Mild winter leads to high fawn-survival rate

[wolfbait]

 Just another load of pure *censored* from your favorite wolf biologist, guess I really don't need to name him. Then there is his favorite little news girl who doesn't know a whitetail from a mulie. Which one has the most brains we will never know. I don't have to guess that they are both full of chit and trying to keep up with the dumb ass biologists that ruined Idaho,Montana,Wyoming,Arizona, and New Mexico. Washington is just another state that will go down the same drain. MORE PEOPLE need to start gettin involved. This is just not about Your state of Washington, this is about all the States. I know that many of the people of W-H have been at it hard, but we need more help! Kick some Ass.


Mild winter leads to high fawn-survival rate

By Joyce Campbell
    The mule deer population is back on the upswing with populations the highest in five years.
    “It’s good in terms of survivorship for fawns,” said Scott Fitkin, state wildlife biologist for the Okanogan region. “In any given year, an average of half the fawns die,” said Fitkin. He roughly estimates the mule deer herd in western Okanogan County at 20,000.
    Fitkin, assistant biologist Jeff Heinlen and Forest Service wildlife biologist John Rohrer all worked on the spring survey to get a ratio of fawns to adults to compare the numbers with the aerial winter survey taken in the first week of December. This year there are about 40 fawns per 100 adults, which is better than average, Fitkin said.
    “Given the mild winter, we expected that,” said Fitkin. Winterkill is largely due to starvation, he said. The last two winters were not bad, but during the previous three winters, an estimated 70 percent of the fawns died.
    Hiking and driving routes in the Methow and Okanogan valleys west of the Okanogan River, the biologists counted deer concentrated in their spring range. The spring and winter range overlap somewhat in shrub-steppe and ponderosa pine parkland, according to Fitkin. In spring, the deer also forage on open, south-facing slopes where there are no shrubs but a lot of early green-up.
    “I saw more bucks with antler than ever before,” said Fitkin. Generally, the bucks have all dropped their antler by now. “We saw 10 or 12 with antler, and we don’t know why.”
    “The majority are already following the green up,” he said. “They’ll pause in early June to drop fawns and continue on.”

Photo by Sue Misao: Fawns, such as this one photographed last year, enjoyed a higher-than-average survival rate over the winter this year, thanks to mild weather. Most winterkill of deer is due to starvation.

http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=3307

[hookset]

Thats good to hear that there are more fawns in the methow The game department must be doing something right

[wolfbait]

Thats good to hear that there are more fawns in the methow The game department must be doing something right

Yep and you can buy some ocean front property in Utah also! check into: washingtonwolfinfo.com, saveelk.com lobowatch.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then take a little trip to the Methow and tell me you see 300 head of deer where we use to five years ago!

[mountainman1]

Here we go again, how do you count deer if you work for the WDFW. Last year it was multiply x 100, and now it must have went up to X 200. There is no scientific way to count every deer, so Fitkin has a new formula every year and this year it is 1 deer X 200. Its just like counting wolves.  'Simple'  

[carpsniperg2]

more fawn to feed the wolves

[bearpaw]

Here in NE WA 07/08 and 08/09 were hard winters and we really lost deer. This winter 09/10 was mild, but deer have not had a chance to recover numbers yet. It will take several winters. Haven't you experienced the same thing in the Okanogan?

[Skyvalhunter]

Yes we have experienced the same thing

[boneaddict]

There is better survival than last winter, I'll give  him that.  There is also always a big loss right about now.  They start eating the green up and they start crapping themselves to death.  Another big spring storm, and you will see another big drop.   Yes there are more deer than last year, but as for the last 5 years, or what peek capacity is, not a CHANCE.

[ICEMAN]

Off topic, but Bone, can you explain why the deer "crap themselves to death"...after the spring green. Inquiring minds want to know... thanks.

[jackelope]

I don't understand what's *censored*?

[boneaddict]

They are attracted to fresh Cheet grass like I am to M&Ms.  They fill up on it and stop eating the browse that has kept them alive all winter.  Kind of like choosing between fiberboard or a hershey bar.  It has almost ZERO nutritional value or energy.  The change in diet causes the deer to start "squirtin". So they are getting ZERO nutrition plus being weakend by the squirts. 

[Viszla]

Fitkin and WDFW make me want to throw-up.  I think all of us know that the mule deer herds are still at some of their lowest levels ever and yet after one mild winter they are doing great.  All they are doing is trying to hype up the deer herd to sell more licenses and make themselves feel like they are dong a good job at managing the deer herds.  They have been doing this for years and apparantly it works on convincing some folks.

[Idabooner]

Off topic, but Bone, can you explain why the deer "crap themselves to death"...after the spring green. Inquiring minds want to know... thanks.

The deer on the west side probably don't have spring *censored*s like our deer, they have green all winter.  Here on the east side they have been living on sage brush, pine and fir needles, tree moss, even tree bark.  When the green grass  starts growing behind the snow melt, there is no food value, or fiber in it, mostly water  but it tastes and smells good, so that's what they go after, and it just runs right threw them.  That's where the saying comes from, "running for grass".  Horses and mules that have wintered out have the same problem, they will loose a 100 pounds running for grass in the spring.

[Axle]

A person who doesn't know what they are talking about will do things like they did in this article - place a picture of a whitetail fawn in an article about muledeer.

Hello McFly! anybody home!!!

[Axle]

Thats good to hear that there are more fawns in the methow  The game department must be doing something right

So......what department or region do you work in?