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?

[Axle]

The 'squirts' is also called scours. I've seen it in deer on the west side but not often. I've seen the scours wipe out a lot of deer in western Oregon in the spring and early summer. Washington is much thicker and it is harder to see the deer out and about and when one dies, it does so in the thick stuff where nobody can see it.

The reason they want to tout a high fawn survival is to keep up the notion that wolves and cougars are not taking a toll on the game populations. I'm sure fawn survival is higher this year but it is a small thing considering what our herds have gone through the past 20+ years. To sell this idea to everyone (deer herds are fine and growing) keeps their agenda alive (adding more predators). Even some hunters will buy into until they aren't allowed to hunt due to extremely limited ungulate numbers. Hunters who have been successful for many years are far too smart to buy into bad propaganda.

[mulehunter]

Hey Wolfbait, Its hard to JUDGE who is right. If I was YOU I wouldnt buy WDFW TAGS like I WILL NOT!!  So Scott fitkin have to FIGURE OUT HOW to FOOL People to make PROFITS So he can keep his JOB! Anyway he just hope that WDFW thank him for all his *censored* talk after Deer Tags Increase purchased after read this.    

 “I saw more bucks with antler than ever before,” said Fitkin. 

People DOESNT EXPEIRENCE this such thing when U or I saw those DEAD FAWNS from WOLVES Trust me I have see A LOT and they DONT!
 
No worry if thing way you BELIEVE just because YOU SEE and they dont. So Just dont buy TAGS!  My Suggest.... maybe just buy SMALL GAME kinda cheaper and just to keep you busy hunting on Coyote's pups LEGALLY!


Mulehunter  

[bearpaw]

If the Methow had 2 bad winters in a row like NE WA did and then one mild winter, there's no way deer numbers can recover with 1 mild winter.

The doe deer coming off a hard winter do not have a high rate of fawns. Often the fawn rate is lower than the mortality for the rest of the year from all causes. Thus you still have a small deer herd going into the mild winter (this last winter). Now that we are into the spring after that mild winter, the herd has had no chance to grow. Until fawns are dropped in June it is impossible to begin to have a recovery. Then it usually takes several years of good fawn crops and mild winters to significantly grow a herd. Throw predators into the equation and if the herd numbers are too low, a recovery may never occur for many years and the herd may cointinue to decline. This is exactly what has happened in Idaho's Lolo Zone.

It was the tough winters that started the Lolo decline, but a growing wolf population nailed the lid on the coffin.

[AKBowman]

The 'squirts' is also called scours. I've seen it in deer on the west side but not often. I've seen the scours wipe out a lot of deer in western Oregon in the spring and early summer. Washington is much thicker and it is harder to see the deer out and about and when one dies, it does so in the thick stuff where nobody can see it.

The reason they want to tout a high fawn survival is to keep up the notion that wolves and cougars are not taking a toll on the game populations. I'm sure fawn survival is higher this year but it is a small thing considering what our herds have gone through the past 20+ years. To sell this idea to everyone (deer herds are fine and growing) keeps their agenda alive (adding more predators). Even some hunters will buy into until they aren't allowed to hunt due to extremely limited ungulate numbers. Hunters who have been successful for many years are far too smart to buy into bad propaganda.

They pulled the same BS up in AK. ADF&G does a great job compared to WDFW its just 100X harder up there being that it is 10X the size with little to no access anywhere. Anyhow, there are wayyyy too many predators (bears/wolves) than ungulates (moose, caribou, sheep) in a few areas. The ADF&G realized it and opened the area back up to arial wolf hunting, upped the limit to 5 black bears and 2 brown bears a year and two years later things were back in check in that GMU (still too many wolves if you ask me)

Between the bears/wolves/cougars the deer in Okanagon dont have a chance. Studies in MT have shown the constant stress put onto the herds by too many predators (mostly wolves) can do real strange things as well like the herds are more likely to develope diseases, not eat well, water well etc from the constant stress.

[bearpaw]

The Wildlife Commission has postponed the final wolf plan until next year. Hopefully with the newest data coming out of Idaho and Montana proving the fact that unmanaged wolf populations spell doom for ungulate herds, the Wildlife Commission will adopt a plan that results in fewer wolves and the ability to manage sooner.

There is no doubt that the WDFW policy on Endangered Species is a lost cause, our only hope is to generate as many letters to the Wildlfie Commission asking for reasonable management and asking for replacement of Dept personnel who doctor the data to support wolves. This is unacceptable behavior and does not accomplish the requirements set forth by legislative mandate.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The department operates under a dual mandate from the Washington Legislature to:

- Protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats.
- Provide sustainable, fish- and wildlife-related recreational and commercial opportunities.

Department policy is guided by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission composed of nine citizen members appointed by the Governor. Department operations are led by a Director and an Executive Management Team. The Director is appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

I urge all of you to write the Wildlife Commission and point out that wolves must be managed responsibly so that legislative mandates are met and that any doctoring of data by WDFW personnel is unacceptable and reason for dismissal.

[HuntingFanatic]

I went over to the Twisp area this past week to try to shoot a coyote and to hike around looking for sheds. I saw around 250-300 separate heads of deer in a moderate to short hike. I put the sneak on what I thought was a group of 25 feeding in one of these "green" areas I popped my head over the ridge and quickly realized that it was more like 150 head, just feeding on the grass. They were seriously just move and chew with their head down! Most of the other groups I saw were still feeding in the sage.  I am from the west side and dont get over to the methow nearly enough. So I wont even pretend to know the state of the "herd". The deer I saw looked plump and healthy. There is one thing I do know as fact.....I need to work on my coyote hunting!!!! I tried to play watch keeper over these herds of deer....I however was unable to get a shot off at any of the 3 coyotes I saw stalking the outskirts! Holy hell they dont stay still! I should have just taken a long poke at them(350-400 yds) I know my rifle can do it. I just got overzealous and tried to stop them/call them in. Two of them looked at me then trotted off shaking their heads. The third(biggest) ended up taking a long circle around behind me. There were a few times I just about squeezed one off....but I swear to god he knew when to move and eventually was never to be seen again!

Like I said these are my observations. In the past I have given the wdfw the benefit of the doubt....but know I am a bit more skeptical.

[wolfbait]

Mulies are migrating to their summer ranges now and to many it looks like we have plenty of deer, but not the 20,000 that the pro-wolf biologist fitkin claims. For those of you who hunt the Methow, times are changing here just as the rest of Washington will change. You will be looking at hunting the same as Idaho has experianced with the Lolo elk.