Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 9, 2014
Page 3
Concern for deer, elk populations
Andrea Karoglanian
CTWS Wildlife Biologist
The Warm Springs Fish
and Wildlife Committee held
a public meeting in June re-
garding deer and elk popula-
tions on the reservation.
They shared information
on the latest deer and elk
population estimates.
The most recent deer esti-
mate, conducted in Decem-
ber 2013, found approxi-
mately 1,303 deer on the res-
ervation.
Buck ratios are healthy at
23 bucks per 100 does; how-
ever, fawn ratios are low at
43 fawns per 100 does.
Studies have shown that
when fawn-to-doe ratios drop
below 50-60 fawns per 100
does, mule deer populations
cannot sustain themselves
and decline.
Fawn recruitment on the
reservation has been below
the sustainable threshold for
at least the last 20 years, and
the deer population has been
declining since 1998, accord-
ing to Wildlife Department
data.
Detailed studies could de-
termine the exact causes of
low fawn ratios, but these
studies would be expensive.
Habitat conditions
The quality and quantity
of available forage and ther-
mal/hiding cover can have a
large influence on recruitment
and population growth rates.
Deer and elk production
and recruitment are highly de-
pendent on female body con-
dition.
Poor body condition could
prevent the doe/cow from
going into estrus; cause the
doe/cow to abort; decrease
milk supply, causing juvenile
malnutrition; or cause the ju-
venile to enter winter in poor
body condition, lowering the
chance of survival.
Highly nutritious forage is
especially important during
late summer months, as this
is the period when fat is ac-
cumulated in preparation for
winter.
Unfortunately there is not
just one easy fix to improve
wildlife populations.
There are multiple factors
that have cumulative effects,
negatively impacting the deer
and elk populations on the
reservation.
The horse population is
high, and horses directly com-
pete with deer and elk for
forage resources.
The land can only support
a given number of animals.
In order for one species’
population to increase, often
another must decrease.
One horse eats six times
more than one deer. In other
words one horse replaces six
deer.
Rangeland damage
Wildfires have changed
the landscape over the last
few decades.
Historically, fire had a posi-
tive impact on the habitat.
Now when wildfires burn the
rangelands, native vegetation
cannot recover due to the
presence of invasive weeds,
topped with heavy grazing.
Most of the deer and elk
winter range has burned, re-
ducing the amount of shrubs
and increasing the presence
of non-native vegetation.
Now, much of the vegeta-
tion that comes back after a
fire on the range is composed
of annual grasses that have
no nutritional value to wild-
Museum fund-raiser next month
The Museum at Warm
Springs will host the Four-
teenth Annual Huckleberry
Harvest in August.
The Harvest this year will
be at the museum. Funds will
help the museum to carry out
its crucial work.
If you have any questions,
please call Deb Stacona at
541-553-3331. Or email:
dstacona@museumatwarm
springs.org
Free estate planning
Tribal members this sum-
mer have free help in draft-
ing wills, powers of attorney,
and other estate planning
documents.
To make an appointment,
call Lexi Lundgren at 541-
553-3148. Her office at
Warm Springs is in the Com-
munity Action Team trailer on
campus, at 1136 Paiute Ave.
Office hours are from 8 a.m.-
4 p.m., Monday through
Wednesday.
She can take up to July 18.
Revonne Johnson sang
the National Anthem to
open Pi-Ume-Sha Boxing.
Having a will is recommended
for anyone over 18, especially
for people who have owner-
ship interest in land.
There would need
to be dramatic
changes to the
landscape to see
major improve-
ments to deer and
elk populations on
the reservation...
life.
Reduction of grazing pres-
sure may allow fire to be used
as a tool to restore native
vegetation on rangelands in
the future.
Roads
Human disturbance dur-
ing critical times of the year
has a negative effect on wild-
life.
Disturbances from ex-
tended hunting during the
winter months, particularly
December, negatively impact
populations that are declining.
Land use management,
such as timber harvest, also
has an impact on deer and elk
populations by removing criti-
cal summer range habitat,
causing disturbances through-
out the year and opening
roads.
Roads have a substantial
effect on deer and elk. Al-
though roads provide a con-
venience, they come at a cost.
Roads are a direct loss of
habitat. They also cause habi-
tat fragmentation, reducing
the usability of habitat within
a quarter mile on either side
of the road.
The noise and visual dis-
turbances from roads cause
changes in the activity of
wildlife that increase preda-
tion, reduce wildlife access to
resources, and increase en-
ergy expenditures necessary
for survival.
Roads also increase access
for poaching.
Poaching
Harvesting deer and elk
out of season, harvest above
bag limits, and harvest of
does, all play large roles in re-
ducing deer and elk popula-
tions on the reservation.
The wildlife department
has been conducting a mule
deer telemetry study on the
reservation since 2011.
Information such as habi-
tat use, migratory routes and
mortality is collected specific
to Warm Springs Reserva-
tion deer.
According to this study, 32
percent of reservation deer
mortalities are due to illegal
harvest.
Of the 32 percent illegally
harvested, 78 percent are
does. Removing does from
the population has a large ef-
fect on population growth.
When a doe is removed
from the population, so are
all the generations of off-
spring that the doe could have
produced for future genera-
tions of tribal members.
Tribal members who at-
tended the June public meet-
ing were troubled by the in-
for mation. One member
commented, “If people can-
not follow tribal code they
should be punished.”
Another member felt that
“by not saying anything (about
poachers) you are just as
guilty as they are.”
The number of enrolled
tribal members has increased
25 percent over the past 10
years. The wildlife depart-
ment is concerned that there
will not be enough deer and
elk on the reservation to sup-
port the human population
growth.
The Fish and Wildlife
Committee is trying to reduce
the hunting pressure on the
reservation by increasing
hunting opportunities on
ceded land.
There would need to be
dramatic changes to the land-
scape to see major improve-
ments to deer and elk popu-
lations on the reservation.
The Natural Resources
Branch is trying to make im-
provements, but has a limited
number of staff and re-
sources to deal with these is-
sues.
Help and support from the
tribal community is needed.
Public support for road re-
movals and reducing horses
would help increase the suc-
cess of these projects.
The branch and commit-
tee are also encouraging
people to take advantage of
off-reservation hunting op-
portunities, and to discourage
poaching.
To report poaching, con-
tact the Natural Resources
Branch at 541-553-2001.
Deer and elk are about
more than just putting food
on the table. These animals
are part of the foundation of
culture and tradition. With-
out deer and elk part of that
culture and tradition would
be lost.
Culture camp
next week
Camp Naimuma
culture camp is coming
up next week. This is a
great opportunity for
kids to lean language,
learn skills on how to
make traditional items,
and spend time camp-
ing at Peter’s Pasture.
The boys camp is
July 13–17, and girls
camp is July 20–24.
Calling Greg or Deanie
at the Culture and Heri-
tage for information,
553-3290.
Road work
by new school
Warm Springs Construc-
tion is working on East
Tenino road from Chucker
Road to Elliot Heights.
The work is to add turn
lanes into the new school and
build a pedestrian pathway
from the school to the com-
munity center. That part of
the road will now be closed
Monday through Thursday
form 6a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Please use alternate routes.
The Warm Springs
IHS Clinic has sus-
pended their Thurs-
day late clinic through
August 28, due to
short staffing.
Look for the Grand
Re-Opening Soon!
Head Start holding
health Round Up in July
War m Springs Head
Start is holding their
Round Up on Tuesday,
July 15, and on July 29 at
the IHS Clinic.
Please call Head Start
to schedule an appoint-
ment. Call 553-3242 and
as for Danni or the Fam-
ily Services Staff.
The Round up includes
a physical, plus hearing,
dental and vision check
ups .
All new and returning
children need to receive
these screenings and
physical. This is an op-
portunity for families to
get everything done at
once, but you must have
an appointment.
– New Hours –
– New Inventory –
New Location - Next to the
Warm Springs Market