% of Collared Deer Alive

[Founder]

Most up to date info on the percent of collared deer still alive.
Wyoming Range Herd

It surprises me that I didn't find more carcasses if this data is reflective of the entire herd. About 75% of all the collared deer died! If the herd was 30,000, that would mean more than 22,000 deer should have been laying dead out there. It also means there's only 7,500 deer now.
I guess if there's any positive, the buck to doe ratio of collared deer increased a bit. If collared deer data is reflective of the entire herd, there are only about 2,100 bucks in all of regions G and H this year. It'll be interesting to see the difference.

At this point, I just don't believe the collared deer data is reflective of the entire herd, but maybe I'll be singing a different tune in about 3 months.

 

[SS!]

Sad what shed hunting has done to the mule deer herds. Hope it was worth it guys!

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Do they have recent data from other herds?

 

[Bookhead]

From everyone I've talked to that had boots on the ground in winter range in May they are all saying the same as you. They just were not seeing that amount of winter kill and very few were bucks that were seen

 

[Bookhead]

Do they have recent data from other herds?

Probably not game and fish only care about the wyoming range herd

 

[ElmerFudd]

Roughly 1% of the herd was collared. That is not enough data to interpolate anything with any confidence.

 

[Founder]

Do they have recent data from other herds?

I don't communicate with all the biologists, just Gary who works the Wyoming Range herd.

 

[SS!]

Good luck to all you guys who cashed in your 10+ points. When you’re not seeing much just remember that resident hunter you see across the basin isn’t seeing much either and spent just as many poi—- oh wait…. Chit!

 

[Katoom]

Roughly 1% of the herd was collared. That is not enough data to interpolate anything with any confidence.

Been a while since I took statistics but quality statistics certainly can be done with 1% samples and less depending on the study and the variables and their ranges across the studied population. Assuming the data was collected in a way that was fairly representative of the overall herd, and overall range conditions, I’d bet it is very valuable and informative and it would be wishful thinking to assume otherwise in this particular event.

 

[one_dryboot]

Yeah I’m not buying it either. All the shed hunters I have talked to all say the same. They saw mostly doe and fawns dead, not many bucks. not as many as they were expecting. So I’ll see less deer this year? I’ll still have a great hunt in the high country. Scouting starts this weekend. ?

 

[quest]

What was the buck/doe ratio before the winter kill maybe that’s why the difference?

 

[DaveD]

From what I have heard a good percentage of the deer didn't die on their normal winter range. No boots on the ground perspective here but it does make some sense that deer would have at least tried to move to find food.

 

[nfh]

plus i was just reading an article in the newspaper how CWD numbers went way up. comparing to last 3 years testing is increasing a bit with only a slight amount of extra positive test so inconclusion all the deer are about to die from CWD. Its out of hand blah blah blah. They did really good to add the drama

 

[SS!]

plus i was just reading an article in the newspaper how CWD numbers went way up. comparing to last 3 years testing is increasing a bit with only a slight amount of extra positive test so inconclusion all the deer are about to die from CWD. Its out of hand blah blah blah. They did really good to add the drama

Ever notice if you take the acronym CWD and change the C to a U, drop the W and change the D to a T you get UT? Coincidence? I think not!

 

[ElmerFudd]

Ever notice if you take the acronym CWD and change the C to a U, drop the W and change the D to a T you get UT? Coincidence? I think not!

Holy smokes Batman! Robin's job of solving riddles is in danger!

 

[one_dryboot]

Ever notice if you take the acronym CWD and change the C to a U, drop the W and change the D to a T you get UT? Coincidence? I think not!

Let’s not stop there!!! If you add a D before ut, drop the T and add umbAss. It makes perfect sense.

 

[rocky2track]

The director is leaning on that collared data evidently..

Wyoming Range Winterkill Far Worse Than Thought: 80% Of Adult Deer & Nearly All Fawns Dead

Winterkill losses in the famed Wyoming Range mule deer herd might be far worse than thought with as many as 80% of adult deer and nearly all the fawns dead.

cowboystatedaily.com

 

[maxpower]

Huh, even if it was mostly does and fawns that died that's still cause for concern. It won't be as evident this year if there are still lots of bucks running around, but in the next few years it'll manifest itself.

 

[nfh]

Is @Founder hunting wyoming this year?

 

[BIG]

Is @Founder hunting wyoming this year?

I wonder why he never just moves to Evanston or something.

 

[SS!]

Is @Founder hunting wyoming this year?

?

 

[SS!]

I wonder why he never just moves to Evanston or something.

Ask him so you stop dreaming of founder

 

[BIG]

Ask him so you stop dreaming of founder

Not sure what that means

 

[ICMDEER]

There are other studies. I don't have all the data in front of me, but 89% of the collared bucks in the Laramie Range telemetry study were alive 2.5 weeks ago. Not sure how you can get current updates on that study, though.

We had a tougher than normal winter, but the critters did pretty well. And right now, Eastern Wyoming looks as good as it ever has. Should be good fawn production and hopefully some fat ungulates this fall.

 

[jims]

I'm curious if they took tonsil samples for CWD prior to releasing the collared deer? It sure makes sense to do this to answer a bunch of unanswered questions? Figure out exactly how long CWD positive deer live, how many die compared to healthy collared deer, how many CWD positive vs healthy deer were killed by predators, etc?

 

[ICMDEER]

I specifically asked that CWD samples be taken and that we get samples to test for genetic resistance. Both request were denied. The reasons were lack of funds and they also said there would need to be a graduate student involved to analyze that data. Didn't seem that costly or difficult to me. The cost of the study for the helicopters and collars is pretty high and a little more lab work would not seem prohibitively expensive.

I can think of a few funding sources if they wanted to pursue them, but there was no interest in knowing any of that information.