When Utah was at its all time high for population of Mule Deer (over 600,000) there was only (5,000) elk in the state. When Elk were at their all time high in Utah population wise (about 80,000) deer were at their all time low about (200,000).
When Deer were at their all time high we had over 1 million sheep grazing, now when deer are at all time lows we have all time lows for sheep grazing.
This state and some groups have turned AUM's from Sheep and cattle into AUM's for wildlife all in the name of Deer and Sheep yet it has not made a difference for the deer.
You see Utah has taken the best thing for our range land (sheep) off the mountain and replaced it with the worst thing for our range land (elk).
Elk eat everything starting with the best feed for deer and then moving on from there when the deer feed is gone. The out eat, out compete, push around and harass deer. This is evident to anyone that spends anytime studying these animals.
Also with all the sheep gone from the mountain there is less ranchers fixing fences, sustaining water sources, killing predators and patrolling for poachers.
I will admit I have never seen and elk physically kill a deer. Has it happened? Probably, is that the reason for less and less deer? No.
But I have seen many deer die and populations dwindle because of elk and their behaviors. Is it not just a little curious as to why no state agency will do a scientific study on the impact elk have on mule deer? IS it not puzzling why you rarely if ever find healthy deer herds and elk herds in this state residing in the same area?
Is it not puzzling why on the Henry Mountians the DWR has a zero elk policy meaning hunt them and hunt them all with no antler restrictions or anything yet on the Paunsagaunt they manage for trophy elk and welcome them there? Keep in mind both units are suppose to be premium for deer yet they are managed completely different.
So in short YES more elk in Utah equals less deer. Colorado maybe not, but Colorado and Utah are vastly different with range conditions and water issues and many other things. But then again Colorado's deer population is suffering as well.
Deer stand no chance to rebound now without bringing back 10-80 and strict 9 and greatly reducing the elk population. Gimmicks like coyote bountys and contests do little to nothing for our deer herds. You see mule deer have been suppressed so much by predators, highways, winter kill, bad range land and lack of fawn recruitment that without drastic measures they are doomed. All the habitat work in the world has not and will not fix the deer population. This is evident as you drive though countless thousands of acres of great range land restoration and you see very few deer.
Yes the Henry mountains has giant mule deer bucks, but the overall population and health of the herd is abysmal. The DWR will even admit to that.
SO why if the Pauns and the Henry Mtns are premium units do we manage them differently?
All of the west suffers when it comes to Mule Deer and all of the West has a greater elk population. Anyone that believes that is coincidence is denying the truth.
Again elk are not the sole reason deer declined, but elk are a major contributor as to why they stay suppressed.
You want to fix deer in this state and west wide you need to bring back poison, put more sheep on the mountain, take more elk off the mountain, aerial gun for predators in key months, get rid of the funding for a bounty on coyotes and put that money into the hands of professional predator killers, fence your highways, hammer poachers, and have a policy that ZERO does are hunted and killed and any that are in residential areas get transported and relocated to wilderness areas.
If you do these things you will see our mule deer herds rebound. But if we continue to gloss over the facts and fluff everyone into thinking (game units) and (coyote bounty's) will fix the deer herds then we are part of the problem and the biggest part.
I hope you all have a great summer and fall in however you enjoy the outdoors.
Tony Abbott