Northern Utah Deer Feeding Update

tutdeer · Feb 4, 2008

The Mule Deer Foundation, along with SFW and other Conservation organizations have started feeding mule deer in the Northern Utah area along with DWR. They have broken the areas up into differnt units with certain leaders for each. Here are the priority areas at this time and the team leaders:

Ogden Valley - Mike Laughter MDF
Morgan, Henefer, East Canyon - Mike Laughter MDF
Cache Valley - Greg Blotter SFW
Kamas - Mike Laughter MDF

The individual Conservation groups & members have put aside any differences and are working together in an uniformed and cooperative manner to get this important work done. This really is a group effort!

I have spent the day with Mike Laughter (MDF) on Sunday up in the Ogden Valley and again today (Monday) with Mike Laughter and Mark Glauser (SFW) breaking through snow and feeding deer in the Ogden Valley as well as taking feed to set feeding locations in Henefer and East Canyon. We will continue doing this until the threat of high deer mortality, because of the snow depth has been decreased to manageable levels.

The specific feeding locations are being manned by local individuals that can feed on a daily basis. They feeding locations are also remaining quiet as to keep the general public from massing in those areas to view and disturbing the deer more. These feeding areas are benefiting critical winter range areas.

The feed is a mixture of corn and alfalfa pellets that will give them protein and calories to get through as a supplement to the nature habitat they are still able to get to.

There has been talk about wanting to donate. If you wish to do this, please send your donation to:

Mule Deer Foundation
Emergency Deer Feeding
404 East 4500 South, Suite B-10
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Make checks payable to MDF or Mule Deer Foundation

Thank you for all you do and are able to do.

Daren Tuttle
Utah State Chairman - MDF

Pheasantgod · Feb 4, 2008

Thanks for getting back with the Heber area.

tallbuck1 · Feb 5, 2008

Thanks for the help!!!! The herds need every helping hand possible!!!

Tallbuck1

Dahlmer · Feb 5, 2008

Kirk,

What have you guys got going on in the Heber area?

Jeff Rasband

Prism · Feb 5, 2008

Thanks for the update, and thanks again to the MDF and SFW stepping up to the plate and getting things done when it counts.

tutdeer · Feb 5, 2008

Time for another update. - 2/5/08

I spent the day again up in the Ogden Valley, East Canyon and Henerfor areas today working with Mark Glauser of SFW, Mike Laughter of MDF and great local people such as Mike Earl supplying feed to established feeding sites and working on opening up others. Brandon and Butch came up and used their snowmobiles to clear paths to the feeding sites for a group of over 100 deer that were in an "Alamo" type of situation. (They looked like they were making a last stand on a side hill that they hadn't moved more than 20 yards in over three days).

We currently have 4 feeding sites in the Ogden Valley with one central distribution site for feed. We had to move alot of snow to get into some of the herds, but the local sportsmen and women have really stepped up and made things happen. We are looking for around two more sites in the Southern part of the Ogden Valley and are open to suggestions. Please send them to [email protected]

There are 6 feeding sites in the East Canyon, Henefer and Morgan areas with a central distribution site in Henefer. There are hundreds of deer being benefitted by the local sportsmen and women in the area.

We currently have 10 feeding sites in Cache Valley with a distribution site of the Hunter Education Building in Logan. Greg Blotter of SFW is heading that unit up.

We are beginning to get a grasp on these areas and will begin more work in the Kamas/Heber area hopefully soon. There are a few feeding sites in Heber with the good people of that town moving it forward with assistance of the Conservation Groups.

We are still accepting donations through the mail at:

Mule Deer Foundation
Emergency Deer Feeding
404 East 4500 South, Suite B-10
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

or, if you are attending the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo this week in Salt Lake City, please stop by the Mule Deer Foundation and Sportsmen For Wildlife booths and donate in person.

Just this week, the Utah Bowhunters Association donate over $1200 dollars toward this critical feeding program!!!

By the end of the week we should have the www.muledeer.org website updated with a link tha tyou can send your contact information to if you wish to volunteer your time in this effort. You can get your Dedicated Hunter hours in this manner as well. In the mean-time, if you wish to have your name placed on a list of volunteers, please send your name, address, phone number and e-mail address (if you have one) to:

[email protected]

I will update it and turn your name over to the nearest unit leader needing assistance.

I wish all of you could see the cooperation going on between the Conservation groups in this effort. It really shows what can happen when we put aside our allegances to certain groups and just do the work that is needed.

Daren Tuttle
[email protected]

By the end of the week, we should have the website www.muledeer.org updated with a link to put your name and contact information on if you wish to help with this feeding project. We have been overwhelmed with the response and are trying to get all the volunteers catagorized by location.

BigChicken · Feb 6, 2008

Thanks for the update, having not been up there can you tell me if anyone has used any machinery, such as a Sno-cat, to clear paths and/or yards for the deer? If not, may I suggest that may be something the State Parks or ski resorts could help with?

If the deer had pathway to walk in, it could save a lot of valuable energy and possibly save even more deer. With all this great effort to feed the deer clearing a network of paths for them may make it even more effective.

DBG3285 · Feb 6, 2008

>Thanks for the update, having not
>been up there can you
>tell me if anyone has
>used any machinery, such as
>a Sno-cat, to clear paths
>and/or yards for the deer?
>If not, may I suggest
>that may be something the
>State Parks or ski resorts
>could help with?

I know That you are not serious. If by any chance you are let me break this down for you. There are no ski areas that will help with a snowcat for the simple fact of the matter that if a ski resort is open they use all of their cats and they will make more money on the slopes than carving trails for deer. The state parks are in almost the same boat minus Their snowcats are for a lack of a better word $hit. and also it is very hard to transport a snowcat than you would think especially since all of the deer are now in rural areas. Also all of the fences that are in the fields they are wintering in i highly doubt that the farmers would be very happy about a snowcat ripping them down. Minus these small delays your plan sounds fantastic.

BIG · Feb 6, 2008

http://wildlife.utah.gov/news/08-02/feeding_deer.php

The state put this up on their website.

BigChicken · Feb 7, 2008

Thanks DBG3285. I was serious but thanks for pointing out some realities of the situation. In spite of the difficulties, it would be nice to see it attempted someplace as an experiment. You would think that the two state agencies could work something out somewhere.

DBG3285 · Feb 7, 2008

Well I was not trying to be an a$$ but if you think about it the DNR and DWR cannot even work together. They could not even try to work an operation like that out together. Our leaders in this area are so inept that I am supprised they can even get home at nights after "work". One day though they may pull their heads out and we will see where that gets us but until then it is going to be all on the sportsmen to get things done.

ktc · Feb 8, 2008

DBG,

Thanks! I have seen some pics of the feeding efforts, snow depths, and the deer fighting the snow. Thanks to the sportsman groups something is getting done to help the deer!

Hopefully the break in weather is what the deer need to settle the snow!

slcmuley · Feb 9, 2008

ktc- can you get the feeding effort pics posted on here for us to see? that would be really cool to see. thanks to everybody for their time & donations.

wounded · Feb 9, 2008

Is what I would like to see is a bunch of sportsman in the spring to plant bitter brush. If we would do this it would alwaya be there to help and we would not have to wait for the powers to decide for us. The forrest service will give all of the starters that we need. Just think if we could do this where all the burns are. Great winter range and a great future deer herd.