Archive for July, 2009

Utah DWR is bragging about more Mule Deer

Posted by on Friday, 31 July, 2009

This is not the first time the Utah DWR has peddled a rosy forecast, in spite of a dismal buck population, but what the heck, get out there and check for yourself. But, expect the increase, if there is any, to be in yearlings only – if that is what you are after.

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The weather was nearly ideal for mule deer this past winter and spring. And that means archers heading afield for Utah’s general archery buck deer hunt could see more deer in many parts of the state.
The state’s general archery buck deer hunt begins Aug. 15. The archery deer hunt and the state’s general archery elk hunt are the first hunts in Utah this fall.

“These past eight months have been ideal for mule deer,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
“Last winter was really mild—the snow stayed up high, and the valleys and the winter ranges were warm,” Aoude says. “Fewer deer probably died this past winter than would have died during a normal winter.”
Aoude says the mild winter was followed by a long, wet spring. “The state received plenty of rain clear into June,” he says. “The rain provided a lot of good, nutritious vegetation for the does. And that helped the does provide plenty of milk for the fawns they gave birth to earlier this summer.”
Aoude says the nutritious vegetation will also help bucks grow bigger antlers. “When deer have vegetation to eat like the vegetation they have now, even two- to three-year-old bucks can grow some nice antlers.”
The Northern Region is the region where hunters could notice the biggest difference in the number of deer they see.

A harsh winter in 2008 killed many of the fawns that were born in 2007. As a result, many hunters in the region noticed a big drop in the number of one-year-old bucks they saw last fall.
“The herds in the Northern Region still have a long way to go, but thanks to the mild winter we had this year, hunters should see a few more deer this fall. And many of those deer will be yearling bucks,” Aoude says.

Archery Season Reminders

Posted by on Tuesday, 28 July, 2009

Mule Deer Archery Season is just around the corner for most western states. Here are a few helpful reminders for you archery nuts:

  1. Practice with the arrows and broadheads you plan to hunt with at various yardages. Shoot at an old mattress and arrows won’t be too hard to pull out.
  2. When you pack to leave, always make sure you have the essentials. You can probably do without the rest if you must: license/tag, weapon, ammo, binos, knife.
  3. Get your scent setup ready early. This may include washing clothing in baking soda, packing clothing in bags with sage, catnip or your favorite plant, or purchasing some scent products.
  4. If you have a range finder, spend some time in varied terrain and vegetation estimating yardages and then checking yourself with the range finder.
  5. If you use a peep and pin sights, practice shooting in low light situations. If necessary learn how to shoot accurately by looking to the left side of the peep and adjusting the pin accordingly.
  6. Get an extra string and outfit it with everything it needs such as silencers, peep, etc.
  7. Plan on taking a backup bow, if you have one that you can shoot well.
  8. Set up your treestand, if you use one, and maybe a trail cam. Get familiar with what is coming to your stand and likely shooting yardages around the stand.
  9. Spin test your arrows with broadheads and make adjustments if necessary to true the spin.
  10. If the stragegy you planned doesn’t produce results, don’t wait, switch.

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Get your supplies HERE

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Deer Louse in Idaho

Posted by on Tuesday, 28 July, 2009

 

Biologists watch for lousy deer

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OUTBREAK – A mule deer found dead this spring near Riggins was infested with Bovicola tibialis, an exotic louse not previously reported in Idaho.

Infestations of native lice are not uncommon on deer and elk, Idaho Fish and Game officials say. But the exotic lice, possibly imported with exotic fallow deer, have been associated with hair-loss syndrome and ailing deer in Washington and Oregon in 2007 and 2008.

Some population declines have been recorded in Washington.

Infested deer tend to chew off the tips of their outer hair, exposing the under hair, which is much lighter and can make the animals appear white.

Idaho Proposes Changes

Posted by on Saturday, 25 July, 2009

HANDGUNS FOR SHORT-RANGE HUNTS

Background: Current rules prohibit the use of handguns in short-range weapon big game hunts.

Short-range weapon hunts take place in areas where the ballistics and range capabilities of high-powered rifles are a safety concern.

Several handgun cartridges are capable of taking big game but have limited ballistics and would not pose a significant safety concern in short-range weapon hunts.

Handguns would not be allowed in archery and muzzleloader hunting season.

Proposal: Allow the use of handguns that use straight-walled cartridges not originally developed for rifles.

ATV RESTRICTIONS IN UNITS 66A AND 76

Background: Fish and Game has motorized vehicle restrictions in some hunting units to reduce conflicts between hunters and to help buck and bull survival. ATVs, motorcycles and other motorized off-road vehicles are limited to roads capable of being driven on by a full-sized vehicle.

Neither mule deer nor elk populations are meeting management objectives in 66A and 76.

Proposal: Apply the motor vehicle restrictions rule in these two units during the fall hunting season.

DOGS FOR TRACKING WOUNDED BIG GAME

Background: Current rules prohibit the use of dogs while big game huntingexcept for black bear and mountain lion. Other states allow the use of blood-trailing dogs.

Proposal: Allow one blood-trailing dog controlled by leash during lawful hunting hours and within 72 hours of hitting a big game animal to track wounded animals and aid in recovery.

LEFTOVER AUGUST CONTROLLED HUNTS

Background: Controlled hunt permits left over after the June drawing are available in a second drawing by Aug. 25. Some hunts end during August, which leaves inadequate time to hunt.

Proposal: Allow leftover controlled hunt permits ending during August to be available immediately after the first drawing on a first-come, first-served basis.

LIGHTED ARROW NOCKS

Background: Current rules prohibit the use of any electronic device attached to an arrow. Battery-powered lighted nocks do not affect performance or harvest efficiency of arrows.

Proposal: Allow the use of lighted nocks while hunting big game.

POSSESSION AND SALE OF BIG GAME BONES

Background: Current state rules allow antlers, horns (with the exception of bighorn sheep), parts of mountain lions and bears, and elk teeth from animals that have died of natural causes or been lawfully harvested to be legally possessed or sold.

Proposal: Allow the possession or sale of bones from lawfully harvested game or animals that died naturally.

Kansas Draw Info

Posted by on Friday, 10 July, 2009

Nonresidents who applied for a Mule Deer Stamp when applying for archery or muzzleloader permits can check draw results online at https://www4.wildlifelicense.com/ks/results_lookup.php”

Permits from the draw will be mailed to applicants in two to four weeks.

Mule Deer Lousy in Wyoming

Posted by on Wednesday, 1 July, 2009


From the Wyoming Game and Fish Department

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An adult mule deer buck collected from hunt area 80 near Saratoga was found to have a heavy infestation of the exotic louse Bovicola tibialis. This is the first time this nonnative external parasite has been documented in Wyoming

http://wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/hairloss.htm

this exotic louse was thought to be one factor in a large mule deer decline in eastern Washington.”If it affects Wyoming mule deer similarly to how it has affected Washington state mule deer, then we would expect this parasite to be a source of additional mortality in our herds, disproportionately affecting fawns. Although treatable in captive deer, there is no effective treatment for free-ranging deer,” Kreeger said.

Deer infected with exotic lice tend to develop severe skin irritation, leading to excessive grooming by the animal and eventual patchy hair loss and loss of body condition. Lice infestations are heaviest during winter and early spring. Normal seasonal hair loss or molting can usually be distinguished from disease related hair loss because the coat under the molt appears normal and healthy. According to the Washington state site this exotic louse does not affect humans or domestic livestock.

Anyone observing wildlife that appears sick is encouraged to contact their local game warden or wildlife biologist or call their regional Game and Fish office.