2022-23 deer survey

[lunkerslayer]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...ture-of-winter-impact-on-deer-in-north-dakota
51 percent reduction from the January survey in unit 2j2

 

[db-2]

CWD, should have a lot to test. db

 

[scrotcaster]

Thats rough , was hoping the number werent gonna be that bad

 

[Whisky]

I was figuring 60% in my area.
Gonna be a rude awakening for many deer hunters this fall. It is definitely changing my application plans for the rifle lottery.

 

[HammsRMK]

We already had a land owner call us and tell us not to put in for our unit. It will be interesting for sure.

 

[lunkerslayer]

https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/04/24/long-winter-tough-north-dakota-wildlife/?outputType=amp

 

[Wall-eyes]

Really bad east of 83 with all the snow, spots Beulah/ HAzen area west in badlands good. I help few farmers and is bad worse than blue tongue dealth in fall, Shit ND heard took big hit

 

[buckhunter24_7]

Going to be once in a lifetime deer tags in nd soon. Already was waiting ten years for a tag

 

[lunkerslayer]

The article I posted today says one of the biggest factor in deer depredation this winter was lack of wildlife habit. Now who would have ever thought that would be a huge surprise for most people with some common sense.

 

[db-2]

But for me, i feel game and fish biggest concern is all the dying from CWD.
Got to make sure no one feeds the deer. db

 

[Honkerslayr]

Great time to do the survey…. Jeez. Seem ls like a time you could take inaccurate counts IMO, but I’m no biologist.

Just a thought nonetheless.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I have been searching online for information on prions spread during winter months and guess what there is no definite research on this particular topic. If science wanted to come up with a 100 percent no doubt that infection during herding was bad even during winter time, you could make a compelling argument that banning the use of bait piles would be a no brainer. Prions protiens are nasty never really understood the whole cwd argument till I posted this thread, regardless of one's opinion on allowing of bait piles what the game and fish are doing is important since science has no real irrefutable evidence to establish a claim that would change everyone's minds.
Onething is absolutely for sure though destruction of wildlife habit over the past few decades hasn't given wildlife a fighting chance during harsher times.

 

[bravo]

But for me, i feel game and fish biggest concern is all the dying from CWD.
Got to make sure no one feeds the deer. db

I can see this being the case if you only get your info from this site or the CWD facebook page. Those obsessed with proving the G&F wrong about bait piles are a small fraction of the hunters and landowners in ND. It's not from the biggest issue on their table.

Tearing out trees, burning sloughs, plowing marginal lands to dirt is doing more harm to the herds and birds than CWD or anything else ever will.

G&F is doing some great things with private land biologists, fisheries, etc., most of it goes unnoticed because we are a little spoiled. I just read some comments on KFYR where the game and fish are stocking pike in cottonwood pond in Bismarck. Some morons up in arms that they aren't stocking walleye, even though it is very warm at about 8 ft at the deepest and freezes each year. More morons complaining that the GF is allowed to stock fish, but they would be fined if they did so on their own. Seriously? Not like they understand the carrying capacity, potential runoff issues, strain makeup, ANS risks. I could go on. All I'll say is as a kid, I would have been over the moon about a pike pond in the neighborhood, and I think we lose sight of the value of opportunity. Our state will always be at mother nature's ultimate will, no matter what any biologist or landowner does. Just not enough habitat to go around. It gets old reading complaints about not enough animals, too many animals, wrong kinds of fish, too much winterkill. Maybe i just need to unplug for a while.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Good post bravo, it's amazing how many members from the old site to this site swore up and down that crp, tree rows and cattails were not beneficial to the sustainability of herd numbers. We heard all kinds of excuse like cattails, shelter belts and crp fill up with snow making them poor habitat for winter protection. Oh how things have changed when the hard numbers come back as to what losing that habitat does for the wildlife management.

 

[db-2]

Habitat:

No doubt,
I have planted a ton of trees over the last 20 years on land that i do not own but with landowners' permission. And they let me hunt on that land, it just my hunting is not for the kill anymore.
5 different food plots for whatever their worth.
Alfalfa bales and grain on the ground.
Have over $500 in beans and brassicas to plant this spring.
My son and i have 200 acres of farmland, there has been no crops planted on this land for income. All left for the wildlife.

Yes, habitat is an issue.

I just wish, IMHO, game and fish would spend as much time on that subject as they do on CWD. db

 

[db-2]

As one can see we need game and fish it's just i am not a big fan of them. If they would only listen and have a little faith in those who spend time in the outdoors. db

 

[db-2]

Thanks,
Now and then i get with the stupid talk. But we need to work together, listen to each other for the good of all and the future. Was not a good winter. Killed a ton of coyotes, found a few deer carcasses but hopefully, with a little help, most deer survive in our neck of the woods. db

 

[lunkerslayer]

Absolutely db2 the game and fish are a funded entity by means of fees and federal/state allocated funds, a mediator of sorts that really has north dakota wildlife management in their focus. Only through a three prong system of sportsman, land owners, and the game and fish can be continue to keep wildlife management successful in north dakota. One thing about the bureaucratics of state entities just like all those who are basically employed by the state they all have a God complex that is based on a seniority style hierarchy where change is slow and only though proper channels can work be accomplished or accepted.

 

[db-2]

Game and fish as i understand will give one seeds to plant. But as i also understand they do not want you to put up no hunting signs if you get the seed. Maybe i am wrong but if someone wants to get free seed to plant and maybe for their own use i would say fine. This planting will benefit more than just that person. It's about providing for the wildlife. I can well afford to buy the seeds i need and do not need free seed and big time if it comes with restrictions. db

 

[MarbleEyez]

The deer death loss in the SW part of the state is awful. We've found 60 in our little area, and other landowners have been hauling out tractor bucket loads of them. It's not a good deal.