Listen Live to Utah Wildlife Board Mtg.
MuleyMadness
12/1/10 1:56pm
1,487
Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative-Missed all of this presentation
Predator Management-Missed most of this one, but really wanted to hear it all.
Wildlife Disease and Deer-Female presented on CWD and the info was very good and informative. She did a great job I thought. Tested over 17,000 animals sense 1998 when first buck was positive. Colorado and Wyoming are worst by far. Some areas of CO have 32% of population, some in Wyoming as high as 23%. Utah has areas with 2% and some 1% or less. Have tried different methods of helping, but for now it's basically monitoring CWD. They tried killing all mule deer within a 5 mile circle radius around infected animal with no success. The next year more deer showed up with CWD. Company out of Canada is trying to develop a vaccine, very little info on this currently but it has shown success in mice.
Law Enforcement and Poaching-Poaching is on the rise and continues to get worse throughout the state. Bucks and does are both being taken. 3 does and 2 bucks just taken this weekend near Nephi. Diamond Valley Utah, Panguitch, over 90 bucks taken in one case (investigation still going on). Many taken on winter ranges. Reducing opportunity for others, decreasing herds, shot and left often or most of the time. Just shooting for sport/fun. ALL cases brought to DWR by citizens. Only 50 conservation officers in the entire state. Citizens need to STEP UP and report. It will decrease as it becomes socially un-acceptable. Officer placed in Book Cliffs for 1st time 3 years ago. 40% of officers work load in past years have been from sportsmen making the call. Same amount of officers since 1970's. Officers are YOUNG but are doing a awesome job and they need YOUR help. They are stealing YOUR wildlife. Never received complaint of officers in 5 years, but has received a stack of compliments about our current officers. Get the bad guys, and less importance on little mistakes. They deal with some bad people, we need more officers. 187 deer killed illegally in past 12 months in Utah. They say this is roughly about 13% of cases that are actually happening. Meaning 87% are NOT reported. Study out of Oregon, says that illegal taking of deer nearly rivals the statistics of LEGAL taking of Mule Deer. Party hunting is still very common. Guys shooting wife's deer, etc. "As long as there is a tag available it's okay". Citizens and ethical hunters MUST stand up and not put up with this. What happened in past is past and doesn't work now.
Highway Mortality and Deer-Hot Spots or kill zones are identified through database where info is logged by DWR. UDOT and DWR are both involved in this. Spanish Fork Canyon over 5 year period. Mile post 204 (Tucker). Brand new underpass finished 3-4 months ago. Park City of US40 have big problem near Park City and Heber. BIG problem area, more needs to be done in these areas. Still killing lots of deer there. Road kill data is helping with hot spots. 5-6 years of corridor studies US6 from Spanish Fork...I70 was also studied. I80 is currently studied, with Elk, Moose, Deer in Parleys Canyon. "Linkages" are mapped on each roadway of level of importance. Red - Highest Green - Middle Yellow - Least (maps)
Since 2005 20 new wildlife crossings built, 2 under-crossing were re-built. Hunderds of miles of fences. Roughly about 45 million. Mostly UDOT money, they have helped and contributed a lot. Been a lot done in past 5-7 years. One underpass bridge used with camera monitor had over 800 deer pass under, most deer approached USED the underpass. These are BIG structures. The new one will be monitored over next couple of years with cameras. New structure built (3 million) dollars over 4 months and will be used with deer and hopefully Elk. Cameras just went up. (unsure of location). Deer are using crossings and this is a success story. Some cattle guards are shocking mechanisms. Double cattle guards (60,000) a piece are trying to be used also. DR. Patty Cramer out of USU are being monitored with 30 cameras throughout the state to determine the effectiveness over next couple of years. So far good results. Impact is SIGNIFICANT and is probably in the Tens of thousands but it's tough to put a number on actual numbers killed.
Strategies in the Statewide Deer Management Plan-Fawn Production (go on winter range) and get sample of entire unit. Lasalle map shown. 400 does are counted minimum, if they can't get that many then the numbers are thrown out. Only get one count, use consistent observers, same guys in spring do it in winter. Nov. After buck to doe ratio and fawn. Spring used Fawn to Adult ratio. Use these for fawn survival. Most states are after the same numbers or data. Buck to doe ratios, fawn recruitment etc. Same model Utah uses is the same on used in Colorado and Wyoming. Permits are set a year in a advance. Data is not necessarily current. Used what is called a POP2 model. Other states have tried Stratified model but the confidence model is HIGH.
Mule Deer Research in Utah-Poor birthrate data in Utah. We do have good rates in December when classification is done. Deer births are high, but 0-6 months are varying and inconsistent. Coyote control is done, not sure on effectiveness. Fawn survival will increase, but not sure how much. Habitat trends are declining and have been for some time. Coyotes are most effective predator on coyote fawns. Elk compete with deer? Studies have been (not Utah). Dietary overlap is true. Elk can eat a lot more and more variety. Very costly to study. Look at not increasing Elk numbers when we have a lack of knowledge on impact of deer/elk. Collaring does and fawns on 7 units, eventually have about 700-800 collared soon. Will continue to collar fawns at 30 or so per year. per unit? Captured in December (fawns 6 months old). 381,000 cost 1 year, 220,000 annually after. Well spread throughout state. And on winter range. Survival rate is higher than expected. 88% Highest San Juan, lowest is Monroe. Still 86% though. Fawn survival is lower than expected at 55%. This is annual survival, 1 year survival. Don't know cause of death. This will help know whether population is increasing or decreasing.
UDOT picks of most of deer. DWR picks of deer also on other roads as well. 4,200 statewide picked up in 2008. This is drastically low of course. 3 year study with USU will cost 300,000 plus dollars to complete. 60% female road kill.