Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
A herd of mule deer as seen from the inside of a helicopter.
The Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is currently flying randomly selected sub-units in Walla Walla, Columbia and Garfield counties to obtain a mule-deer population estimate for District 3 mule deer, excluding the mountain areas, according to Assistant District Wildlife Biologist Mark Vekasy.
Vekasy says the WDFW is also planning a mule deer capture to radio-collar 50 mule deer across the survey area to understand more about survival and movements. Internal study plans for the survey and capture follow objectives outlined in the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan.
Those objectives are:
By 2021, develop new or refine existing survey designs for each of the seven MDMZs to estimate population levels or trends, pre- and/or post-hunt age and sex ratios, and/or spring fawn to adult ratios
Within each MDMZ, manage mule deer to ensure stable or increasing populations, as indicated by demographic indicators
Adaptively manage (Stankey et al. 2005) to attempt to maintain the current level of mule deer hunting opportunity throughout the seven management zones
By 2027, within each MDMZ maintain or improve the quality of at least 10% of the important seasonal habitats that support mule deer populations
Maintain or reduce the number of damage prevention permits or kill permits issued to minimize commercial crop damage caused by deer in MDMZs over the period 2016 -2021
By 2020, have long-term solutions or plans in place for at least three local communities dealing with urban mule deer populations causing nuisance or damage issues
By 2018, increase the number of times mule deer are profiled in public outreach and engagement efforts to at least four per year
Establish and promote public use of at least two mule deer viewing opportunity sites with informational kiosks by 2021.
Raise public awareness about deer-vehicle collisions by hosting a town hall type meeting in each MDMZ by 2023, discussing the selected problem areas described above
Achieve 90% compliance of regulations during mule deer hunting season by 2018
Prevent illegal take of mule deer outside of the hunting season and illegal commercialization of mule deer parts from increasing above the current level
Increase funding for mule deer management and research by 10% by 2022
Integrate mule deer into the planned, multi-species predator-prey study by 2017
More information about the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01755/.
Reader Comments(0)