Central Washington Deer Population

[mountainman]

I posted this picture back in 2010.  15 Years...Oooof.. time is flying.
This is a stitched together picture from six pictures.  So there can be spots that are fuzzy, etc. 

This was the last time I've seen that many deer together in the valley. 

Springtime back in the old days in the Methow!

[GOcougsHunter]

If Lincoln County counts as Central Washington?  Mule deer populations appear to be doing great.  I counted 20 deer in this picture.  This was actually 10 days ago, not 2024 like the camera states.  Still very very few whitetails. 

[bigmacc]

If Lincoln County counts as Central Washington?  Mule deer populations appear to be doing great.  I counted 20 deer in this picture.  This was actually 10 days ago, not 2024 like the camera states.  Still very very few whitetails.

👍 I have friends in Lincoln Co., Grant also. Seems they are seeing the same. Good to hear. The predator “blowup”, wolves, cats and bears doesn’t seem near as bad as a few other areas are experiencing. Let’s hope it stays that way, coyotes, that’s a whole nother story, I’ve seen pictures of some of their yote hunts, wow!

[NOCK NOCK]

IMHO, MD are slowly becoming a "sage" dwelling deer. Seems they are doing good in most sage/shrub steppe, but dwindling rapidly in forested areas, (or what used to be....mostly burned now). 

[MeepDog]

I counted 50+ deer in one stretch of 2 miles outside of goldendale. A migration happens out there and the hill deer haven’t made it back to the hills yet.

No there’s not public land. Everyone and their brother hunts out there.

[teal101]

Took a drive this weekend. Easily saw 50 deer in just one canyon. One group was 27 strong. We are in a major migration corridor. Also saw 3 roadkills Saturday alone on 2/97.

[vandeman17]

I moved up a canyon outside Cashmere beginning of the month. Its 2.5 miles from the highway up the canyon road to my house and there are days I will see 50-75 deer in that little stretch. The part that I like the most is that it appears almost all the does have fawns/yearlings with them.

Now if I can just keep them out of my gardens and keep the bucks from rubbing up the trees, I will be happy

[jstone]

That’s awesome

[teal101]

I moved up a canyon outside Cashmere beginning of the month. Its 2.5 miles from the highway up the canyon road to my house and there are days I will see 50-75 deer in that little stretch. The part that I like the most is that it appears almost all the does have fawns/yearlings with them.

Now if I can just keep them out of my gardens and keep the bucks from rubbing up the trees, I will be happy

The fawn recruitment from what we've seen was extremely good last year. Some groups they make up 50% of the animals. Very good to see.

[teal101]

If you have a chance to acquire this book it's a pretty cool read on how the herd used to be.

[vandeman17]

I moved up a canyon outside Cashmere beginning of the month. Its 2.5 miles from the highway up the canyon road to my house and there are days I will see 50-75 deer in that little stretch. The part that I like the most is that it appears almost all the does have fawns/yearlings with them.

Now if I can just keep them out of my gardens and keep the bucks from rubbing up the trees, I will be happy

The fawn recruitment from what we've seen was extremely good last year. Some groups they make up 50% of the animals. Very good to see.

Agreed. On the way to work this morning at the bottom of the canyon I had to stop to let 3 does cross and each had good healthy looking fawns

[bigmacc]

If you have a chance to acquire this book it's a pretty cool read on how the herd used to be.

Excellent book!!!! We have an original. It is a great study of what the Methow herd was at one time(50’s and 60’s) I look it over from time to time. Less times than more nowadays, at least for myself it’s quite depressing. I actually seen those migrations as well as others on here, first hand. It’s an eye opener for some who may think or may perceive some of the stories told here about that herd could be fictional. Good on you to bring up the book. It’s certainly out of date and no where near accurate these days but still a bit of history of that particular herd and solidifies what has happened to it. By the way, for what it’s worth, some of my family were involved.

[teal101]

If you have a chance to acquire this book it's a pretty cool read on how the herd used to be.

Excellent book!!!! We have an original. It is a great study of what the Methow herd was at one time(50’s and 60’s) I look it over from time to time. Less times than more nowadays, at least for myself it’s quite depressing. I actually seen those migrations as well as others on here, first hand. It’s an eye opener for some who may think or may perceive some of the stories told here about that herd could be fictional. Good on you to bring up the book. It’s certainly out of date and no where near accurate these days but still a bit of history of that particular herd and solidifies what has happened to it. By the way, for what it’s worth, some of my family were involved.

It took me awhile to find a copy and cost me a pretty penny, but it was worth it.  I havent read it in depth yet, but have thumbed through it a bit.  While it may be out of date, it is an excellent resource on the history of the herd and I had to have it for my library.  Very cool your family was involved with it.  If only the current WDFW put out publications like this with this much data so the public could see what is happening to their resources.

[bigmacc]

If you have a chance to acquire this book it's a pretty cool read on how the herd used to be.

Excellent book!!!! We have an original. It is a great study of what the Methow herd was at one time(50’s and 60’s) I look it over from time to time. Less times than more nowadays, at least for myself it’s quite depressing. I actually seen those migrations as well as others on here, first hand. It’s an eye opener for some who may think or may perceive some of the stories told here about that herd could be fictional. Good on you to bring up the book. It’s certainly out of date and no where near accurate these days but still a bit of history of that particular herd and solidifies what has happened to it. By the way, for what it’s worth, some of my family were involved.

It took me awhile to find a copy and cost me a pretty penny, but it was worth it.  I havent read it in depth yet, but have thumbed through it a bit.  While it may be out of date, it is an excellent resource on the history of the herd and I had to have it for my library.  Very cool your family was involved with it.  If only the current WDFW put out publications like this with this much data so the public could see what is happening to their resources.

Ive talked with a few folks who have found that book on various websites, Amazon, Facebook etc, yes they are pricy, if you can even find it👍 You’re right, back then the herd was treated “differently” so to speak. If only we had a “WDFW” that put that same time, effort and energy into what’s left of that herd today. Like I’ve said as well as others, the herd itself has been surpassed as far as a “priority” nowadays.

Still, a great book and a great read, at least to bring attention to a time long gone.

[timberfaller]

"If you have a chance to acquire this book it's a pretty cool read on how the herd used to be." quote of teal101

   My brother in law has his pictures in that book, worked with the "Game Department" during that study.  He was the one who generally got to jump in the trap so they could do their tagging and other things.  Oh he got some story's!!  He also got the job of autopsying road kills looking for all kinds of "bugs".  Then, because he was a great shot, he was allowed to put down deer in various areas to do the same.  Never missed, one shot every time, with a Remington 788 in 222 no less!!  If you only knew what was in a deer carcass, you just might not wanna eat one!!!

Good luck on finding the book, its been out of print for some time.  And I know my BIL will not loan out or sell his copy!!   Ole Sig B. had just come on as the valley's "Game Warden".  I showed up in 74 and married his wife's sister.  Spent a lot of time hunting with my BIL over the years, sure miss those days!!