Mule Deer Fanatic

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.

————————————-

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.

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.

———————————-

Get your supplies HERE

——————————

Biologists watch for lousy deer

———————————–

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.

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.

From the Wyoming Game and Fish Department

——————————————

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.

I find it interesting that South Dakota harvests more mule deer than Utah or Arizona. Why do you think that is?

———————————–

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota hunters can look back on 2008 as another record-setting year for deer harvest.

According to harvest surveys compiled by the Game, Fish and Parks Department, last year brought the highest-ever recorded deer harvest in the state. It was the ninth straight year that the deer harvest increased.

GFP Game Harvest Survey Coordinator Corey Huxoll said an estimated 74,000 white-tailed deer and 18,000 mule deer were harvested during the 2008 hunting seasons, or a total of more than 91,000 deer. That is an increase of more than 4,000 deer from 2007 and nearly double the 46,000 deer harvested in 1999.

Overall harvest success of 48 percent remained unchanged from 2007. The number of deer tags issued more than doubled from 88,000 in 1999 to 189,000 tags in 2008.

The 2008 Big Game Harvest Projections Report is complete and can be accessed through the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info in the “What’s New” section, or it can be requested by mail or in person in printed form from 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D. 57501.

A ten year-old boy by the name of Paul John Schalow was attacked by a mountain lion early in March 2008 when visiting Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. The lion turned out to be rabid.

The boy was commanded to stand still by family members and did so even when the cat started scratching and biting. The boy’s uncle ran to get a handgun and dispatched the lion, which later proved to be rabid. A series of six shots prevented the boy from getting infected.

The boy and his family inadvertently saved the lives of many mule deer. For that they ought to be congratulated.

 

I am now aware of four cats being killed by vehicles in this small canyon in Northern Utah, three of which were over 200 lbs, and one of which was finished off by a police officer. Automobiles are a fine weapon for saving the lives of hundreds of mule deer even though they are also responsible for killing mule deer, as well. Drivers beware.

Here is the latest:

Photo submitted by Paul Baxter