How's it lookin ?

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game gets lots of phone calls, especially this time of year. When the summer heat breaks and the first nip of fall is in the air hunters start thinking of the upcoming hunt. Some folks have been in the woods all summer scouting their favorite spots. Others are just now getting geared up. The question from the other end of the phone usually comes down to "How's it looking out there". For the most part the simple answer is "It's looking good"! Elk Outlook The elk season was very good in the Idaho Panhandle last year. In 2003, elk hunters experienced one of the higher success rates since clear back before 1980. Fewer hunters are buying Panhandle elk tags when compared to the mid-1990s. But the elk numbers in most locations have rebounded to or near the levels prior to the bad winter in 1997. Twenty-three percent of the antlered elk that were harvested in the Panhandle last year were 6 point bulls. That's good by anyone's standards! Helicopter surveys done in February and March last winter also showed an increase in adult bulls and showed good calf numbers. The way last winter started out with some significant snow storms in December it looked like we might be in for a "normal" winter for a change. However, last winter turned out pretty mild also. Most of the snow that we saw pilling up in December went away by mid-January. When helicopter counts were done in February and March the winter-range areas had little snow and elk numbers and body condition looked good. For the most part, winters have been pretty mild since the bad one in 1997. So, you take the fact that we had one of our best elk seasons on record last year. Add in a fairly mild winter with good survival and calf recruitment. Factor in the buzz at the coffee shops and sporting goods stores and you come up with a promising outlook for this years elk season. White-tailed Deer Outlook The outlook for white-tailed deer hunting is as positive as the outlook for elk hunting. White-tail populations are in good shape, again a result of several years of mild winter conditions. In 2003, the hunter success rate for Panhandle game management units with the November season was around 33%. Across the Panhandle, over 60 % of the bucks harvested were 4 points or better. We always have good adult buck survival due to our heavy cover. Last winter's mild weather meant good survival and all appearances are that we had a good fawn crop this spring. There should be plenty of deer out there for a good hunt. Weather conditions have a significant impact on deer hunting success. Over-winter survival affects the hunt the following year, but conditions experienced during the hunt also have a significant impact. Having some snow on the ground during the rut (3rd week in November) can make a big difference in deer harvest, especially on the big bucks. Mule Deer Outlook There have been some big changes in mule deer management in the last couple years. Starting in 2002 mule deer doe harvest was closed during the general season. Mule deer harvest can fluctuate considerably from year to year, especially in the units with a November season. The presence or absence of snow increases a hunter's ability to see and to track deer. Muleys aren't as bothered by snow depth as white-tails are. If we get some good snow during November the white-tail hunting gets good because they drop down to lower elevations where the hunters can get to them. But the mule deer will often stay up in the deep stuff and only the real die-hard mule deer hunters will put on the snow shoes and go after them. Last years mule deer buck harvest was just under the average of the past 8 years at around 383 bucks. There are some folks talking about seeing more mule deer these days. I tend to agree. Granted the mule deer numbers are not what they were 30 years ago (neither is the habitat) but not harvesting any does can only help. All in all I would put the outlook at about the same as last year and pretty dependent on the weather conditions during the hunt. Black Bear Outlook Bear hunters in the Panhandle had a good year in 2003. The regional harvest of 698 bears was the highest on record since the mandatory check began in 1984. We have been doing a lot of work over the past several years to help us understand black bear populations, harvest and management. One of things we know for sure is that the regional huckleberry crop makes a big difference in everything associated with bears here. Black bears in northern Idaho make their living on huckleberries. If you have a good berry year all the bears go into the winter in good physical condition. That translates into good over-winter survival, good cub production the following spring and over-all healthy bear populations for the upcoming years. The flip side of the coin, a bad berry crop, we see the inverse. Remember the fall of 1998? Huckleberries were hard to come by and it really showed up in our bear populations. The fall bear harvest, particularly males, was way above normal as bears were traveling around more in search of food and thus more vulnerable to the gun. It also showed up in some of our research efforts. The next spring's research trapping produced zero sow's with new cubs and very few yearling bears. It is apparent from the high bear harvest in 2002 and 2003 that we had good berry crops after 1998 and good bear numbers now. The spring 2004 harvet of around 225 is a just little lower than the average spring harvest for the previous five years. Reports from our folks out in the woods and other sources put this years berry crop across the board. Some places look not so good, others about normal and some even better yet. Bear hunting should be good this fall if you focus on those berry patches in the "normal to better yet" range where the bears are likely to concentrate. Mountain Lion Outlook Lion populations and hunting peaked in the Panhandle in the mid-1990's. From the record lion harvest of 214 in 1997 we had been on a steady decline to the 2002 harvest of 79. In 2003, lion hunters took 112 cats. The population could be on the up-swing again, lagging but following the increases we are seeing in deer and elk numbers. Probably just as important was the fact that we had good hunting conditions last year. December is the month that typically produces the most lion harvest. December of last year had frequent snow storms that created good tracking conditions for hunters pursuing lions. The lion harvest season was shortened last year in response to hunter and IDFG concerns that we were not seeing the older cats in the harvest. That could be an indication that the population is being hunted to heavily. We will continue to monitor the harvest and suggest season adjustments if and when we need to. There is no reason to think that this year's lion season won't be a good one provided hunting conditions are good.