Big Game Information Meeting - Nebraska Game and Parks...

Big Game Information Meeting

December 2018

DEER PRONGHORN ELK

Deer Management Goal

• “Provide quality hunting and viewing opportunities within the limits of the deer resource while maintaining deer numbers at a level that is within the limits of social and ecological tolerance.”

Whitetail Deer

• Statewide distribution

• Exist in a wide range of habitats

• High productivity

– Many breed as fawns

– Twins or sometimes triplets

Mule Deer

Western 2/3 of state

Primarily a grassland or coniferous forest specie

Less Productive

Rarely breed as fawns

Single or twin fawns

Input to Deer Management Comes from 4 primary sources

• Landowners

• Hunters

• Public

• NGPC– Production, mortality, disease, age structure, harvest

data, trends, etc.

NGPC Responsibility

Develop permits & seasons to manage deer in a responsible and biologically sound manner.

Provide regulation and policy to assist landowners in controlling deer within tolerable limits.

Provide equal opportunities for hunters within the framework of management goals and strategies

Landowner Responsibility:• Estimate deer population

• If population is too high increase antlerless harvest

• Give access to hunters who you can trust

• If you lease your property to hunters, require an antlerless harvest quota if population is too high

• Work with neighbors in achieving common deer management goals

Hunter Responsibility:

• Work with the landowner to manage deer numbers and quality

• Harvest antlerless deer if population reduction is desired

• Harvest deer ethically and responsibly

• Donate harvested deer if they are surplus to your needs: Deer exchange, HHH, needy families, etc.

• Mentor & Recruit New Hunters

NGPC Deer Damage Policy

Hunting is the preferred method to reduce damage Fencing Habitat modification Scare devices DAMAGE PERMIT Rules

Landowner must allow reasonable harvest of antlerless deer

Kill permits not issued for property leased exclusively for buck hunting

Outside of 123 day deer season (July & Aug. best) Shooters must be approved by NGPC Deer must be utilized (eaten) No Fee permit

Deer “refuges” are the source of many deer depredation problems.

Considerations for Season Setting:

• Harvest Information/data

• Hunter/Landowner Surveys

• Public Comments at information meetings

• Crop Damage Complaints

• Disease Occurrences

• Weather Conditions

• Vehicle Accidents

Population Trend IndicatorsHarvest Data:

• Adult Male Harvest

• Antlerless Harvest

• % 1 ½ and 2 1/2+ year old Bucks in Harvest

• % Success by permit type

Harvest Summary

• Overall down 5% over last year as of end of November

• Whitetail – Buck harvest up slightly

– 41% 3.5 or older bucks

• Mule Deer – Buck harvest down slightly

– 2nd highest harvest

– 59% 3.5 or older bucks

DEER

MANAGEMENT UNIT

SUMMARIES

2018

2018 Season Changes

• Missouri- added AOWT bonus tags; removed antlerless mule deer restriction

• Elkhorn – removed antlerless mule deer restriction; reduced season choice permits by 800

• Calamus East – increased permits by 150 and added AOWT bonus tag; added 200 season choice permits

• Loup East – increased permits by 300

All Seasons2146 vs 2208

All Seasons907 vs 965

All Seasons2233 vs 2311

2018 Harvest

% Success on November Firearm, Either Sex

Permits:

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Elkhorn Unit: 39% 44% 42% 45% 42%

Cal. East Unit: 45% 50% 49% 55% 65%*

Missouri Unit: 47% 49% 61%* 49% 66%*

Loup East Unit: 47% 69%* 67%* 74%* 69%*

*indicates bonus tags on permits

Missouri Unit

Elkhorn Unit

Calamus East Unit

Loup East Unit

Archery Success

Archery Season:

2013 – 21% success

2014 – 23% success

2015 – 24% success

2016 - 23% success

2017 – 24% success

2018* - 21.5% success

Muzzleloader Success

• Muzzleloader Season:

• 2013 – 20% success

• 2014 – 22% success

• 2015 – 25% success

• 2016-- 24% success

• 2017-- 24% success

• 2018* - 18% success

Disease – 2018

EHD – None confirmed or reported

CWD – 131 positives of 1208 tested. First reported cases in

Valley and Keya Paha Co.

http://outdoornebraska.gov/cwd/

MENINGIAL BRAIN WORM – 5 confirmations in Mule

Deer – Knox, Brown, and Boyd Co.

Road Killed Deer Nebraska and Other States (Nebraska figures are from Dept. of Roads)

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

NE KS IA OH WI PA

Other Items

Continue Deer Exchange Program

Encourage participation in Hunters Helping the Hungry Program.

Need monetary contributions

Need deer contributions

Need locker participation

PRONGHORN HARVESTEAST SANDHILLS UNIT

FIREARM% % %Age

1.5

Year Reg LL Type Harvest Success Adult Buck

2009 20 4 BO 19 79 100 0

2010 20 10 BO 20 67 100 0

2011 20 10 BO 16 53 100 0

2012 20 10 BO 10 33 100 10

2013 14 7 BO 12 57 100 10

2014 14 7 BO 8 38 100 25

2015 10 5 BO 12 80 92 9

2016 10 5 ES 7 47 100 0

2017 10 5 ES 8 53 100

2018 16 8 ES 16 67 100

• The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would like to hear your thoughts on Landowner Pronghorn permits. Do you have any thoughts on restructuring the pronghorn permit in regards to what lands a pronghorn permit holder may hunt on. Currently one is restricted to land he or she owns. Another option may be any private land within the unit the permit is valid? Other thoughts?

STATE ELK HARVEST -2018

Elk Unit Permits Harvest % Success Total 2017 Harvest 2017 Success

Bull Cow Total Bull Cow Calf Total Bull AO Total Bull Cow/calf Bull Cow

Ash Creek 12 27 39 12 7 19 100% 10 16 0.83 0.59

Bordeaux 24 51 75 16 9 1 26 67% 21 37 0.88 0.73

Box Elder 15 36 51 15 6 21 100% 10 11 0.83 0.31

Boyd 3 3 6 3 3 0% 2 3 0.67 1

Hat Creek 21 39 60 21 10 31 100% 17 26 0.81 0.67

Niobrara 9 30 39 9 11 20 100% 6 15 1 0.63

North Platte Riv 30 45 75 26 12 1 39 87% 31 14 0.94 0.14

*Auction/Supertags 5 5 5 5 100% 6 1 0

All Units 119 231 350 104 58 2 164 87% 103 122 87.0% 58.1%

Questions?

Comments?