Elko Daily Free Press 5-2-10

Deer herds relatively stable

ELKO — Deer herd populations in Elko County are up slightly from last year in areas 6 and 10, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, with Area 7 down slightly.

According to Joe Doucette, conservation educator for NDOW, the amount of moisture received in 2009, combined with the mild winter, may have helped the 6 and 10 herds. The Area 7 herd number may be down slightly or at least be flat as a reflection of biologist Kari Huebner recently adjusting her population model.

Doucette said the population in Area 10 went from 24,000 in 2009 to 24,500 this year. The fawn-to-adult ratio is 31 to every 100 animals. Doucette said that is the highest the ratio has been for the past few years. Last year it was 20 fawns for every 100 adults.

Proposed quotas to be set at the May 14 and 15 Nevada Wildlife Commission meeting is 2,380 early for any legal weapon antlered and 427 late. Those quotas are up from 2,026 early in 2009 and 325 late in 2010.

Area 7 is showing a slight decrease from 12,000 to 11,500 mule deer.

“Part of the decrease is (Huebner) changing her model for the deer,” Doucette said. “On paper it’s a 500 deer decrease. But on the model it’s slightly less or about flat.”

Early any legal weapon antlered quota is down from 803 in 2009 to 770 in 2010. The late tags are down from 144 to 132. Again, these numbers presented so far are the numbers that will be suggested to the wildlife commission at its upcoming quota setting meeting.

Statewide, Doucette said mule deer numbers are up slightly from 2009, from 106,000 to 107,000.

Area 6 population is estimated to be up 12 percent from 6,000 in 2009 up to 6,800. As a result, tags are up from 576 to 697 in the early antlered any legal weapon and from 62 up to 78 in the late tag quota.

The fawn-to-adult ratio in Area 6 is estimated at 42 for every 100 adults, which is up from 32 in 2009.

“This year’s fawn to adult ratio is the highest we seen in that area in 10 years,” Doucette said.

The Area 6 herds were adversely affected by wildland fires that burned the majority of that area several years ago.

“For three years we had deer migrating across 30 to 40 miles of blackened burn,” Doucette said.

Having two years in a row with mild winters and spring moisture is a good boost for the herds. Doucette said some late summer rain again this year would be ideal.

“Significant storms in late May and early June of 2009 resulted in excellent habitat conditions on deer fawning and summer range, which persisted throughout the summer and fall months,” biologist Ken Gray stated in a report. “Deer came into the winter in excellent condition.”