Setting Big Game Seasons

By Kelton Hatch, Magic Valley Regional Conservation Educator Setting the seasons for deer, elk and antelope is a complicated job that takes several months, but it also takes several years of data in order to come up with the final plan each season. In the early 50s, Fish and Game biologists began collecting population data on deer, elk, antelope and every other big game species in the state. Department employees, often with the help of federal agencies and sportsmen, conducted on-the-ground big game counts in many areas where if was practical. In the 70s they began using aircraft to conduct the counts, but it was not until the late 1980s the current methodology was developed and implemented. When Fish and Game counts big game herds from the air, they do not see all the animals. Research has resulted in sightability models that correct for this visibility bias. The vegetation, snow cover, activity and the group size of animals all influence the number of animals biologists see from the air. Elk sightability surveys are conducted in each management unit every three years. Biologists try to estimate the total number of elk in the area. Conservation officers and biologists also do on the ground surveys every year in many hunting units to monitor cow to calf ratios or reproductive performance. Biologists have selected areas that represent the general deer population in a given area and counts are conducted every year. These areas are called trend areas. Prior to antler drop, biologists do composition counts on mule deer. This helps them determine the buck to doe and fawn to doe ratios. In late winter or early spring, they do population counts within the trend areas. This count helps them determine the estimated number of deer that survived the winter. Antelope are the most difficult of all big game animals to count, because they are scattered over large areas of the desert and generally travel in small herds. Currently the department does an on the ground survey every August to estimate buck to doe and fawn to doe ratios. "This gives us a general picture on what the population is doing," Randy Smith, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Manager, said. "For the past two years we have been working with a graduate student from the University of Idaho on new techniques we can use to better estimate antelope numbers. When you combine all the information from the various counts, it gives us a pretty good picture of what is going on with big game populations. These surveys allow us to determine herd trends, monitor reproductive performance and collect information on seasonal distribution. "Our goal is to understand the population trends and buck and bull ratios before we set hunting seasons. Permit levels are then adjusted to achieve our management objectives, which includes keeping herds in balance with their habitat." But these counts are only one part of the formula biologists use to set seasons. Three other parts of the equation are harvest data, the winter fawn monitoring program and public meetings. Harvest information is an important piece of the puzzle, and the mandatory harvest report card is just a new addition to the process. This new card replaces the telephone survey that was used for years. "The harvest report card provides us with very important information on harvest levels and hunter success," Smith said. "Additional information collected at check stations helps us to gauge hunter satisfaction, monitor animal condition and collect data on age structure and antler size. "The harvest report card makes it mandatory for all sportsmen to pass on their information. If success rates are declining in a specific unit, we can take a closer look at the area and see what is going on." The winter fawn monitoring program is also a key in helping biologists monitor deer population trends and determines reasons or causes for the trends. For the past seven years, the Fish and Game has been radio collaring an average of 250 fawns, 25 fawns in 10 different areas across southern Idaho. The monitoring helps biologist determine winter survival of the youngest animals in the herd. Average overwinter fawn survival is about 60 percent, but survival rates range from 45 to as high as 96 percent. Biologists are trying to better understand what factors influence deviations from the average. "It helps us to be better predictors of when winter die-offs may occur, and it provides us with some good insight on the dynamics of the deer herds around the state," Smith said. "We have found that the ability of a fawn to survive through the winter is strongly correlated with its body weight and condition in the late fall when we collar them. "In the Magic Valley, fawns have traditionally been some of the lightest fawns in the state. It is believed that the ongoing drought has contributed to the low fawn weights and thus overwinter survival." In each of the regions, Magic Valley, McCall, Southwest, Southeast, Upper Snake and Salmon, field technicians have been hired to monitor the fawns for six months each winter. The job may sound fun, but it is a lot of work. "What we do is go out every other day and find each of the fawns," Mike Remming, Fish and Game field technician, said. "Each day presents us with different challenges. Generally the most challenging part is finding the fawns in a timely manner after they die." To find the animals, the technician tunes in the frequency of each of the fawn's radio transmitters. For fawns that are alive, the technician will hear a pulse of 60 beats per minute; for dead fawns the pulse will go to more than 100 beats per minute. "When you get a mortality tone, you're off and running," Remming said. "Our goal is to find the dead fawns as soon as possible. Some days you will walk 10` miles in knee deep snow to find them and other times they will be just off the road." The technicians then determine, how, when and where the fawn died by performing a necropsy. A necropsy consists of skinning the animal to look for predator puncture wounds, checking internal organs for fat covering, checking the animal for parasites and finally checking the bone marrow of the animal. This information is then entered into a computer and compared to the information gathered in other regions in the state. Biologists can then determine the percentage of fawns that died on a given winter range and what the main causes were. After gathering all the different sources of information, biologists try to fit all the pieces together, looking for trends and data that reflect the status and health of the big game herds. "If the information we gather shows the number of animals declining over the past few years and we are below management goals, we are going to recommend cutting permits, reducing access or implementing restrictions on the tools used to harvest game animals," Smith said. After the information is gathered, it is presented to the public at the big game scoping meetings held each spring. Sportsmen are asked their opinion about what types of hunting options they would like to help the department achieve management goals. "We understand how many animals we need to harvest or not harvest to reach established management goals, but we need hunters to tell us how they want us to get there," Smith said. Questions range from type of hunt to seasons openers and lengths and method of take. Hunter input receives heavy consideration by biologists, administrators and commissioners in the development of hunting regulations. This is a complicated task with more than 250,000 hunters offering different ideas. Besides collecting data on wildlife in the state, the department has also collected information on hunter success with different hunting methods. Each type of hunt offers different opportunities and different harvest results. For example, traditional muzzleloaders may only enjoy 10 percent harvest success rate, while rifle hunters would harvest closer to 50 percent during the same season. "The more primitive the hunting tools, the more opportunity we can provide," Smith said. "That is the reason we are able to have long, general archery seasons for deer, elk and antelope. "Archers may have a nine percent success during an elk rut hunt, but rifle hunts in a general season rut hunt would have close to a 60 percent success. Most of the herds in the state can't sustain that type of pressure and stay inside management goal parameters." All the information gathered at the scoping meetings is then compiled so biologists can determine the general consensus of the sportsmen. The final step is to pass the information on to the Fish and Game Commissioners. They are the people who have the final say about what next year's hunting seasons will be. This year's hunting seasons will be determined at the commission meeting March, 21, 22, and 23 in Boise. People who would like to address the commission prior to the meetings are invited to attend the open house March 21, beginning at 7 p.m., in the Trophy Room at Fish and Game Headquarters, 600 South Walnut Street.