| Mule deer arguably can be
considered the "true deer of the west." As goes the west, so does this majestic
icon. Probably no single animal’s fate, aside from maybe that of the sage grouse, is
more closely tied to the history and development of the west. Relatively little is known about how many mule deer inhabited the west before the
arrival of the early pioneers. Trappers and explorers rarely reported seeing deer.
Although Father Escalante’s journal reports it was necessary to kill some of his
party’s horses, buffalo, and bighorn to survive; no mention was ever made of deer.
A few years later William Clark reported shooting a
"curious kind of deer of a dark gray colour" along the Missouri River near the
mouth of the Niobrara River. Meriwether Lewis wrote that the ears and tail of this animal
were mule-like. This description was confirmed years later when the species was formally
named "Odocoileus hemionus"- meaning half-mule. When Lewis and Clark reached the
lower Columbia River they observed another form of "black-tailed" deer. Again
this deer was described as being half common deer and half mule.
Today, mule deer collectively are one of the most widely
distributed of all species of large mammals native to western North America. This
"blue-collar" deer may also be one of the most economically and socially
important
animals in western North American cultures. Mule deer have
provided more than three million hunters in 11 western states as well as millions of
wildlife viewer’s incalculable pleasures.
Pre-settlement populations of mule deer have been estimated
to exceed ten million. Blacktails may have numbered over three million. Others suggest
that the combined populations never exceeded five million. Thus, the debate about how many
mule deer actually inhabit the west is not new.
Early explorers and settlers reported finding deer scarce
throughout the west. This scarcity is often attributed to a low value habitat. Many of the
western rangelands during this period were dominated by grasses and other vegetation that
had little forage value for mule deer. Most western states reported that after settlement,
existing mule deer populations declined dramatically due to unrestricted hunting. The
animals also were heavily hunted for subsistence. By the early 1900s, mule deer were
scarce.
It is ironic, that today the very post-settlement
activities many people associate with environmental degradation - livestock grazing,
logging, and burning - contributed to bringing mule deer back from the brink. These
activities created a near western landscape that contained more diverse range and forest
vegetation which deer found tasty and nutritious. Additionally predators were widely
controlled, there was little competition from other big game animals, hunting was
restricted, and game enforcement became more effective.
By the 1920s mule deer were again abundant in many parts of
the southwest. By the 1930s they had spread north and west occupying most available
habitats. Although reliable population estimates are lacking, it is likely that by the
1960s there may have been more than seven million mule and black-tailed deer roaming the
West. By the mid 1980s herds had declined in many areas and the population was estimated
to be less than five million .
No reliable estimates of historic mule or black-tailed
numbers exist for any state or province. The estimates available are compilations of data
collected by various methods. These methods may include aerial or ground counts, herd
composition counts, pellet counts, and harvest records.
Because declining harvests have often accompanied more
restrictive hunting regulations, some might argue that reduced harvests simply reflect
reduced hunting opportunity and not declining herds. Although many of the western states
that report declining mule deer populations have also experienced reduced license sales,
the declines in the number of deer harvested far exceeded the lost tag sales. Thus, for
the west as a whole, the decline in deer harvest exceeds that which can be solely
explained by declining tag sales.
If the available records are taken at face value, the only
possible conclusion is that mule deer populations are declining range wide, but given the
paucity of historic records, we may never know the magnitude.
Causes of the deer decline
Because Rocky Mountain mule deer are one of the most
widespread ungulates, the effects of these declines go beyond deer, the hunter, and
wildlife viewer. These declines invariably result in reduced income for state wildlife
agencies and affect local economies.
Continued habitat loss and deterioration, habitat
competition, severe winter weather conditions, deer-vehicle collisions, predation,
disease, poaching, and increased hunting mortality have frequently been cited as factors
contributing to this decline. Wildlife managers however, ultimately believe the key to
sustaining abundant populations of mule deer and other big game animals over the long-term
lies in maintaining the habitat base. Increased human habitation of rural areas,
subdivisions and other developments on important winter range and conservation of
preferred summer and winter range vegetation to less palatable and nutritious forages is
seriously eroding mule deer habitat.
As pressures on mule deer and their habitat increase,
private landowners and public wildlife managers will need to become more adaptive in their
management approaches. If mule deer are to recover, population and habitat management must
become a priority. In some places, increasing populations of other wild animals in
traditional mule deer habitats have taken management priority away from mule deer.
Difficult decisions will have to be made about mule deer as compared to these other
species.
To address these multitudes of issues, the Western
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has formed the Mule Deer Working Group. This
group composed of representatives of all the western mule deer states and provinces is
working to collectively chart a region wide mule deer recovery plan. For more information
about this effort and mule deer management activities in your state or province visit the
Mule Deer News and Information Network at www.muledeernet.org.  |
