New Oregon Mule Deer Management Plan: Opportunity for Input

[rtraverdavis]

ODFW is in the process of drafting a new mule deer management plan to update the 2003 plan. There will be a live webinar to discuss the issues and potential management strategies next Monday, April 17th at 6:00 PM. You can read about what ODFW is considering and provide input for consideration prior to the webinar HERE.

 

[rtraverdavis]

These are the draft objectives:

1. Define and implement herd ranges as the basis for mule deer management across their range in eastern Oregon.
2. Inform management decisions for mule deer using rigorous methods for monitoring populations while accounting for changing habitat conditions and other impacts to populations at the herd range scale.
3. Maintain and enhance mule deer habitats in partnership with landowners and land managers such that overall conditions for mule deer are maintained or improved on summer use areas and winter ranges.
4. Manage mule deer populations such that overall numbers are consistent with available habitat conditions while accounting for social tolerance and public attitudes towards mule deer.
5. Manage harvest of mule deer at biologically sound levels.
6. Provide for optimum consumptive and non-consumptive recreational uses of the resource.

Sounds like new unit boundaries could be in the works. I'm also curious what "optimum non-consumptive recreational uses" means.

 

[SAJ-99]

These are the draft objectives:

1. Define and implement herd ranges as the basis for mule deer management across their range in eastern Oregon.
2. Inform management decisions for mule deer using rigorous methods for monitoring populations while accounting for changing habitat conditions and other impacts to populations at the herd range scale.
3. Maintain and enhance mule deer habitats in partnership with landowners and land managers such that overall conditions for mule deer are maintained or improved on summer use areas and winter ranges.
4. Manage mule deer populations such that overall numbers are consistent with available habitat conditions while accounting for social tolerance and public attitudes towards mule deer.
5. Manage harvest of mule deer at biologically sound levels.
6. Provide for optimum consumptive and non-consumptive recreational uses of the resource.

Sounds like new unit boundaries could be in the works. I'm also curious what "optimum non-consumptive recreational uses" means.

Anything about CWD testing, or is that not a factor in this doc?

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I'm interested in #3 if they've speeded up the process of getting accepted into the program.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Anything about CWD testing, or is that not a factor in this doc?

Not an aspect they’re working on for this plan, though the department has ramped up checkpoints and testing. I’m guessing it’s not present in the plan because cwd hasn’t been detected in Oregon yet. Maybe it should be as preemptive measure though. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t come up at some point during the planning process.

 

[Salmonchaser]

My impression having attended a meeting with ODFW last Thursday in Lagrande was CWD testing is going to be ramped up. The bios were/are very concerned about CWD and actually showed that radio collard deer near Chukermans place had crossed the Snake to an area in Idaho where CWD has been detected. The CWD testing might be a separate work project given the new mule deer plan has been in the works for quite a while.
I was very pleased to see their proposal that the game management units don’t generally reflect where the deer are. That is they often migrate year in and year out from one unit to another. The new plan has combined a number of units together to better match the life cycles between winter and summer range.
Overall I was very impressed with their presentation. According to ODFW mule deer numbers have fallen steadily from about 300,000 to 150000. Given I was fortunate enough to be hunting them in the 60s and 70s those numbers match my experience.
There was an awful lot of information presented in one hour. I’m looking forward to sitting down and reading it from cover to cover so to speak. Glad they are getting something going.

 

[FI460]

June 13 webinar on new Mule Deer Plan covers mule deer migration/connectivity, economic and social values

Upcoming webinar.

 

[Salmonchaser]

June 13 webinar on new Mule Deer Plan covers mule deer migration/connectivity, economic and social values

Upcoming webinar.

I found the presentation, back in April, to be very informative and the guys driving the program really do want to do something productive. I attended the seminar with a couple of well known, retired, wildlife biologists, I am not, barely passed biology. They were very enthusiastic in their evaluation of the program. In any event, If all you want to do is bitch about ODFW. You probably won’t get much out of it. If you want to learn something tune in on the 13th

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

But can we get unlimited OTC rifle tags?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Well there are fewer deer now then there were deer hunters when I started hunting in 1967. I’m guessing that I won’t be hunting on an otc tag again in my lifetime.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

I'm surprised the estimated numbers are still at 150K (half from the cited 300K). All my NE Oregon spots from the late 80s to present have significantly changed -- there are either n deer, or hardly any. Hope things can get back on track.

 

[FI460]

As promised:

Mule Deer Management Plan Update

I haven't had a chance to watch it.