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Deer herd figures on the rise By Mark Freeman Southern Oregon�s depressed herds of blacktail deer are showing signs of being on the mend. Despite good deer hunting success last fall, December deer counts conducted by state wildlife biologists show more mature bucks and fawns throughout eastern Jackson County than last year. The increase in fawns seen during census routes covered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is an early indicator of increased deer numbers in the future. And finding more mature bucks now in the woods may foreshadow more big bucks in the field next fall. By the numbers Here are some of the highlights from the December 2000 blacktail deer herd-composition counts for Southern Oregon as conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. ROGUE UNIT 30 bucks per 100 does in 2000, up from 26 in �99 and 17 in �98. The unit benchmark is 15 bucks per 100 does. 45 fawns per 100 does, up from 43 last year and 42 in �98. APPLEGATE UNIT 23 bucks per 100 does, down from 34 bucks in �99 but still above the 19 in �98. 52 fawns per 100 does, up from 32 in �99 but down from 69 in �98. EVANS CREEK 14 bucks per 100 does, down from 26 in �99 and 23 in �98. 60 fawns per 100 does, up from 24 in �99 and 51 in �98. CHETCO 8 bucks per 100 does, down from 11 in �99 and 15 in �98. 56 fawns per 100 does, up from 51 in �99 and 54 in �98. SOUTHWEST DISTRICT TOTALS 20 bucks per 100 does, down from 25 bucks in �99 and equal to that of �98. The benchmark for the area also is 20. 53 fawns per 100 does, up from 49 fawns in �99 and down slightly from 56 in �98. Both are promising notions after the overall deer population plunged by about one-third in the mid-1990s and stayed there. Counts for western Jackson County and Josephine County are not as positive. But these areas represent a smaller cut of the blacktail pie. Overall, the December counts paint an optimistic � albeit premature � picture that the great deer depression of the late 1990s may have bottomed out and its recovery begun. "We certainly look like we have the stage set for seeing some improvements in the local deer populations," ODFW district wildlife biologist Merv Wolfer says. "The good fawn crop should translate into more deer when we do our inventory counts in March." Each December, agency biologists drive or hike specific routes to count the bucks, does and fawns they see. Some of the routes are through forest winter-range, while others zigzag through agricultural areas that are now pocked by new housing developments. Some of the counts are done during the day, while others are done at night with the aid of spotlights. Regardless, the counts generate buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios used to compare annual herd compositions heading into winter each year. New counts, which also generate estimates of the overall deer population, are done in March and give an indication how well the animals survived the winter. Buck counts are often the ones hunters take most interest in, and they are also the counts that can be most influenced by hunters. With last fall�s general rifle-hunting season considered a strong one, particularly in the vast public lands of the Rogue Unit, Wolfer had expected to see a drop in the buck-to-doe ratio. But December counts actually show an increase from 26 bucks per 100 does in �99 to 30 bucks per 100 does. That�s twice as high as the ratio used by ODFW wildlife managers to indicate a healthy herd. Fawn numbers have increased from 49 per 100 does to 53. Both are well above the target of 35-40 fawns per 100 does. While buck ratios have declined in the Applegate and Evans Creek units, the Rogue Unit�s strong showing after a strong fall hunting season helps make the overall averages look good heading into the worst of the winter months. Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at [email protected] ) Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.