Utah Deer News
 Deer fencing designed to cut wildlife road deaths near Kanab May 16, 2013 Utah, fox13now.com ... An estimated 6,000 dee are killed on Utah roads each year ... crews are installing massive culverts and 8-foot fences along 11 miles of Highway 89 just east of Kanab... The new fencing along the roadway will have posts designed to funnel deer into culverts ... Salt Lake Tribune ... Automobiles strike about 100 mule deer each year on a lovely stretch of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County, killing up to 10 percent of the Paunsaugunt herd... officials hope a $2.6 million system of fencing and underpasses under construction will slash next fall’s roadside carcass count ... Utah installed the first wildlife crossing in North America in 1971 ... UDOT builds fence near Kanab to prevent car versus deer collisions May 10, 2013 ksl.com ... Twice a year, nearly 2,000 deer try to cross Highway 89 ... UDOT contract crews have installed 8 foot-high fences on both sides of the highway along that 11-mile stretch. They've also built three large tunnels to supplement four small culverts that were installed previously. Instead of crossing over the highway, deer will be encouraged to go under it... Fewer deer hunting permits available this year May 7, 2013 Utah, Deseret News ... the number of bucks per 100 does is still below the management objective on some of the state’s hunting units... after the hunts in 2011 ... Utah had about 286,000 deer. Despite hunters taking more bucks in 2012, about 318,000 deer were in the state ... Utah 2013 hunting permit numbers: Some rise, some fall May 6, 2013 Salt Lake Tribune ... Anis Aoude, big-game coordinator of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, told the board the overall population of mule deer in the state is increasing, but management objectives for male-to-female ratios on many of the 30 hunting units remain unmet. Reducing hunting permits on those units should increase the buck-to-doe ratios at levels set in the statewide deer management plan... Even with a bounty on their heads to protect mule deer, coyotes hard to count out May 1, 2013 Utah, StandardNet ... Utah’s Mule Deer Protection Act... a $50 bounty for coyotes that might otherwise kill mule deer fawns... enough money to pay the bounty on 10,000 coyotes... Dr. John Shivik ... and other biologists’ estimate, hunters would have to bring down the numbers of coyotes by 50 to 70 percent per year for an extended period of time to permanently decrease the population... The mule deer population in Utah is relatively stable at around 320,000 animals .. Utah Game Management Plans [PDF] April, 2013 Utah DNR Includes new rules for urban deer management and details of the deer management plan for the state. Deer hunting permits going down April 8, 2013 Utah, Davisclipper ... “Two years ago after the hunts in 2011, the statewide deer population was about 286,000 deer,” he said. “Despite hunters taking more bucks in 2012, about 318,000 deer were still in the state after the hunts were over last fall. That’s encouraging. It shows the overall deer population is growing.” ... Monitoring big game, data collected from hunters April 4, 2013 Utah, Price Sun Advocate ... Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Anis Aoude says two factors determine how many buck deer permits can be offered on a unit in the fall: The average number of bucks per 100 does on the unit over the past three years and whether that number has increased, decreased or stayed the same during the three-year period... "the statewide deer population was about 286,000 deer... DWR recommends slight decrease in buck deer permits April 3, 2013 Utah, Dixie Press Online ... You can see the biologists’ recommendations at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/hunting/board-rac.html. Some of the recommendations are: Decrease the number of general buck deer hunting permits from 86,500 in 2012 to 84,600 for this fall’s hunts ... plan on sharing your ideas at your upcoming Regional Advisory Council meeting. RAC chairs will take the input they receive and share it with members of the Utah Wildlife Board ... You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email. Email addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/rac-members.html...The Sly Coyote Becomes a Bounty Hunters' Target in Utah March 22, 2013 New York Times ... Officially, the aim of the program is to protect the mule deer, a symbol of Utah. Larger than white-tailed deer, with distinctive oversize ears and impressive antlers, the mule deer is a favorite of hunters and hikers here. Coyotes prey on the fawns, so the Mule Deer Protection Act allots $500,000 for bounties... But environmentalists argue that there is little scientific evidence that curbing the number of coyotes actually helps mule deer rebound. (A six-year study published in 2011 found that coyote removal did not effectively increase the mule deer population in neighboring southeastern Idaho.) ... Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife about wrong kind of bucks March 18, 2013 Utah, Salt Lake Tribune ... Don Peay founded Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife in 1993 ... as Utah mule deer populations were crashing... It has spent money to purchase or improve wildlife habitat and raised $7.2 million for conservation over the past 10 years... Some of SFW’s fundraising efforts, especially those taking advantage of hunters’ mythical fears that the main reason for the decline in big game herds, especially mule deer, is predation... Plan on gathering shed antlers? You'll need to complete an online course first March 15, 2013 Utah, Dixie Press Online ...Because deer, elk and moose can be weakened due to the strain late winter and early spring can place upon them, and the possibility that valuable habitat could be unintentionally damaged, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources ... The free course is available online. .. Mule Deer Foundation Announces New Chairman Of The Board March 14, 2013 Utah, AmmoLand.com (press release) ... the election of Jim Steadman as Chairman of the Board. ...The Mule Deer Foundation, a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization, is one of the key conservation groups in North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat ... Kill a coyote in Utah and make $50 March 12, 2013 Utah, ksl.com According to John Shivik, mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, ... "If people remove coyotes where deer are being limited by coyotes and not other factors (habitat, weather), there may be localized increases in deer populations.” ... The state of Utah wants to pay you $50 for every coyote you kill. Known as the Predator Control Program ... To assess the effectiveness of the program, state authorities will evaluate coyote numbers, fawn-to-doe ratios and overall mule deer numbers ... Record $310,000 paid to hunt Utah mule deer on Antelope Island March 8, 2013 Utah, Salt Lake Tribune Idaho hunter Dennis Austad ...bidding $310,000 for the right to hunt a buck mule deer on Antelope Island this fall ... Ninety percent of the money will go to managers at Antelope Island State Park to be used on habitat and conservation work to benefit mule deer and other species on the island. The remaining 10 percent stays with the Mule Deer Foundation ... "Bitterbrush is like ice cream for deer; they love it," .. Planning urged in search for shed antlers March 7, 2013 Utah St. George Daily Spectrum ... You must have an antler-gathering certificate, in your possession, if you are going to gather antlers between February 1st and April 15th. This certificate can be obtained by going to wildlife.utah.gov/shedantler on the internet and completing the free online education course. You do not need a certificate any other time of year. Do not disturb wildlife in the course of gathering antlers... The maternal effect: How mother deer protect their future kings March 7, 2013 Utah, Science Codex ... New research from BYU reports that, just like the classic tale of Bambi, females from the deer family are more likely to invest more in the survival and health of their male offspring if there is a good chance those sons will become a "Great Prince of the Forest." ... Long-Lasting Effects of Maternal Condition in Free-Ranging Cervids March, 2013 Eric D. Freeman ..., Utah, Plos One ... Because antlers are sexually selected, we used measures of antler size at time of death, 1.5–21.5 years after gestation to investigate maternal effects. We quantified antler size of 11,000 male elk and mule deer born throughout the intermountain western US (6 states) over nearly 30 years. Maternal condition during development was estimated indirectly using a suite of abiotic variables known to influence condition of cervids (i.e., winter severity, spring and summer temperature, and spring and summer precipitation). Antler size of male cervids was significantly associated with our indirect measure of maternal condition during gestation and lactation. Assuming the correctness of our indirect measure, our findings demonstrate that antler size is a sexually selected trait that is influenced–into adulthood–by maternal condition... Tooele deer deaths driven upward February 20, 2013 Utah, Fox 13 Now ... Longer cold snaps and more snow pushes deer toward more populated areas and across busy roads, looking for food... Summer and his wife are putting up signs along SR 36, a stretch marked as a hot spot by DWR. They hope it will remind drivers to slow down, and be mindful of those furry pedestrians. “All my deer are getting killed,” ... Report showcases Utah conservation success story February 1, 2013 Utah, Deseret News ... the state Division of Wildlife Resources has used a portion of the money over the years to acquire about 60,000 acres that make up the Tabby Mountain Wildlife Management Area... the property is prime winter range for thousands of deer and elk, said Randall Thacker, the state's assistant wildlife manager in the northeast region. "I've sat in one particular area and personally counted 1,300 elk in one spot. ... It is such an important place for wildlife and a huge migration corridor... More to deer hunt than meets the eye January 30, 2013 Utah, St. George Daily Spectrum ... Especially important is how many licenses should be allocated in any given area, an impossible challenge without knowing how many deer are there... the Dixie region has closer to 20 bucks per 100 does, according to [deer biologist Jason] Nichols. The statewide goal is at least 15... Utah’s northern herds are dwindling, however, due to diminishing winter range... Relocating mule deer January 23, 2013 Utah, ksl.com ... Deer cradled below a helicopter flying through the air. It's all part of a joint research program that aims to study whether or not mule deer can be moved from one place to another... Biologists captured and released fifty deer over the two days ... Most of the deer seem to be staying in the study area. A few have moved in a two mile radius. So far two of the deer that were trans-located have died... Utah DPS: Be aware of 'deer thirty' January 18, 2013 Davisclipper ... A new website watchfordeerutah.com put together by the Utah Department of Public Safety offers information to help drivers avoid this situation while driving on Utah’s highways. In 2010, there were at least 2,800 vehicle-animal collisions on Utah roads, and possibly as many as 10,000, according to a Utah Department of Public Safety press release. Vehicle-deer collisions are almost always fatal for the animal and can have serious consequences for the driver... DWR transfers mule deer to Millard January 16, 2013 Utah, Millard County Chronicle Progress Fifty mule deer were removed from the Parowan front and transplanted to the Pahvant Range east of Holden on January 7 and 8... According to Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Kody Jones there were too many deer in the Parowan area and plenty of open space in the Pahvant Range. “We don’t normally do this, but with SFW funding it is worth a try. Our big concern is mule deer tend to go to the same places all the time. This is a big change for them; hopefully, they will take hold here,” Utah officials seeking public help for deer during cold snap January 15, 2013, Salt Lake Tribune ... The public is being asked to avoid disturbing deer, which burn some of their precious fat reserves to escape a perceived threat... If conditions deteriorate, however, DWR is prepared to purchase pellets specially designed to give deer extra energy to deal with cold temperatures and deep snow... DWR renews crackdown on winter deer poachers January 7, 2013, Utah, ksl.com Officials from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be stepping up their efforts against deer poachers. This time of year, wintering deer often congregate in areas where they are exposed and vulnerable to poachers... Do you have information about poaching? Call the poaching hotline at 800-662-3337. Email turninapoacher@utah.gov Or submit a tip through the form on the DWR's website. Individuals providing info can request confidentiality. Study sends Utah's mule deer up in the air January 7, 2013 ksl.com ... a deer in a helicopter? ... "If we can make this study successful, we can go in different places and transplant those deer (and prevent) agriculture damage or vehicle collisions," said Byron Bateman with Sportsman for Fish and Wildlife. An evaluation of a mitigation strategy for deer-vehicle collisions, Utah, Wildlife Biology, 2012, John A. Bissonette & Silvia Rosa John A. Bissonette & Silvia Rosa High mule deer Odocoileus hemionus mortality in southwestern Utah led to the establishment of a mitigation strategy with two major objectives: 1) reduction of wildlife-vehicle collisions and 2) restoration of landscape connectivity to facilitate wildlife movement across the roaded landscape. During our study, we assessed the effectiveness of the mitigation measures in reducing mule deer mortality in the following ways: 1) we compared the number of deer-vehicle collisions in the newly fenced area with a control area without fencing; 2) we analyzed the ‘end-of-the-fence’ problem, defined here as increased mortality of mule deer at the ends of the 2.4-m high exclusion fences; and 3) we evaluated the frequency of animal crossings of the new underpasses using remotely-sensed cameras and compared them with crossing frequency rates for a 20-year-old control underpass. We compared six years of pre-construction mortality (during 1998-2003) with two years of post-construction data on mortality (during 2005-2006) and found a 98.5% decline in deer mortalities in the treatment (i.e. fenced, jump-outs and underpasses) vs a 2.9% decline in the control (i.e. no fences, no jump-outs and no underpasses). We detected no end-of-the-fence problems related to deer mortality. Migratory movements during fall and spring were clearly reflected in the use of underpass. Overall results demonstrated that the mitigation strategy was effective and reduced the number of deer-vehicle accidents, while allowing wildlife movement across the landscape. BYU to study transplant deer January 5, 2013 Utah, HeraldExtra.com Why are mule deer so hard to move to a new home? Brigham Young University graduate students will be tracking 50 transplanted deer over the next year in an effort to answer that question. Teresa Griffin of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said the deer will be captured near Parowan ... DWS rescues young deer from icy reservoir December 21, 2012 Utah, Fox 13 The DWR says they got a call about a young buck who had walked out onto the ice and couldn’t make his way back ... DWR Officer Mike Roach ... hopped in a boat with a dry suit in case he fell in the cold water ... "We took the animal up the hill a little ways ... and let it go.” As deer migrate down for winter, dangers posed December 17, 2012 Utah, By Deborah Tracy, Uintah Basin Standard ... mule deer are abundant throughout the Uintah Basin... Because of the drought this year, these magnificent mammals are apt to find it harder to forage and find food, according to Ron Stewart, conservation outreach manager ... “The road collects water, so the vegetation on the sides of the road has more greenery and more growth than the stuff farther out, so we are going to have problems with deer and elk and a lot of other wildlife that are going to be attracted to the roads because that is where what little bit that grew is located,” [see video below] What’s making Utah’s moose numbers rise and fall? December 16, 2012 Salt Lake Tribune ... Wyoming is also dealing with a decline in moose and are wondering if a parasite is responsible for much of the drop. Reports show a 70 percent decline in the number of moose around Jackson ... Utah’s moose population has experienced a decline in recent years, but appears to be rebounding. "It isn’t anything what some of the other states have experienced. We probably experienced our highest numbers in Utah at around 4,000 and right now we are probably around 3,000," ... Anis Aoude, mammals coordinator for the Utah DWR. Conservation easements sought for Bear River December 3, 2012 Utah, Laramie Boomerang Federal wildlife officials will hold public meetings in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming on their proposal to buy conservation easements ... The river system passes through three national wildlife refuges and provides critical wetland and upland habitat for a variety of species, including grizzly, elk and deer. Utah Hunters Criticize Market Approach to Licenses and Conservation December 1, 2012 Utah, New York Times The Utah group Sportsmen for Wildlife has benefited most from the auction of what are called “conservation permits,” which sell for tens of thousands of dollars ... More than any state in the West, Utah has expanded hunting opportunities for the well-to-do and has begun to diminish them for those seeking permits directly from the state... State wildlife managers recognize this, but they say their motives are grounded in animal — if not social — welfare. Utah has embraced an increasingly free-market model as a way to raise more money for conservation... Sheehan Named Utah DWR Director November 29, 2012 Deer & Deer Hunting ... ... Greg Sheehan has been named as the new director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources... a department employee with 20 years’ experience ... Kane County ranchers win conservation award November 27, 2012 Utah, Salt Lake Tribune ... The Heaton Ranch, located in Alton, is owned and operated by first cousins Karl and Raymond Heaton. The ranch’s 140,000 private and federal acres support 1,250 head of cattle and abundant wildlife populations, including sage grouse and a premier trophy mule deer herd.... The Leopold Conservation Award, named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold ... Patrolling the winter range November 26, 2012 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, By Josh Pollock ...Starting in early November, hundreds of mule deer does flood the winter range followed by several lovesick bucks. Numerous sportsman and wildlife enthusiasts flock to the winter range in hopes of having an up-close look at large mule deer bucks. Unfortunately ... Poaching on the winter range is a problem that we face statewide... BLM's wild horse management at a crossroad November 11, 2012 Utah, Salt Lake Tribune But the BLM has set at 26,600 the optimal number of horses for the public rangeland under its multiple-use management paradigm, which must also accommodate 3 million grazing cattle and provide forage for deer and elk on the total 244 million acres ... wild horse managers, who have practiced some contraceptive measures in the past, must be more aggressive with birth control ... Dean Bolstad, deputy division chief for BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program Meetings to discuss Utah's big-game rule changes November 5, 2012 Utah, Salt Lake Tribune ... Wednesday, Northern Region, 6 p.m., Brigham City Community Center, 24. N 300 West, Brigham City... The full recommendations are available on the Division’s website Get a close look at mule deer November 1, 2012 Utah, St. George Daily Spectrum Mule deer breed from early November through early December. That's why Brent Stettler has chosen Nov. 17 as the day to hold a mule deer watch in southeastern Utah. "During the rut, which will be in full swing, deer tend to be less concerned about vehicles and people," Crossings and Safety October 19, 2012 Utah, UDOT Transportation Blog - Utah.gov, By Catherine Higgins Research on improving wildlife connectivity has helped improved safety on state roads. ... Dr. Patricia Cramer, Utah State University Researcher Assistant Professor began monitoring and tracking wildlife passage by placing motion activated cameras to capture images of wildlife using the path... UDOT and UDWR agency representatives met and planned two escape ramps would be constructed on the fence line on the west side of the highway on both sides of the river. Cramer monitored the crossing before and after the escape routes were constructed. Before the ramps, fifteen deer were recorded near the ramp but only 2 used the crossing successfully. After the escape ramps were constructed, cameras recorded seventy nine deer approaching the ramp and fifty seven deer successfully using the crossing. 2012 general-season buck deer hunt begins Saturday with big changes October 18, 2012 Utah, Cache Valley Daily “Back in the 70s and 80s the number of tags given out was around 210,000. This year we have around 50,000 tags, 25 percent of that number. People have said for a long time that they would like better quality and fewer hunters.” “Although deer herd populations won’t see a big increase there will be an increase in buck-to-doe ratio,” Douglas said. “This means for hunters that the quality of deer will go up. We may not see these increases in the next year but in the future that quality will increase.” Three Colorado men sentenced in Book Cliffs illegal deer killing October 17, 2012 Utah, Utah.gov A phone call to the Utah Division of Wildlife Turn- in-a-Poacher (UTiP) hotline prompted an investigation and successful prosecution of three Colorado residents in the illegal taking of a 4x4 buck and doe deer. The incident occurred three miles outside the Colorado border in Utah's Book Cliffs back in November 2011 ... Crossings saving deer lives October 16, 2012 Utah, Park Record "There's declines in populations throughout the West," said Phil Douglass, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) spokesman. "Utah is one of those states that is trying to do all it can to preserve the mule deer populations to achieve a strong and vibrant population." ... The Sardine Canyon deer crossing wasn't as effective, due to nearby fence gaps and its dark, cave-like appearance. Some animals, including deer and elk, are leery of predators that might lurk in long and dark passages. "So one of our biggest challenges is to try to find ways, either through lighting or bringing them into these tunnels, so they feel safe about going through them," Promontory's Mule Deer October 16, 2012 Utah, PromontoryClub.com ... Promontory, has a healthy herd of the deer... Generally, mule deer summer at high elevations and winter at low elevations, following the snow line. Bucks will generally use habitats higher in elevation than will does and fawns. During heavy winters, migrating deer will often move into cities and towns in their search for food... Hunters ready for general deer season October 15, 2012 Utah, St. George Daily Spectrum ... Lynn Chamberlain, southern region outreach manager for the DWR, said this year should see a large amount of young bucks, thanks to a mild winter. “We have a very large survival rate for deer so we expect a lot of young bucks,” ... DWR biologists estimated the state's deer population at about 286,100 animals... Highland, Officials looking for solutions as deer herds settle in cities October 13, 2012 Utah, Daily Herald ... While city staff help develop policies and procedures for a bow hunt within Highland city limits, the DWR also is creating a draft program for the issue... "The deer were there first, but now they are making babies and the herds are getting bigger and not going back to the mountain because they don't have a mountain they can call home," Lehi Mayor Bert Wilson said... Councilman Mark Johnson....said. "The mothers in the community were all there en mass because several deer had been shot, crossed into their front yards and died on their doorstep." ... Fewer deer killed due to crossing structures, DWR says October 12, 2012 Utah, Deseret News Two wildlife crossing structures have allowed more than 300 deer to cross safely under two busy roads ... USU's initial findings indicated that the culvert wasn't as effective as it could be. The way a fence was designed near the culvert, and gaps in the fencing farther away from the culvert, were likely to blame, researchers said... "As deer in the area get used to the culvert, we think even more deer will use it," said Pam Kramer, regional habitat biologist for the DWR... Utah Deer Herd Status October 7, 2012 Desert News ... Because this past winter was so mild, most of the deer — including the fawns that were born in spring 2011 — made it through the winter. And that means more young bucks should be available to hunt this fall, according to the DWR... | Search for deer news and information by keyword above or find links to state news stories organized by topic. Utah Data: Total deer population about 318,000 in 2012, 286,000 in 2011. Report poaching: Call the poaching hotline at 800-662-3337. Email turninapoacher@utah.gov Other useful links: - Utah Game Management Plans [PDF] April, 2013 Utah DNR Mule Deer: Since 1922, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), WAFWA is particularly concerned about mule deer, a species that lives in every North American habitat except for the tropics, arctic and extreme deserts. Mule deer numbers and distribution have been declining throughout the West since the latter third of the 20th century. To address this concern, the Mule Deer Working Group was established at the midwinter meeting of WAFWA in 1998. The group was charged with finding “solutions to our common mule deer management problems,” expanding “cooperative research and management in the Western states and provinces,” and sharing information with agency directors and administrators on mule deer issues." Image below shows hunters afield and deer harvest for Utah from 1925 to 2011, data from 2011 Big Game Report [PDF]. Double click on image to enlarge.  "Mule deer thrive in early successional habitats, where forbs, grassy plants and shrubs dominate. These environments are not as stable as forest habitats, and they rely on fire or some other type of disturbance to return them to an early successional stage. If they are not disturbed, they eventually become more stable plant communities dominated by trees and large shrubs. Tree-dominated habitats offer mule deer a place to retreat from severe weather, but these areas offer very little in the way of food. That is why it is important to provide mule deer with a mosaic or pattern of habitats that can provide food, cover and water." |
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