Why will F&G not make antlers point/width restrictions for Mule deer? The lack of yearling fork horn bucks on the winter range is very concerning. It seems that the buck to doe ratio is very low, at least in the portion of Southeast Idaho I run around in.
Also, would it be a possibility that all Mule Deer hunts could be turned into a draw only proposition, or zones you have to stick to? Such as turning all general units into unlimited draws, or into different zones like elk so people have to choose a unit?
Another issue I have with the Mule Deer management is pushing the blame on the mountain lion when the coyotes seem to do the most damage. Would there be a chance to possibly have bounties for coyotes to help the mule deer fawns survive? Utah used this strategy and it seemed to have helped the deer in their state a lot.
I feel that the best way to have more/bigger bucks on the mountain is by antler point/width restrictions so that people cannot kill all of the young bucks before they are smart enough to avoid hunting pressure. We could have more deer total on the mountain by ramping up the take of coyotes.
Answer:
We have tried antler point restrictions in eastern Idaho during the mid-2000s and it did not prove as a good tool to improve mature buck numbers. In fact, it reduced the adult 4-point portion of the populations and created lots of big 3 points. The reason was we focused all the hunting effort on that portion of the populations we were trying to reduce harvest on, thus limiting the population to grow any older bucks.
We have worked to create a variety of hunting opportunities for mule deer throughout the state including general and controlled hunts with varying degrees of opportunity to meet the variety of interests of Idaho’s mule deer hunters.
As far as predation on mule deer, we know that mountain lions and coyotes both can have impacts, but our research showed that mountain lion predation was a far great impact than coyotes on mule deer populations in most situations. In some areas, we can document that predation is a significant factor and in others, it is less of a factor in mule deer populations growth. We have also learned that summer range and winter severity are also important variables impacting mule deer survival and productivity. We are always trying to learn more about mule deer and improve our management of that iconic species.
Answered on:
Friday, October 14, 2022 - 11:28 AM MDT