BrianID
Very Active Member
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There are two separate problems with Idaho's deer.
#1 - The number of mule deer is lower today than what many of us would like it to be.
#2 - The number of mature bucks as a percentage of the herd is much lower than we want it to be.
Both of these problems need to be addressed separately.
It would be very easy to increase the percentage of mature bucks by limiting hunting opportunities. Regardless of what some residents believe, eliminating all nonresident hunters wouldn't significantly increase the percentage of mature bucks in the herd. Limiting resident hunting opportunity would also have to be done. The F&G has data that proves that time and time again a majority of Idaho hunters are not willing to give up opportunity to have more mature bucks. Until enough hunters push for limited opportunity there will never be as many mature bucks percentage wise in Idaho as other states such as Colorado has. Even if we could double the deer herd there would still be a low percentage of mature mule deer bucks in Idaho. Hunters today put significantly more pressure on mature bucks than they did 60 years ago. Many hunters 60 years ago didn't hunt for antlers and the technology today makes us as hunters so much more effective at killing older bucks than hunters were 60 years ago.
Increasing the number of deer is complicated. Predators (lion, bears and coyotes) have a big impact on the deer herds. Eliminating all the predators would not fix our deer herd problem. Predators do need to be managed. Removal of mountain lion quotas will without a doubt increase mule deer numbers in many areas. Deer killed on roads can hurt some populations but overall isn't one of our biggest problems statewide. It isn't possible to increase the mule deer herd to the same size it was 60 years ago. The problem is the habitat is not the same. Large areas of winter range has been lost forever. We can still improve habitat and protect winter range from further development. Most farmers and ranchers don't have a problem with deer. Farmers and ranchers are not one of the bigger problems Idaho's deer herds face. Elk numbers are suppressed in many areas to appease farmers and ranchers.
Poaching is much more difficult to get away with than it was 20 years ago and much more difficult than 60 years ago. Poaching is a bigger problem than many hunters realize. It mostly impacts the mature bucks that we have so few of.
#1 - The number of mule deer is lower today than what many of us would like it to be.
#2 - The number of mature bucks as a percentage of the herd is much lower than we want it to be.
Both of these problems need to be addressed separately.
It would be very easy to increase the percentage of mature bucks by limiting hunting opportunities. Regardless of what some residents believe, eliminating all nonresident hunters wouldn't significantly increase the percentage of mature bucks in the herd. Limiting resident hunting opportunity would also have to be done. The F&G has data that proves that time and time again a majority of Idaho hunters are not willing to give up opportunity to have more mature bucks. Until enough hunters push for limited opportunity there will never be as many mature bucks percentage wise in Idaho as other states such as Colorado has. Even if we could double the deer herd there would still be a low percentage of mature mule deer bucks in Idaho. Hunters today put significantly more pressure on mature bucks than they did 60 years ago. Many hunters 60 years ago didn't hunt for antlers and the technology today makes us as hunters so much more effective at killing older bucks than hunters were 60 years ago.
Increasing the number of deer is complicated. Predators (lion, bears and coyotes) have a big impact on the deer herds. Eliminating all the predators would not fix our deer herd problem. Predators do need to be managed. Removal of mountain lion quotas will without a doubt increase mule deer numbers in many areas. Deer killed on roads can hurt some populations but overall isn't one of our biggest problems statewide. It isn't possible to increase the mule deer herd to the same size it was 60 years ago. The problem is the habitat is not the same. Large areas of winter range has been lost forever. We can still improve habitat and protect winter range from further development. Most farmers and ranchers don't have a problem with deer. Farmers and ranchers are not one of the bigger problems Idaho's deer herds face. Elk numbers are suppressed in many areas to appease farmers and ranchers.
Poaching is much more difficult to get away with than it was 20 years ago and much more difficult than 60 years ago. Poaching is a bigger problem than many hunters realize. It mostly impacts the mature bucks that we have so few of.