sell out

[Jon Boy]

I think another reason for the decline of Mule Deer is the increase of people running around the mountains all winter, letting their dogs chase deer around through the heavy snow. I have personally seen this happening in the Bridgers for years now, and saw a dismal amount of deer on my Bridger buck hunt last fall. There are so many factors decreasing the population, I have a hard time seeing them come back. I sure hope I'm wrong though.

Thats why I dont start shed hunting early if its a rough winter. So far its been really mild and the deer seem to be in good shape so ive started early.

[RUTTIN]

I think another big problem with deer mortality, that a lot of people don't take into account are vehicle mortality also. I know a few of the areas I see in my travels with work, the deer come down into the more populated areas to winter. (there is another problem, people building on winter range) And people don't look out for the deer.

[Drhorsepower]

I think another big problem with deer mortality, that a lot of people don't take into account are vehicle mortality also. I know a few of the areas I see in my travels with work, the deer come down into the more populated areas to winter. (there is another problem, people building on winter range) And people don't look out for the deer.

I read an article in a magazine about a year ago regarding vehicle deaths. I don't remember the unit/road/ or exact statistics but it really brought into perspective how many deer are killed by vehicles. They kept track on 30 something miles on a highway in a hunt unit and I want to say they averaged a deer killed a day and that unit issues something like 40 tags or something like that. 365:40. I didn't really realizw how many deaths by vehicles occurred.

[brandenbowhunter]

I agree that Eastman's MRS had made it harder to draw tags...part of the game...
Hunting TV shows have ruined a lot of hunting too...but that is the day we live in

[sjsmallfield]

[QUOTE=but that is the day we live in[/QUOTE]

Exactly!!!

[iowashedhunter]

If you want to see a deer decline from overhunting just look at what Iowa has done to our whitetail herd in the last 4 years.They have been slaughtering the doe hers relentlessly and now no one can figure out where all the deer went? REALLY?? I would be willing to bet that weather plays a much bigger role in mule deer decline then hunting does along with habitat loss.

[Roughneck Country]

Eastmans is just a resource to use to find info like any other. If people didn't pick a few things up here and there from the mag they would get it other places. I know eastmans is only one of several sources I use. The internet, forms like this one and even info found on outfitter web sites is used. I know I have scouted out places from pictures I have seen posted before as well. Don't blame Eastmans for a deer decline, at the end of the day it is fish and game that needs to set quota's and manage the population.