Impact of bears on Mule deer

[Ridgerunner]

While scouting out a new area to me recently I ran into quite a bit of bear sign(mainly poop).  It was clear that at least one bear really liked this particular basin as I probably found at least a half dozen poop piles scattered throughout the basin and even in beds in the timber.  I'm curious if having this be either a core range of one bear or several will negatively impact the mule deer bucks in this spot.  I know in the high country its not uncommon too see bears and deer on the same hillside, but I definitely wasn't expecting to see so much bear sign.

I dropped a couple of cams so we will see what turns up over the summer but want to see if anyone else had encountered this here before and what they observed.

On the positive I know of a good spot to hunt bears when that season opens.

[idaho guy]

I don’t think it matters. Like you I have seen deer and bears feeding on same hillside. One year I had a bunch of bears hitting my bear bait(lots of bread and some cob) and the elk we’re feeding on the bait as much or more than the bears. Not together but as soon as a bear would leave a group of elk would come in.

[bigmacc]

Been singing this song for a few years now. Bears are impacting mule deer herds in a huge way. They come out of hibernation craving protein, does are dropping fawns, bear numbers are out of control. Fawn crops are being decimated, biologists know this. IMO, over the last 8-10 years bears and cats have been the toughest opponents for mule deer herds. My cousin did a study years ago before he  passed stating (in a nut shell) that bears are very negatively influential predators upon mule deer herds. This study was done years ago but I am seeing it today. Fawn carcasses are prevalent in fawning areas that i frequent (Methow), I remember back in the day my cousin and I would walk, we/he would mention things. Back in the 60,s/70,s he always said, “if bear numbers ever get out of control, it will be the demise of our deer herds”. He feared bears, over cougars and other predators. Because they could take 10 fawns in a day when stumbling/sniffing out fawning grounds. Ferocious predators when hungry.

[blackveltbowhunter]

I agree they have a huge impact on fawn recruitment. But if the op is asking about impact to individual deer behavior I dont think it matters much at all. See deer and bears in the same basins, often in very close proximity in the fall.

[Ridgerunner]

I totally agree with the damage they do on fawns, I'm more interested in their presence and how that impacts adult buck mule deer in the day to day.

[blackveltbowhunter]

I would say the only impact i have observed is moving a buck from their bed occasionally.  The instance im thinking of a group of bucks was bedded and a bear was grazing a short distance away, the bucks remained bedded just watching. Once the bear was close enough probably 50 ish yards they stood up and walked away.  They bedded again shortly after. I suppose if bears are real heavy it might move the bucks to different bedding locations and if enough "bumps" they would probably move on. Obviously the older the deer the less tolerant he will be.

[bigmacc]

My bad, just kind of glanced at the topic without really reading the whole post. 👍


I do agree with the idea bears and mature deer ( bucks) can live in close proximity. We’ve killed several nice bucks in areas with a lot of fresh bear sign. In fact we killed a nice buck and a bear in the same draw back in 1990, a few here may remember that day. Both killed about 100 yards apart within 10 minutes. The buck was shot in its bed then the bear was killed as it came out of the thicket after the shot.

[boneaddict]

The answer to your questions Ridge is no

[Skyvalhunter]

The impact is more so on the fawns and their ability to survive. If the bears are impacting the fawn survival rate that will affect the deer population in that area as the mule deer will typically migrate back to the same area.

[teanawayslayer]

One of the spots I hunt on the high hunt holds a good number of bears. Several years ago I scouted a group of backs all summer. Opening morning came around and got to our glassing perch and it was still a little dark. Look out in the wide open with the naked eye and saw probably the biggest bear I have seen up there. I was like we’re not going to see crap for deer since he was there. I pull up the binos and the group of bucks were feeding 30 yards from the bear. As said on the prior post, fawns are the ones affected by bears.

[buckfvr]

When a bear takes a kill from another predator, it most likely results in the other predator/s making more kills so it gets its fill.

This would include other predators that regularly kill adult deer/elk.

[baldopepper]

Been singing this song for a few years now. Bears are impacting mule deer herds in a huge way. They come out of hibernation craving protein, does are dropping fawns, bear numbers are out of control. Fawn crops are being decimated, biologists know this. IMO, over the last 8-10 years bears and cats have been the toughest opponents for mule deer herds. My cousin did a study years ago before he  passed stating (in a nut shell) that bears are very negatively influential predators upon mule deer herds. This study was done years ago but I am seeing it today. Fawn carcasses are prevalent in fawning areas that i frequent (Methow), I remember back in the day my cousin and I would walk, we/he would mention things. Back in the 60,s/70,s he always said, “if bear numbers ever get out of control, it will be the demise of our deer herds”. He feared bears, over cougars and other predators. Because they could take 10 fawns in a day when stumbling/sniffing out fawning grounds. Ferocious predators when hungry.

If you find a fawn carcass it wasn't a bear
 When a bear gets done with a fawn there is virtually nothing left. Bear impact on mule deer is minimal compared to cougar impact. Several studies done in Utah that show they are rough on fawns, but a very minimal  impact on adult deer.

[MeepDog]

In my limited experience, I've found mature bucks aren't specifically threatened or bothered by bears. I have noticed that their desired habitats dont overlap as much in the blues. During fall the bears are specifically after the fruit, whereas deer are focused on browsing the edges. The bears want to be under the canopy cover in the thick nasty. The deer don't like that closed in feeling. There's definitely overlap of course.

[hunter399]

Been singing this song for a few years now. Bears are impacting mule deer herds in a huge way. They come out of hibernation craving protein, does are dropping fawns, bear numbers are out of control. Fawn crops are being decimated, biologists know this. IMO, over the last 8-10 years bears and cats have been the toughest opponents for mule deer herds. My cousin did a study years ago before he  passed stating (in a nut shell) that bears are very negatively influential predators upon mule deer herds. This study was done years ago but I am seeing it today. Fawn carcasses are prevalent in fawning areas that i frequent (Methow), I remember back in the day my cousin and I would walk, we/he would mention things. Back in the 60,s/70,s he always said, “if bear numbers ever get out of control, it will be the demise of our deer herds”. He feared bears, over cougars and other predators. Because they could take 10 fawns in a day when stumbling/sniffing out fawning grounds. Ferocious predators when hungry.

If you find a fawn carcass it wasn't a bear
 When a bear gets done with a fawn there is virtually nothing left. Bear impact on mule deer is minimal compared to cougar impact. Several studies done in Utah that show they are rough on fawns, but a very minimal  impact on adult deer.

I was gonna say the same
Cougar is king when it comes to killing deer ,fawn or otherwise.

[bigmacc]

Been singing this song for a few years now. Bears are impacting mule deer herds in a huge way. They come out of hibernation craving protein, does are dropping fawns, bear numbers are out of control. Fawn crops are being decimated, biologists know this. IMO, over the last 8-10 years bears and cats have been the toughest opponents for mule deer herds. My cousin did a study years ago before he  passed stating (in a nut shell) that bears are very negatively influential predators upon mule deer herds. This study was done years ago but I am seeing it today. Fawn carcasses are prevalent in fawning areas that i frequent (Methow), I remember back in the day my cousin and I would walk, we/he would mention things. Back in the 60,s/70,s he always said, “if bear numbers ever get out of control, it will be the demise of our deer herds”. He feared bears, over cougars and other predators. Because they could take 10 fawns in a day when stumbling/sniffing out fawning grounds. Ferocious predators when hungry.

If you find a fawn carcass it wasn't a bear
 When a bear gets done with a fawn there is virtually nothing left. Bear impact on mule deer is minimal compared to cougar impact. Several studies done in Utah that show they are rough on fawns, but a very minimal  impact on adult deer.

I was gonna say the same
Cougar is king when it comes to killing deer ,fawn or otherwise.

All due respect 👍. We have found half eaten fawns in “fawning areas”, places where does will congregate with the fawns. We have pictures as well as journal entries going back to 1920 where my great grandmother would love to witness the “reverse migration “. It was her favorite time of year to sit on a hillside and watch the deer including hundreds of fawns make their way to summer “happy places” (what she called it😢). There are journal entries of bears picking off fawns “to the left” and to the right”. They would kill a fawn, tear it apart, move on to another. She said the worst was bears with cubs. Many entries said that was the most hurtful to her. Does would try to protect traveling fawns in groups, only to have a mamma bear kill 4-5 fawns and let the cubs feed. Bears are bad on mule deer, cats are bad on mule deer. Now wolves.

Most of her entries were from vicious bear kills, some to the point she said she had to look away, only to turn back and see the same bear kill another fawn.