to find it interesting that when there were more sheep on the mountain there were more deer! I have a few ideas as to why, but I'll just keep them in Indiana...
Ha! Not the first time I've been told to keep my thoughts to myself.
You do have to find it interesting that when there were more sheep on the mountain there were more deer! I have a few ideas as to why, but I'll just keep them in Indiana...
I actually probably agree with your ideas, but that's no good reason to bring domestics back.
We will never see the "good ol' days" for mule deer again in CO, even if you use 2006 for reference. CPW is managing for lower numbers now, which the average hunter doesn't even realize.
2006 CPW population objective west of I-25: 583,870
2006 post hunt population estimate w of I-25: 579,600
2013 population objective west of I-25: 511,450
2013 post hunt population estimate: 353,510
Zach
Well-known member
Depending on your beliefs, Climate change didn't start until after the flood. And deer have been around since Day 6.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
I think cutting back tags and eliminating doe harvest for a couple of years would help tremendously. It's working for the antelope down my way. They didn't eliminate the doe tags, but cut them by over half.
I just like to bring the sheep thing up as too many folks don't quite get that correlation doesn't equal causation. As you know sheep and deer like the same kinds of groceries. Managing vegetation to produce forage for one benefits the others.I actually probably agree with your ideas, but that's no good reason to bring domestics back.
We will never see the "good ol' days" for mule deer again in CO, even if you use 2006 for reference. CPW is managing for lower numbers now, which the average hunter doesn't even realize.
2006 CPW population objective west of I-25: 583,870
2006 post hunt population estimate w of I-25: 579,600
2013 population objective west of I-25: 511,450
2013 post hunt population estimate: 353,510
Lots of habitat/forage work would be the first step IMO. I'd like to see drip torches, range drills, and chains brought out and put to work at a scale that would scare lots of folks. Up until about 1960 the BLM alone was treating about 1 million acres annually! That's the scale I think things have to happen to really help mule deer. Many good projects being done but red tape, politics, funding, and litigation are keeping the scale too small.
I like that. When Harley gets elected President, you are my nominee for Secretary of Interior.
Lawnboy
Well-known member
I agree with all the above mentioned contributors to the decline but for too many years the bios have had rose colored glasses on. I feel the biggest distraction has been the wolf. Seemed for years on end all they could talk about at the meetings was wolves and elk. In the meantime the deer where dropping annually while the permit/tag numbers stayed relatively the same. I almost feel we are a point that we need to stop hunting them for about 5 years and hope that at least that effort along with the habitat improvements can help.
Biscuit Hunter
New member
Wait...what? No Harley for President? And to think that for all these years I've been wasting my vote on Monty Brewster.
