Two tough winters hurt deer numbers, but hunters also cry wolf

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Region 1 will ask for “emergency” whitetail doe take restrictions in the Thompson Falls and Swan Valleys after deer populations have dropped dramatically after two bad winters.

Last fall, hunters were allowed to take an anterless deer the first week of the season across the region. But spring surveys this year show that deer populations in districts near Thompson Falls and the Swan Valley show markedly less “recruitment” of fawns. FWP biologists measure overall herd health in the spring by the ratio of fawns to adults, physically counting the deer as they come down into the valleys to feed in spring green up.

A stable population typically has about 35 fawns for every 100 adults. More than that, and the population is on the upswing. Less than that and it means the deer didn’t winter well. In the lower Swan, the ratio of fawns to adults was in the teens, noted biologist Jessy Coltrane.

As such, the region will ask the FWP commission for permission to go back to a “bucks only” season in district 130 and 122 next fall. Seasons are set every two years. The snowpack in the previous two winters was well above average. Last winter, for example, areas had four feet of snow on the ground on the level.

Region 1 Wildlife manager Neil Anderson largely blamed two bad winters in a row and a loss of habitat for the low deer numbers. He noted that habitat west of Kalispell isn’t what it used to be. New housing developments are encroaching on winter range in some places.

But the crowd of hunters gathered at the meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, mostly blamed wolves.

Anderson didn’t discount wolves — he said there’s about 350 wolves in all of Region 1. But he noted that mountain lions are far more numerous than wolves. The region has about 1,500 mountain lions. Black bears also feed on fawns.

“There’s three to five times as many mountain lions as there is wolves,” Anderson said.

According to Montana’s draft lion management plan, a lion makes a kill every seven to 10 days, depending on the sex and the age of the lion.

Ideas from hunters on how to control predators varied. One man suggested a bounty on lions. Others wanted a program that would reimburse trappers for expenses so they would have a greater incentive to take more wolves. Trapping of wolves is expensive — the traps and gear alone are expensive and the cost of fuel and other supplies can run higher than what the pelt is worth.

Statewide, Montana currently has about 850 wolves, down from an estimated high of more than 1,000 in 2013, according to FWP’s 2017 wolf report.

Anderson noted that trapping is the most effective way to reduce wolf populations, but he cautioned against snares, which can catch deer as well as wolves. But he also cautioned the crowd against vilifying FWP and its staff. He noted that Montana has one of the most liberal wolf hunting and trapping seasons on the books — the wolf season runs six months.

“We have to no problems harvesting more wolves, but how do we do it ethically?” he said.

At the end of the 2017-18 season, hunters and trappers took 255 wolves, with 166 by hunters and an additional 89 by trappers. Total known wolf mortality was about 305 wolves.

Wolves aside, everyone was united in one way — hunting isn’t as good as it used to be. One hunter commented that it was the worst season he’s ever had in Thompson Falls in decades. One man suggested a GoFundMe campaign to help fund FWP projects, including habitat enhancements and studies.

Many hunters in the crowd also wanted to see point restrictions on bucks. Some states have regulations that restrict the take of young bucks. Vermont, for example, has regulations that require a buck have an antler that has at least two or more points. Taking of spikes with antlers of three inches or less is only allowed during its youth hunt. One hunter said that has resulted in larger bucks in that state.

But Anderson said that sort of a regulation doesn’t always work out. For example, some states have a points on at least one side regulation. A young buck could have four points and be legal, but an old buck with broad beams and just three points would be not.

Montana’s youth hunt also drew criticism from some hunters. They say they’ve seen hunting parties with one adult, but four or five kids, take a lot of deer.

They suggested it be a ratio of one adult to one youth. But others said they appreciated the youth hunt, because it got young hunters out in the woods and away from the television.

The wolf debate promises to continue for FWP — a group out of Thompson Falls is hosting a wolf meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn in Kalispell on Jan. 30. That group wants to reduce the wolf population to 150, statewide, which is the minimum population that wolves can be at under the Endangered Species Act.