Mule Deer Conservation

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hyfacer23

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Hi,

I have just been researching and trying to see what I can do every week in order to help with the conservation of mule deer, as you know all throughout the west these animals have been struggling. As their winter ranges have been built on and highways have endangered both deer and humans, what are some things that we can do as hunters and sportsmen in order to help the animals that we love to hunt? Often times I don't think that we are lazy, people just don't know what they can do to help. Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!
 
Try and stay away from them from early January thru early May. No need to stress them out while they're trying to get through the winter.
(Get ready for change because it's going to happen!)
 
Figure out a legit feeding program, I'm sure it can be done. Also, maybe go to more primitive weapon hunts instead of rifle hunts. It could still provide opportunity with lower success rates.
 
My approach to it is to hunt the predators. I don't know how many newborn fawns a bear kills each year but I figure every bear killed means less fawns being killed. The same goes for coyotes.

It applies to cats too but it's impossible to hunt for cats without dogs. Bears are hard enough when all we can do is spot and stalk.


For a few years I wouldn't hunt for deer but that really didn't do any good. The tag will just be sold to another hunter.

I don't know how else to help.
 
I hunt coyotes.

Several years ago, a guy in Texas had coyotes start a den right in front of his game camera. He claimed to have counted 18 different fawns being delivered to the den by the parents.

I try calling Lions each year but, so far, no luck.

Lions are said to kill about 1 deer-per-week-per-Lion. Colorado has between 3-5,000 Lions.

Doing the math at the high end of the Lion estimate, shows us that about 260,000 deer are killed by Lions in Colorado each year.
 
>I hunt coyotes.
>
>Several years ago, a guy in
>Texas had coyotes start a
>den right in front of
>his game camera. He claimed
>to have counted 18 different
>fawns being delivered to the
>den by the parents.
>
>I try calling Lions each year
>but, so far, no luck.
>
>
>Lions are said to kill about
>1 deer-per-week-per-Lion. Colorado has between
>3-5,000 Lions.
>
>Doing the math at the high
>end of the Lion estimate,
>shows us that about 260,000
>deer are killed by Lions
>in Colorado each year.


Have you ever seen any numbers of how many deer bears kill in Colorado?
 
LAST EDITED ON May-03-18 AT 02:41PM (MST)[p]Best thing you can do is hunt mule deer. Be selective in what bucks you kill. Join the Mule Deer Foundation.

Hunt predators. Note that coyotes are impossible to get rid of. The best time to hunt coyotes for deer management is just before fawns are being dropped. This temporary drop in the yote population when fawns are vulnerable will allow the fawns to grow so they can defend themselves. Its called fawn recruitment.
 
Well, not hunt for deer, hunt for bears, and hunt for coyotes year around is all I can do.

I just wish the tree huggers hadn't voted out the spring bear hunt.
 
>Campaign for a max speed limit
>of 35 mph everywhere west
>of the Mississippi :)


Maybe start handing out tickets for killing deer with bumpers. Maybe that will make people more aware. I've never hit a deer because I see them standing on the side of the road and i'm prepared. I'm sure you guys are the same way.

Most people are in a fog when they drive.
 
Unfortunately most people who live in rural areas that don't hunt don't care about taking them out with their trucks. I used to guide on the Green in DJ Utah and my boss hit and killed 17 deer with his truck in a year in a half. He had a grill protector on his truck that every damned oil worker has and wouldn't even slow down for them. Pissed me the hell off.
 
>Unfortunately most people who live in
>rural areas that don't hunt
>don't care about taking them
>out with their trucks. I
>used to guide on the
>Green in DJ Utah and
>my boss hit and killed
>17 deer with his truck
>in a year in a
>half. He had a grill
>protector on his truck that
>every damned oil worker has
>and wouldn't even slow down
>for them. Pissed me the
>hell off.

Yes, I got pissed just reading about it.
 
>Unfortunately most people who live in
>rural areas that don't hunt
>don't care about taking them
>out with their trucks. I
>used to guide on the
>Green in DJ Utah and
>my boss hit and killed
>17 deer with his truck
>in a year in a
>half. He had a grill
>protector on his truck that
>every damned oil worker has
>and wouldn't even slow down
>for them. Pissed me the
>hell off.

I would be taking your boss or anyone else to jail if I ever saw or heard about that crap happening on purpose!!!!

It's a damn shame that anyone would do that on purpose and not have a guilty conscience. They should feel ashamed of them selves!!!!

You need to turn those peeps in to Law Enforcement or the Game Wardens if you hear about it.......
 
I don't see how law inforcement could prove them guilty. However, if you hit a moo cow, you are liable to pay the owner of the cow back if it is on free range. Car insurance will covers it too. How come people who hit deer and game are not liable to pay the state back for the loss of the animal? I think the cost of a NR tag would do just fine as they could put that money directly into roadside migration corriddors to protect people and protect wildlife.
 
>I don't see how law inforcement
>could prove them guilty. However,
>if you hit a moo
>cow, you are liable to
>pay the owner of the
>cow back if it is
>on free range. Car
>insurance will covers it too.
>How come people who hit
>deer and game are not
>liable to pay the state
>back for the loss of
>the animal? I think the
>cost of a NR tag
>would do just fine as
>they could put that money
>directly into roadside migration corriddors
>to protect people and protect
>wildlife.

If they tell people they don't slow down, and just keep going as fast as they want when they see them + hit them, that would be enough if they spouted off about it.

It may be hard to prove but sometimes idiots that do stuff like that think it's funny, have a few beers then start bragging about it......
 
LAST EDITED ON May-09-18 AT 01:55PM (MST)[p]Habitat is usually the biggest issue. Predators can have a big impact on a declining population or a small population trying to rebound (see what happened to the Mulchatna caribou herd), but if we can prevent encroachment on winter ranges by highways, vacation homes, and energy development, deer would certainly fair better. Habitat improvement with more effective fire management that isn't designed to promote full suppression, and promotion of early succession habitats would certainly be helpful in some areas. Donate to non-profits that buy and conserve crucial habitat areas, suppress suburban sprawl, and prevent fragmentation is a good place to start.

One interesting project in North Central Colorado completely game fenced hwy 9 in critical deer winter range.
Start your information rabbit trail here:
https://www.steamboattoday.com/news/highway-9-construction-project-nears-completion/
 
The Utah DWR usually has some project going on at all times. It may not be for mule deer specifically, but planting brush or trees after fires, loping and scattering of pinion and juniper, installing or repairing guzzlers, mule deer studies with tagged deer, building fences and escape ramps on highways are some of the things I know they accept volunteer help for. They are also aware of other projects done by conservation groups. Contact your nearest DWR office.
 
Thank god for BluffGruff and his insightful and informative post! Sadly in this day and age most mule deer hunters did not pay attention or were not taught in high school biology or science class about habitat (especially on critical winter range) and it's relationship to the overall health, quantity, and quality of animals living within such habitat. Mule deer are a prime example. BluffGruff has explained this topic better than any other post regarding Mule Deer Conservation.
 

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