Nevada wildlife biologists recommend fewer elk, deer tags
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada wildlife biologists are recommending fewer hunting
tags this year for elk, deer and antelope after wildfires, drought and a harsh
winter in some areas led to poor survival rates for fawns and calves.
Recommendations for desert, California, and Rocky Mountain bighorn
sheep are about the same as last year.
In this year’s survey of big game populations, biologists estimate
Nevada’s mule deer numbers at 108,000, down from 114,000 in 2007 and 23 percent
below average, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
The population estimates and biologists’ recommendations will be
discussed Saturday when the Nevada Wildlife Commission concludes a two-day
meeting in Reno by setting tag quotas for this year’s hunting season.
Once quotas are set, hunters who applied for big game tags earlier
this spring are entered into the annual draw, or lottery, that is conducted in
June by an independent contractor.
Biologists said the winter of 2006-2007 left many Nevada water
basins near or below 50 percent of average, forcing deer to travel greater
distances for water and forage and exposing malnourished fawns to predators.
“For many of our central Nevada herds the summer alone did (in)
the fawns even before the winter hit,” the report said.
“For those herds that fared better through the summer, many were
faced with difficult winter conditions that took its toll on fawns in January
and February, evidenced by the third lowest spring fawn ratio on record.”
Statewide, the Wildlife Department is recommending 9,043 resident
rifle tags for mule deer — the most popular among hunters. Specific
quotas are set for hunting areas around the state.
The recommendation compares with a quota of 10,265 approved by the
commission last year.
For antelope, 126 fewer tags were suggested for the main hunt.
For bull elk, 728 resident rifle tags were recommended, compared
with 778 approved last year. The Department of Wildlife also recommended 1,210
cow elk tags, down 210 from 2007.
Nevada’s elk population was estimated at 9,500, just 100 more than
last year and the lowest increase since 1990 when the agency began an effort to
bolster the species.
The number of elk calves documented in 2007 was poor and one of
the lowest statewide figures ever in Nevada,” the Wildlife Department report
said.
After an average winter, range conditions will depend on more
summer moisture, the report said.
“This in turn will dictate whether antler growth and better calf
production are realized,” it said.
Still, the
report said hunters lucky enough to receive an elk tag in the annual lottery “should
enjoy good hunting conditions with overall healthy elk populations and good
availability of mature bulls for harvest.”