HUNTERS FOR HABITAT

[BearCat]

I know there has been a ton of talk about what to do with our deer herds and I am by NO SENSE an expert. I will say I believe we have to do something concerning tags, coyote reduction and habitat restoration.

As many of you, I have been a part of the Dedicated Hunter Program for over 13 years and believe it or not I have not shot one deer!!! Of course I have seen many and tried, but nothing I wanted to pack out, hang on the wall etc. I feel I would leave them for seed for others. My point being is that in all that time, I spent most of my time on NON deer projects. I tried to get on deer projects and it seemed they were very few and hard to find. So that started me thinking this year.

I truly believe that a large chunk of our deer habitat is gone and I do not mean by homes. I mean the sage is just dead. Since I am not an expert I do not know if it is all because of the lack of rain, over grazing by deer or the destruction by cows. The areas I checked this year do not have houses for mile so that is not it.

So after one my trips to check on the deer I counted 6 dead fawns in one SMALL area and I am sure it was not due to coyotes but bad habitat so I took some pictures.

This is what our winter range is looking like in a lot of areas. This is a MAJOR problem, and why are our Dedicated hours not going to restoration? I know that even if we plant and then protect the new seedlings for a couple of years, this is a long process but come on we have to do something.

My question to everyone is who is really willing to take a full weekend out to just plant feed for deer in key winter areas? I ask because I think instead of us hunters complaining about coyotes and tags we should spend some quality time for the Deer and not just helping with the fishing ponds, building fences, building guzzlers or picking up garbage for our hours (I have done all of these to get my hours, and I know there is a place for it). By the way I am no longer a DH, so hours do not matter to me anymore.

I am suggesting a HUNTERS for HABITAT project. Who is interested? Come on all of you Shed hunters and Deer hunters how about a weekend planting some feed for the deer in key wintering areas (by the way not sure where to start).

Or does someone know of another group dedicated to this?

BearCat

 

[bonepiler]

I appreciate your ideas and motivation. There have been some DH projects the past couple of years up on the Millville Face near Hyrum planting bitterbrush and sagebrush. I know there have been many similar ones in other parts of the state. There are many DH projects where you thin pinyon and junipers out of old chainings, which will maintain them as deer habitat. Problem being, planting seedlings is tough with very low survival. But you are right, gotta start somewhere. Seriously though, one of the best things you can do as a volunteer it to work on one of the pinyon and juniper cutting projects. DWR, BLM, and others have the tools and know how to work on re-establishing sagebrush. If you want to find some projects to help on specifically for deer, I would just call the regional DWR office and I am sure they can find something for you. They would probably be open to any ideas and suggestions you might have as well.

 

[MountainTime]

I am in the DH program and would love to help with a project like this. As has been said, we would definitely want to involve the right orginization. I am sure if you reached out to the DWR they could point you in the right direction.

 

[BearCat]

Yep I have not had the opportunity to do the juniper thinning but have seen the GREAT work done over by Salina Creek.

But in some of these areas I visit there is not juniper, the sage brush is just dead. So the only that would help is plantings of sage or other feed and protecting it till it has a chance to grow.

The problem in my opinion about contacting DH is that there are typically only a few projects like this and we are not avialable all the time---I just wished there were MORE of these type and less of the build a fence, put bait on a hook, pick up garbage etc.

D