DWR Planting Bitterbrush on Wildlife Winter Range
Apr 10, 2008 by Eric Ray

——————————————–

Division is Asking for Help From Volunteers
(KCPW News) This winter’s heavy snowfall isn’t just causing problems for humans, it’s also making life difficult for some of the state’s wildlife. The Division of Wildlife Resources is trying to make living through future winters easier for animals by planting bitterbrush on winter range areas.
“Bitterbrush are an extremely important winter food for big game animals, especially deer, because deer have a harder time getting to the food supply when the snows are particularly deep like they were this year,” says Phil Douglass, Conservation Outreach Manager for the DWR’s Northern Region. “The accessibility that bitterbrush provides is really important.”

Douglass says about 40 volunteers helped plant 2,000 bitterbrush plants at the Millville Face Wildlife Management Area near Hyrum last weekend. There are still 8,000 more to go. While the DWR consistently works statewide to improve habitat for wildlife, Douglass says the plants are particularly important for the Cache deer herd.

“To give an example, the Blacksmith Fork Canyon has a carrying capacity of about 3,000 mule deer. In the past 10 years, that has declined to about 1,000. So we’re 30% of what we could be. A lot of that has been attributed to habitat degradation,” says Douglass.

Mature bitterbrush plants are being used for this project adds Douglass. That will give the plants a year to take root and therefore they’ll be less susceptible to ruin by animals. Another round of planting is set for Saturday at the Millville Face WMA.

Volunteer information:

According to Darren DeBloois, DWR Wildlife Biologist, volunteer planting will take place Saturday, April 12th at 8am. DeBloois recommends volunteers gather at the north end of the Millville Face WMA at the mouth of the canyon in Cache Valley.

For other volunteer dates, please call Jodie Andersen at (435) 791-8589.

Consider the following:

————————————————————

-The Utah DWR is not really inclined to have more deer
-There is little reason to kill does until the deer herd is up to carrying capacity
-The Utah deer herd is at app. 46% of carrying capacity – overall
-Hunting and killing does is harmful to the herd in the following ways:
   *hunters tend to kill the best
   *does may be pregnant
   *some young bucks get killed supposing them to be does
   *the herd cannot grow without does
   *killing one doe is the same as killing 25 deer (in 5 years)
-Here are the reasons the doe slaughter was started in the first place:
   *to reduce or avoid depredation costs
   *to shrink the herd to the “political” carrying capacity
   *to eliminate “valley deer”
-The Utah DWR hates to pay depredation from wage or toy money 
-The Utah Farm Bureau campaigned successfully to have depredation limits raised
-A pathetic reason for killing does is to increase the buck/doe ratio
-Does taste good but do not look pretty on the wall – bucks look good and taste good
-Predators kill more than enough does without any help from persons
-There were many years when it was illegal to kill a doe, although the herd was much larger than it is now
-Consider teaching your children to let the does live. If you are starving –  kill a buck

About half of my little herd of mule deer have returned to their summer range now that the snow has melted and it is starting to green up a bit.

Each year, about hunting season, in October they leave, and then they aren’t seen around here again until mid-April. There are always quite a few that don’t return – particularly the bucks.

There are no bucks or yearlings in the herd now, but the seven does look to be in very good condition – surprisingly so, for this time of year. I hope they all deliver twins and that they survive the numerous coyotes around here. I am going to try and help out with that.

We had a very good winter here in Northern Arizona with lots of snow. We have been in a sustained drought, so this should be good for the wildlife and for the people, as well.

Please visit the forum, and tell us how the winter was in your area, and how the mule deer fared, if you know.

Today, I visited my local taxidermist, TR Taxidermy in Flagstaff, to pick up my latest mule deer mount. TR was pouring cement for lunch (not to eat, you silly), so I had to wait for over an hour. An elderly gentleman pulled up next to me and we started to talk.

He was retired, but had worked for the Arizona Game and Fish doing Mule Deer and Antelope research in North-Central Arizona. He studied the effect of coyotes on fawns and the effects of clear-cutting on herd size. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that, in their study, clear-cutting increased the number of mule deer and that killing coyotes increased the number of fawns.

The biggest coyote herd he reported seeing numbered ‘eight of them devils”. He said that they finally obtained permission to kill coyotes from an airplane, and that after they did that, the number of fawns increased dramatically. He was discouraged with “modern” wildlife management and with forest management, as well. He said that the Forest Service just wants a to have a giant tinderbox so they can fight fires, and that nobody seems to know how to manage natural resources anymore.

When I compare the old school with the new, I get discouraged too. How about you?

Story from Tails and Trails:

Dear kicks Man in Head

Posted: 15 Apr 2008 12:47 AM CDT

Now this is something you just don’t hear about everyday.

Of all the freaky things that could happen during evening rush hour traffic, getting headbutted in the face by a deer that jumped through your driver’s side window might just take the cake.

Andy Cairns of Haslett says a deer crashed right through his car window on Marsh Road in Okemos. The deer jumped around the vehicle, then exited through the back window, leaving Cairns knocked out and with a mouthful of deer fur and glass.

“I had hair in my mouth right away, hair everywhere. Glass pieces everywhere too,” Cairns says.

Even the day after the accident, there’s still fur and glass everywhere– even the cup holders in Cairn’s Ford Taurus are full of deer fur and tiny glass bits from the windows.

The backseat is the worst; it looks like the deer lost half its fur here in there. Huge clumps of the fur are all over the seats and floor. There’s even deer blood on a tissue box.

Deer-car accidents are typical– but this one is a whole other ball game.

“An animal, basically 150-200 pounds, flailing in your car and getting out with reckless abandon is never good,” says Jim Rossman, who works at Vision Collision, the body shop that will repair Cairns’ car.

Miraculously, Cairns is just sore, with no major cuts– can’t say the same for the deer.

Fortunately, the deer was the only fatality of the freak face-to-face encounter.

Reporter: Lauren Zakalik at WILX.com

Click NEVADA APPLICATION for more info

TIME NEAR TO APPLY FOR BIG GAME TAGS

——————————————-

To many, March means spring, green grass, wildflowers and warmer weather. But for Nevada hunters March also means big game tag application season has arrived and with it, renewed hope of drawing a coveted tag this fall.

To reduce costs and environmental impacts, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will not send applications and regulation brochures to those who applied online for tags within the past two years. Instead, those hunters will receive a postcard on or about March 24 reminding them of the upcoming draw. Hunters who want paper applications may obtain them at sporting goods stores, NDOW offices or online at www.ndow.org, and can begin applying online at www.huntnevada.com on March 24 as well.

This year’s application deadline is Monday, April 21. Applications must be received, either via mail or online, by 5 p.m., to be eligible for the drawing. Hunters will be notified of the drawing results by June 20.

Regardless of application method hunters should be aware of some regulations changes in 2008 according to Maureen Hullinger, NDOW licensing program officer. “Hunters should carefully read this year’s regulations brochure because there have been several important changes from last year,” said Hullinger. “Some of the more significant changes involve junior tags and junior bonus points.”

In 2007 the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners (NBWC) amended regulations regarding the junior deer hunt. Beginning in the 2008 season junior hunters will only be able to apply four years for the junior hunt. The NBWC also amended the regulation to automatically transfer any bonus points accrued in the junior hunt to the antlered deer category at the time the junior hunter becomes ineligible for the junior hunt, either by age or after four years of application for the junior hunt.

This year hunters will also find they have the option of purchasing a mountain lion tag and any or all stamps (duck, upland game, trout, second rod) when applying for their tags.

Hunters should be aware that wilderness areas are greatly expanded across White Pine and Lincoln counties. These areas restrict motorized access. The Hunt Unit Map at ndow.org displays the wilderness boundaries. Whether you are concerned about where you can drive your ATV or where to backpack hunt to avoid vehicle traffic, review page 35 of the new application regulations and check NDOW’s internet mapping service at http://gis.ndow.nv.gov

NDOW will once again hold tag application workshops in Las Vegas (Mar. 26) and Reno (Mar.27). The workshops are designed to explain the tag application process from A to Z, covering such topics as game management, hunt unit information, draw odds, bonus points and the mechanics of the draw itself. Workshop details, times and locations can be found on the NDOW website at www.ndow.org.

Ms. Hullinger recommends every hunter attend a workshop at least once to gain a better understanding of the process. “If there is one area where we are constantly trying to correct misinformation it’s the tag draw,” said Hullinger. “There are no secrets, no magic formulas presented, but understanding how the process works is one of the single most important steps a hunter can take towards being successful in the draw.”

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license.

For more information, visit www.ndow.org.

Helena Deer Slaughter to cost Big Bucks

In Helena, Montana, of all places. Has this town been taken over by nincompoops? Environmental assessment, pregnant does, sharpshooters, $$$$$$$$$$$ ? What next?

If these were lions or bears, they would be “rehabilitated”.

——————————————-

FWP commissioners may push back deer plan timeline

By LARRY KLINE – Independent Record – 04/16/08

Helena city officials and the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks will go before FWP commissioners on Thursday to ask for a delay in the city’s plan to kill 50 mule deer in Helena.The FWP Commission had approved a request from officials to use sharpshooters to kill the deer this spring, but a required environmental assessment has not yet been completed, and does will soon be giving birth to fawns.

With those two issues in mind, officials will ask the commission to allow the culling to take place between Aug. 15 and March 31. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at FWP’s Sixth Avenue headquarters. The Helena deer issue is slated for discussion after 10:30 a.m.

The city has proposed using bait and net traps on public property in the city to trap deer, which would be killed by city police officers using small-caliber firearms. The meat would be given to needy families.

FWP officials are preparing an environmental assessment on the plan, which should be completed and available for public comment next month, department spokesman Tom Palmer said.

A task force of volunteers appointed by city commissioners last year determined the city may be home to as many as 700 mule deer. The group, after more than a year of study, recommended using sharpshooters to kill up to 350 deer.

FWP commissioners balked at the recommendation and initially rejected the notion of killing any deer in town. They then reconsidered and gave their permission for the city to take up to 50 deer in a pilot program.

The time for applying is just around the corner. Make sure your credit card is in order.

We are launching an e-mail information service so you can receive breaking news and timely information on topics that interest you, such as fishing and stocking reports, hunting openers and opportunities, harvest reports, where to view wildlife and more!

You can choose to receive all communications from us, or just those topics you are interested in: hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife and habitat, or all. Simply click on the link below to subscribe:

http://www.ndow.org/subs/subs.asp

You will have the opportunity to adjust or decline your subscription at any time. We respect your privacy – NDOW does not share e-mail addresses with third parties. We look forward to communicating with you with timely information about how and where to recreate in Nevada ’s great outdoors!

Also, if you hunt, you may be interested to know Nevada ’s big game tag application process closes April 21, 2008. As part of your online application, Operation Game Thief asks you to consider a donation to OGT. This program provides a hotline to report wildlife crime: (800) 992 3030 and works to solve wildlife crimes in Nevada . It is funded wholly by sportsmen and women who care about their wildlife, so please consider a donation when making your tag application.

Thank you!

Nevada Department of Wildlife
100 Valley Road
Reno, NV 89512
(775) 688-1998

Invisible Deer