collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: WDFW feeding Methow Deer  (Read 2559 times)

Offline wsmnut

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Dec 2008
  • Posts: 449
  • Location: Twisp, WA
WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« on: December 16, 2014, 05:19:51 PM »
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
December 16, 2014
Contact: Jim Brown, 509-754-4624
WDFW feeding deer to protect orchards
near Pateros in Okanogan County
OLYMPIA – State wildlife officials are temporarily feeding deer to protect orchards in the Pateros area but say widespread feeding of Okanogan County mule deer is not needed at this time.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) northcentral regional director Jim Brown said most deer are faring well thanks to mild weather and below-average snow cover in the wake of the largest wildfire in state history in July.
The Carlton Complex fire scorched tens of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, including some traditional mule deer winter range. But a mild, rainy fall has produced some of the best forage for deer in recent years, both inside and outside of the burn area, Brown said.
“Deer often concentrate during the winter near Pateros’ fruit tree orchards – independent of the effects of fire – and cause damage,” Brown said. “Until more deer fence is repaired, we are using feed to draw deer away from the orchards.”
Brown said the current feeding effort is designed to limit orchard damage without disrupting the deer’s normal diet and potentially causing health problems. WDFW uses specially-formulated feed to fulfill – on a short-term basis – the deer’s nutritional needs.
In general, WDFW and other wildlife managers discourage the public from winter feeding of deer and other wildlife because it can harm the animals, said Kristin Mansfield, WDFW wildlife veterinarian. Deer, for instance, need to feed on many different kinds of plants to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. Mansfield noted that some well-intentioned people have been feeding deer fruits and grains.
“Fruit and grains are not a normal part of a deer’s diet at this time of year and can be extremely difficult for deer to digest,” Mansfield said, adding that a steady diet of such high-carbohydrate fare can elevate the animals’ stomach acid levels and cause serious illness and even death.
Mansfield said she appreciates people wanting to help animals in what seems like harsh conditions. “But most feeding just makes us feel good and can end up being bad for the animals,” she said. “Fruit is too high in carbohydrates and lacks the nutrients deer need to stay healthy. It’s a bit like letting your kids eat nothing but candy bars.”
Supplemental feeding also disrupts the natural foraging patterns of deer and concentrates the animals into one location, said Scott Fitkin, WDFW district wildlife biologist. Having too many deer in one area makes them vulnerable to disease, predation, poaching, and motor vehicle collisions if feeding stations are near roads.
Fitkin added that attempting to maintain a deer population out of proportion to its available habitat through supplemental feeding can be counterproductive to the animals’ long-term health.
“All those deer will mow down any shrubs trying to re-sprout, setting back both the quantity and quality of healthy winter range for years to come,” he said.
Nearly $10,000 raised last month by the Mule Deer Foundation through its Methow Valley chapter will all be used locally for range restoration activities such as shrub plantings and re-seeding the area burned by the Carlton Complex Fire.
About half of the deer fawns born annually don’t survive the winter in Okanogan County, Fitkin said. However, deer that are in good shape at the beginning of winter can generally survive on fat reserves for two to three months with minimal forage.
“The long range forecast for this winter bodes well for these deer -- above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation,” Fitkin said. “We are prepared to provide supplemental feeding, on an emergency basis, if extreme weather conditions develop.”
For more information on winter wildlife feeding, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/winter_feeding/wildlife.html .
Quote


Wsmnut
Wsmnut


Belief is so often the death of reason.
Moron Lube

Offline steeliedrew

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2012
  • Posts: 663
  • Location: Snohomish
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2014, 05:21:16 PM »
Saw that earlier. You think they feel like they jumped the gun with issuing all those doe permits before they saw what the winter was going to be like?
Every thought of my being is in regards to being a high tech predator and I relish the role.

Offline huntnphool

  • Chance favors the prepared mind!
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+15)
  • Legend
  • ******
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 32892
  • Location: Pacific NorthWest
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2014, 05:34:41 PM »
Quote
However, deer that are in good shape at the beginning of winter can generally survive on fat reserves for two to three months with minimal forage.
“The long range forecast for this winter bodes well for these deer -- above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation,” Fitkin said. “We are prepared to provide supplemental feeding, on an emergency basis, if extreme weather conditions develop.”

 Well it's certainly a good thing he issued hundreds of extra doe tags this past fall, who knows what would have happened to the herd had he waited until now to make that critical decision. :mor:
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first!

Offline MtnMuley

  • Site Sponsor
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 8686
  • Location: NCW
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2014, 06:45:04 PM »
Biggest f up wdfw has ever let go here in my time. If Fitkin crashed head on into a wolf tonight, I'd offer to do CPR on the wolf :twocents:

Offline kodiak 907

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 1202
  • Location: Skagit Valley
  • Groups: U.S. Navy/Combat Recon, NRA, DU
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2014, 06:48:32 PM »
 :yeah: good thing they issued all of those doe tags. :bash:
Spider 2 Y banana

Offline Skyvalhunter

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Oct 2007
  • Posts: 16006
  • Location: Sky valley/Methow
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2014, 06:57:10 PM »
Well here's the cats meow. I was over there meeting a buddy of mine to pick up a mount. He lives just south of Twisp along the river. I start walking around his place and start seeing all these small I mean a little over an inch tracks. I asked him what's up with all the yearling tracks. He tells me that piece of property over there is Fish and Game land and the doe permit holders hit it pretty hard. So instead of shooting a yearling the wanna be hunters were shooting the larger doe(chances are they were pregnant) that was with the yearling. You have to know without their mom there to mentor them thru this winter those yearlings certainly aren't going to make it thru.This really pissed me off. I would like to thank the fish and game, dip stick hunters and Fitkin for their contribution to the demise of the Methow herd!!!
The only man who never makes a mistake, is the man who never does anything!!
The further one goes into the wilderness, the greater the attraction of its lonely freedom.

Offline Bob33

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2009
  • Posts: 21741
  • Groups: SCI, RMEF, NRA, Hunter Education
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2014, 06:57:47 PM »
My son did his part by not doing his part. :tup:
Nature. It's cheaper than therapy.

Offline MtnMuley

  • Site Sponsor
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 8686
  • Location: NCW
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2014, 07:06:06 PM »
Although I will thank those who were eligible and didn't partake, I don't feel it is necessary to credit common sense and simple management when wdfw has a f up like this.

Offline BOWHUNTER45

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Nov 2009
  • Posts: 14731
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2014, 07:17:39 PM »
No they did not ---- up anything  :dunno: What I want to know is how many of those doe tags were filled ...really is sad how they just jump to conclusions before seeing the whole picture  :DOH:

Offline MtnMuley

  • Site Sponsor
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 8686
  • Location: NCW
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2014, 07:20:32 PM »
No they did not ---- up anything  :dunno:

Huh?

Offline boneaddict

  • Site Sponsor
  • Administrator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2007
  • Posts: 50475
  • Location: Selah, Washington
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2014, 07:21:40 PM »
Quote
Biggest f up wdfw has ever let go here in my time.

Offline DeerHarvester

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2008
  • Posts: 1031
  • Location: The valley
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2014, 07:49:53 PM »
Really sad. 
Will hunt for food.

Offline archery288

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2007
  • Posts: 2227
  • Location: Auburn
Re: WDFW feeding Methow Deer
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2014, 08:22:07 PM »
Ridiculous.  Love how wdfw thought this one out...

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

New to Mule deer hunting where to start by baldopepper
[Today at 10:01:19 AM]


KODIAK06 2025 trail cam and personal pics thread by kodiak06
[Today at 09:45:13 AM]


Riffe Lake by Mtnwalker
[Today at 08:08:33 AM]


Bow mount trolling motors by deerlick
[Today at 08:02:28 AM]


SE raffle tags holder by trophyhunt
[Today at 06:25:08 AM]


Archery Elk Advice by PsoasHunter
[Yesterday at 11:29:00 PM]


Share your out of state experience by dvolmer
[Yesterday at 11:05:49 PM]


Baker Lake Sockeye 2025 by RB
[Yesterday at 09:21:30 PM]


A question for any FFL holders on here by dreadi
[Yesterday at 07:28:54 PM]


Best/Preferred Scouting App by MuleyTracksWA
[Yesterday at 06:59:55 PM]


Wolf documentary PBS by Fidelk
[Yesterday at 06:17:50 PM]


Montana Breaks Elk by Magnum_Willys
[Yesterday at 05:45:34 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal