Bucks and Roads - Question

TFinalshot · Aug 10, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-06 AT 08:04AM (MST)[p]Hey fellas, I was driving home last night from getting a load of fire wood, and wondered if there are ANY MULE DEER bucks that never, in their entire life, encounter a road. There are places that still are remote, but most deer must have to walk on a road at sompoint in their lives. Even that wide open stuff in Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, and Senora, Mexico as roads. . .

I'm curious as to what some of you think. Are there bucks that live their entire lives never walking on a road?

"Roadless areas, in general, represent some of the best fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The bad news is that there is nothing positive about a road where fish and wildlife habitat are concerned -- absolutely nothing." (B&C Professor, Jack Ward Thomas, Fair Chase, Fall 2005, p.10).

kurtski25 · Aug 10, 2006

I think it's possible. The Upper Shoshone herd unit in Wyoming spends the summer on the SE edge of Yellowstone NP and migrates thru two huge wilderness areas to spend the winter on the edge of a wilderness area in the upper drainage of the south fork of the Shoshone River. I think it's possible they don't encounter a road in this area.
My 2 pennies,
Kurt

AZWALKER · Aug 10, 2006

I was in a place last weekend where it might be possible. I was in the high desert of central AZ in some pretty remote country and I'm sure that there are some deer that hadn't seen any roads. I encountered some deer there that acted like they had never seen people as well.

Donnie

WAsharpstick · Aug 10, 2006

some Indian reservations and british Columbia.

TFinalshot · Aug 10, 2006

Thanks for for the thoughs so far.

Hey sharpstick, are you refering to the Navajo, or the Wind River Rez's? Those two are the only ones that I know of where a mule deer buck might be able to miss a road. Trust me, I've covered the colville, nezperce, and yakama and most of the wind river. I did not cover the Wind Rez past the end of the road on the wind river range side, so if there's on on that rez that never sees a road, that's where it would be, I would think. . .

I'd like to hear BCBoy confirm that, I think you might be right. . .

idhunters · Aug 10, 2006

Salmon wilderness-downriver between end of the road and riggins. Summer in the high country and winter down on the river. No roads there.

However there are enough floaters on the river that it might be considered a highway. LOL

Bura Nut · Aug 10, 2006

Uganik Island and some of the smaller islands in Alaska dont have any roads so those deer have never seen a road, truck, quad etc............. Thanks, Allen Taylor......

RACKMASTER · Aug 10, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-06 AT 12:09PM (MST)[p]I am with BURA NUT on this! but on the flip side I am sure the island deer seen boats!..and has a Strip deer ever seen a boat?
rm

TFinalshot · Aug 10, 2006

Hey Bura, youre right, but there are, I'm sure thousands of SITKA BLACKTAIL that never see a road. I was really trying to focus on Mule Deer. . . I left off whitetail and blacktail becaues there's a lot more of them, and they can and will survive their entire lives in a realatively small area which lead me to believe that there must be places where there are sitka and no roads. . .

"Roadless areas, in general, represent some of the best fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The bad news is that there is nothing positive about a road where fish and wildlife habitat are concerned -- absolutely nothing." (B&C Professor, Jack Ward Thomas, Fair Chase, Fall 2005, p.10).

Bura Nut · Aug 10, 2006

I would bet there are a few deer in Sonora that live and die without seeing a road, it is huge country alot of which is roadless. Thanks, Allen Taylor......

D13er · Aug 10, 2006

There are some mountain ranges in the California desert (south east quarter of the state) that quite possibly live their entire life without venturing to the desert floor where the roads end. In these cases they most likely haven't seen a human being either.

JB

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
--Benjamin Franklin 1759

BCBOY · Aug 10, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-06 AT 01:22PM (MST)[p]Tony,
There are thousands of miles of untouched wilderness up here where muleys can live their entire lives without seeing a road or even a human. Heck, our Provincial Park system is a prime example. Most BC parks were set aside to protect them from development. And most BC parks are open to hunting. One example is where I hunted last year in the early season, Ts'yl-os Provincial Park. Not a single road in thousands of hectres of wilderness. Summer range, mid range, and winter range totally roadless.
In this country a person would have to define what you consider a road too. I design cutblocks and logging roads for a living. Many times we winter log and the roads are snow roads. Pop a few stumps, scrape a little bit of dirt to mix in with the snow and freeze er in. In the spring, you can't even tell there was a road there. For the most part, they ain't even quadable.

There are many built roads that don't see a human all year. It doesn't take long before the alder takes over. Any deer crossing the road would just think of it as a big alder pit.

http://sdana.photosite.com/DanasHuntingPics/

257Tony · Aug 10, 2006

Im gonna go ahead and post for bobcat:

NOT HERE IN UTARD!!!! WITH ALL THE FRIKKIN ATV'S AROUND, AINT NO ANIMAL CAN WALK 100 YARDS WITHOUT HITTING ONE OF THEM $^&*@^$*& ATV ROADS!!!

THE ONLY bobcat IMPERSONATOR AGREEING WITH BESSY IN ADVANCE ON THIS ONE!

BCBigGame · Aug 10, 2006

I agree with Steve, there are huge areas in BC, miles from the nearest road. I was in Ts'yl-os park last weekend and saw 25 goats, a dozen or so deer, and one 3-4 year old grizzly who made a point of charging our way to show us whose territory it was. I'm sure few if any of these animals have every come a cross a road.

If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

MattB · Aug 10, 2006

BCBigGame-I was in Taseko last weekend, had pretty good weather and the bugs seem worse than last year! Did you see any good bucks?

BCBOY · Aug 10, 2006

BCBigGame,
Potato Range side??? Awesome country ain't it?

http://sdana.photosite.com/DanasHuntingPics/

BCBigGame · Aug 10, 2006

Steve. Ya I was on Potato side, beutiful for sure. Was the first time on that side, could not believe the bear and wolf sign. Have you hunted in there? Saw a few decent 4's one maybe 27" wide. The guide at Bracewells says there have been lots of wolves around and have been doing a number on the deer, goats and cattle. I wish I could get back in Sept.
Hey Matt, Where in Taseko? Red Mountain or further back. Went up last July and saw a few good bucks but on opening they were all scared out and harvested earlier by .... I've spent many a day in there and will spend many more until I cant make it anymore.

If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

MattB · Aug 10, 2006

I headed east of the lodge at the north end of the Lakes and followed the beece creek horse trail right up to the saddle between Anvil Mtn. and Taseko Mt. I did see a couple decent bucks and hopefully come sept. i will see more! I will post some pics this weekend.

Tuffbucker · Aug 10, 2006

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm!!!

tufferthandug · Aug 10, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-06 AT 11:12PM (MST)[p]There's lots of roads in BC, but there's lots of areas without. I'm sure there's some serious monster's right behind BCBOY's place in Well's Gray Park that may not have seen human's nor roads.

BCBigGame,

Nice pic BC, looks like I've got one similar to one of them, LOL...

huntFX4 · Aug 11, 2006

How about Bob Marshal Wilderness? Haven't been there in a long long time, but........

TFinalshot · Aug 11, 2006

I think it may be possible in the Bob. Some of those elk and deer may manage to winter down along the flathead and in from spotted bear.

"Roadless areas, in general, represent some of the best fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The bad news is that there is nothing positive about a road where fish and wildlife habitat are concerned -- absolutely nothing." (B&C Professor, Jack Ward Thomas, Fair Chase, Fall 2005, p.10).

SHERMANnv · Aug 11, 2006

you could make a case for the jarbridge wilderness area in necada.

AZWALKER · Aug 11, 2006

I'll add the Mazatzal wilderness down here in AZ... especially the west side of the range.

Donnie

BCBigGame · Aug 11, 2006

Hey Tuff, inice picture. Looks like nice sheep terrain.

If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

TheKnack · Aug 11, 2006

On the way home for lunch on HWY 92 I saw a buck here that did not make it all the way across..Guess he saw his last highway.
County Police was parked near it on my way back to work.
Could not believe it's little 130" rack was gone on my home from work.
Either someone thought it was huge and had to have it or they contacted the DOW and they cut it off....Who knows.
Rest of the deer is still rotting there now.
Best,
Jerry