Update: Help for Okanogan Mule Deer

[Ade]

Just read in the local paper

The Trump administration is halting work on North Cascades grizzly bear recovery work.

Making America great again!

Thank you all for your input to sites like this it helps get our voice out there I’ll take a win

[huntnphool]

Just read in the local paper

The Trump administration is halting work on North Cascades grizzly bear recovery work.

Making America great again!

Thank you all for your input to sites like this it helps get our voice out there I’ll take a win

 If that's true.....YUGE!

[Skyvalhunter]

http://methowvalleynews.com/2017/12/28/proposal-to-return-grizzlies-to-n-cascades-apparently-on-hold/

[Skyvalhunter]

Once again more junk coming from the Methow Valley Biologist.  It's amazing how it can change from 25/100 buck to doe ratio a short time ago to 15/100 now. He probably had a hard time find 25 bucks so it was changed to 15. Population down a bit? that's an understatement.
http://methowvalleynews.com/2018/12/26/wdfw-deer-survey-shows-methow-population-down-a-bit/

[boneaddict]

Just “probably”.   

[bigmacc]

From what I see its a lot worse than that, zero confidence in these guys, and yes they earned it! 

[jackelope]

It's hard for me to believe that the only thing mentioned causing the drop in herd numbers is hunting.

Well, maybe it's not hard to believe.

 

[Boss .300 winmag]

By the time they get done with their new counting survey, won’t be any left to count.🤯

[woodswalker]

It's hard for me to believe that the only thing mentioned causing the drop in herd numbers is hunting.

Well, maybe it's not hard to believe.

 

\

Given who is making the statement, its COMPLETELY believable that he SAID that but virtually guarantees that its not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[bigmacc]

It's hard for me to believe that the only thing mentioned causing the drop in herd numbers is hunting.

Well, maybe it's not hard to believe.

 

Exactly. Sure the hunting pressure needs to be addressed (job 2-do away with quality tags in the Methow) but when you got gangs of predators who's populations are exploding to the point where you see more predators than you see deer in a 9 day period, well, something is haywire and way out of balance. We talked with some guys hunting one of the top areas in the Methow this last year, they have hunted it for over 40 years and have been very successful to say the least and I have seen their success many many times over the years. The last 2 years they have seen more predators than deer, everything from Yotes to cats to bear and wolves to even a Grizzly and her cub. This year they seen a total of about 14 different predators(between 4 hunters) and a total of 9 deer with one being a small spike and as I said, this is in one of the premier areas in the Methow hunted by guys who know it like the back of their hands. Going back to where I started with job 2 being to do away with quality tags in the Methow, JOB 1 is getting the predator situation in that valley under control, and IMHO they better get started on it because if its not aggressively addressed and the predators are left unchecked it will be a matter of a few years before this valley is a memory as far as good hunting goes. I know I,ve said this before but here it is again, it is truly a shame what the WDFW has let this once strong, growing and thriving Mule deer herd deteriorate into....as always, my opinion and   

[BLR 243]

Too expensive to count deer, not as expensive as wolf management person.

[idahohuntr]

It's hard for me to believe that the only thing mentioned causing the drop in herd numbers is hunting.

Well, maybe it's not hard to believe.

 

If you read the article you will see they also discuss summer drought and fire damage to winter range as well.  They also mention an active predator/prey study being done by UW - so they should have more data on predation effects as well. 

[Skyvalhunter]

SHOULD is the key word there. This has not been a sudden one year decline. This has a long history of declining. Its just as been stated when you see more predators than deer it's really become evident. I know I am not the only one that has complained about the situation. The state however doesn't like to admit that it has become dismal because it makes them look like they don't know how to manage things when in this case they haven't.

[ipkus]

It's hard for me to believe that the only thing mentioned causing the drop in herd numbers is hunting.

Well, maybe it's not hard to believe.

 

If you read the article you will see they also discuss summer drought and fire damage to winter range as well.  They also mention an active predator/prey study being done by UW - so they should have more data on predation effects as well.

The fact that the bio does not mention at all that predators "may" bare part of the blame shows the bias this particular biologist has always demonstrated, and is example #24,875 why the customers (hunters) have zero faith in the supplier (WDFW).

And, quite frankly, the way you responded in defense of the article shows your own leaning.   

[bigmacc]

Its like another thing Ive said many times, pre WDFW(90,s and before when they were the actual "Game Department) when you talked to Dept. folks from Wardens to Bio,s to the bigshots in the office about why they pursued this line of work?, there answer 99% of the time in order was their LOVE of hunting, fishing and the outdoors, and the many that I knew and my family knew going back decades were all avid hunters and truly cared about the health of our big game herds(deer and elk), since the switch to WDFW the old "Game Dept. guard" has slowly been replaced by folks who I would venture do not answer that same question the same way.