POLL: Deer Herd Decline, Why?

[Skyvalhunter]

One has to look at those areas where the migratory herds have not been affected by forest fires. I have noticed in those areas the deer population still is in trouble.

[GoldenRing270]

Laser Rangefinders? Probably not high on the list but they are widely available now along with affordable high quality optics. I can only assume that improvements in hunting technology makes an impact on the population of mature mule deer.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Another factor affecting Mule deer is Whitetail deer.  They get out-competed and Whitetails are taking over former Mule deer range.

I hunted a few years along the Palouse River on a large wheat farm between St. John and Endicott.  The owner told me when he was growing up, it was just about all mule deer in the area and a pretty big herd. Now his farm is overrun with whitetails and there aren't many mule deer left.

[bearpaw]

There is no doubt that the issues vary greatly in each area of the state.

[dilleytech]

In my area south central wa I would say cougars and bears are the biggest culprit. We have tons of bears and was always told cougars were over populated but it wasn’t until this fall that I realized how bad it was. I shot a cougar in September, when getting it sealed the biologist said they just treed and killed a problem tom in town. And another hunter killed one around town also that week. A few weeks later the bios treed and killed another problem cougar 20 miles away from the first. I also know first hand of 3 others killed before the end of the year quota was met.

That’s 7 cougars killed “that I know of” within about 40 square miles. I was told by the bio there usually will be one tom and about 5 females in twice that area size. So how many are still alive?

[bigmacc]

I,m tellin ya, cats, cats and more cats and every one of em are killing 30-50 deer a year.. Lets just say there are 100 cats(just to make the math simple, I would bet theres a lot more) in the Methow for example, from the Canadian border at the north(up around 30 mile) then to the south down to Pateros, somewhere between 3000-5000 deer are falling to cougars every year in that one valley, now throw in bear, coyote and wolf who,s populations are growing and expanding also and that are probably taking another 2-3 thousand combined and a whole bunch of deer are getting taken out of that one little valley every year and that is just by 4 legged predators, now throw in vehicle accidents because they are being pushed into civilization more and more by those overabundant predators and you know have more dieing. Like some have said and I agree, predators(or at least most of them) have been around for awhile, but in the modern era have been managed and their numbers kept in check , as some have said they belong there as much as I do, but letting their numbers sky rocket and overpopulate in some areas to the point they devastate once thriving and productive herds is absolutely an issue of mismanagement, at least for hunters and sportsmen and women of this state who buy tags, licenses, permits etc. Predators and the mismanagement of those predators are for me at least vote no. 1 and no. 2, mismanagement of our ungulates is vote no. 3. ....just my 

[cryder]

I'm not even going to elaborate ,it's decease and man kind devistation , and I mean any g m u !! But who knows maybe this decease thing is all about getting rid of the wolves ? Cars in point , maybe they are disguising there poor management , it's all GUNNA be answered when you get your litmus paper kits with your hunting documentation pamphlet warning you about eating what your paying to hunt , guides better watch out , could be replaced by woodsy scientists dressed in camo lab coats , there will be one stationed every 2 miles armed with drone controls to wisk off your meat flesh specimen to be evaluated while you sit with your carcass and defend it from wolf attacks , ya guys now we're hunting !!

[bowhunterforever]

To many predators of all kinds

[Romulus1297]

You know the biologist’s are heading to the chelan butte tomorrow to count the sheep or something? What about the small herds of deer still surviving here? Doesn’t matter or who cares? 

[Skyvalhunter]

No the Chelan Butte sheep are in such a small area all they do is sit in their vehicles and glass. That is the same way they count the deer. They sit in a vehicle count them and multiply it by a thousand. Then tell us there are hundreds of thousands of deer out there.

[Ironhead]

I posted OTC Tags and new technology earlier in the post. But in the last 5 years I will say its been Habitat loss in the winter grounds by FIRE and winterkill from 2015 and 2016. Predators are not helping them either.

[MtnMuley]

I posted OTC Tags and new technology earlier in the post. But in the last 5 years I will say its been Habitat loss in the winter grounds by FIRE and winterkill from 2015 and 2016. Predators are not helping them either.

Habitat loss, or adding 1500 more does tags after the Carlton Complex Fire?

[huntnphool]

I posted OTC Tags and new technology earlier in the post. But in the last 5 years I will say its been Habitat loss in the winter grounds by FIRE and winterkill from 2015 and 2016. Predators are not helping them either.

Habitat loss, or adding 1500 more does tags after the Carlton Complex Fire?

 That was a stroke of genius wasn't it!........Still SMH

[DOUBLELUNG]

So they are adapting to the changing environment. Do you feel the migratory herds will adapt to some extent?

I think climate change in the Cascades will actually be beneficial for the migratory mule deer herds.  So much of the lowest elevation winter range has been lost or converted.  Warmer winters with less snow and more rain will increase the winter range available on the national forest lands.

[jstone]

They don’t count the problem cats in the quota once they kill one do they?