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VOL. 144
NO. 4 10 Pages
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
ODFW says mule deer decline predating Measure 18
implementation, citing multiple contributing factors
In response to feed-
back from our readers, The
Heppner Gazette is com-
mitted to keeping up with
all the latest updates from
WKH6KHUL൵¶VUHSRUW:HXQ-
derstand that the commu-
nity values being informed
about the activities and
events happening in Mor-
row County As such, we
will try to provide regular
and comprehensive cover-
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Winter Weather Chaos
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By Chris Sykes
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife
(ODFW) is nearing the
completion of its Mule
Deer Management Plan’s
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last phase of this process,
ODFW hosted two final
webinars in October 2023
and January 2024. These
webinars provided an op-
portunity for stakeholders
and the public to learn about
the plan’s details and pro-
vide feedback.
Mule deer mortality
The ODFW conducted
a research study on mule
deer populations at the
Starky experimental sta-
tion from 2019 to 2023,
with a particular focus on
juveniles. They also studied
adult mule deer populations
from 2005 to 2023. Each
year, they collared 50 mule
deer to investigate overall
mortality rates within four
days of death.
The research revealed
that neonate mortality (birth
to four months) showed that
36% of the fawns survived,
while 64% died. The main
causes of death were coy-
otes (19%), cougars (11%),
bobcats (6%), bears (6%),
natural causes (13%), and
unknown predation (9%).
For juvenile mortality (6-
12 months), survival rates
were 60%, while 40% died.
The major causes of death
were coyotes (11%) and
cougars (8%). However, as
the mule deer mature, the
percentage of kills switch-
es, with cougars becoming
the main predator. Interest-
ingly, bears do not have a
significant impact on the
deer population later in the
season. Wolves had little
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Another interesting
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populations are low, fawn
kills by coyotes tend to
increase. This is because
coyotes will target fawns
when their preferred prey
is scarce. Additionally,
Mule deer buck&RQWULEXWHG3KRWR
coyotes occasionally take
advantage of cougars by
stealing their kills, as the
prey is already dead. How-
ever, cougars retaliate by
killing coyotes that try to
steal their food.
Predator removal
From the mid to late
2000s, ODFW conducted a
study on reducing predation
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across the state. The study
focused on six areas for
cougars and one area for
coyotes, aiming to enhance
population performance.
The Heppner Unit was se-
lected as the target area for
cougars, with the goal of
decreasing cougar density
and increasing cow and calf
elk ratios. Predator removal
measures were implement-
ed in the area. The imple-
mented predator removal
strategy proved effective
in improving cow and calf
elk ratios in the fall season.
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provements were observed
in deer population metrics
during the study in the fall.
During a ques-
tion-and-answer session
with ODFW representatives
in October, it was discussed
that predator removal has
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deer populations, according
to their data. However, it
was agreed that predators
do have an impact on mule
deer populations. The de-
cline in mule deer popula-
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for predator removal years ago. - Contributed image
tions across western states
cannot be solely attributed
to predator presence, as oth-
er factors such as changes in
habitat quality and human
activities also play a signif-
icant role.
ODFW representative
say the decrease in the
deer population cannot be
solely attributed to the im-
plementation of Measure
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hunting practices such as
using hounds to hunt cou-
gars and bait. The ODFW
indicated that the decline
began prior to 1994 when
the measure was put into
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contributed to this decline,
making it impossible to
single out Measure 18 as
the sole cause.
Habitat
Another question raised
was what has changed that
decreased habitat quality
to support larger numbers
of mule deer populations.
Several changes have con-
tributed to the decrease in
habitat quality. One ma-
jor change has been the
increase in dry and wet
cycles which have had a
significant impact on the
vegetation in their habitat.
As a result, the cultivation
of crops specifically for
wildlife, has transformed.
In addition, there has
been a decline in timber
harvests, leading to less
light reaching the ground
and resulting in less avail-
able forage for mule deer.
Furthermore, recent years
have seen more extreme
weather patterns, including
both intense dry spells and
heavy moisture during win-
ter. These fluctuations in
weather also contribute to
the deterioration of habitat
conditions.
ODFW states that hu-
man activities have a neg-
ative impact on the Oregon
landscape, with recreational
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-Continued to PAGE THREE
Community Counseling Solutions Project in Morrow
County to receive $2 million
Salem - On January
4th, Oregon Governor Tina
Kotek unveiled a $25 mil-
lion partnership with Co-
ordinated Care Organizers
(CCOs), Oregon’s regional-
ly based Medicaid insurers,
to address the increasing
profits recorded by these
organizations during the
Covid-19 pandemic. With
over 1.5 million individu-
als enrolled in the Oregon
Health Plan, according to
healthinsurence.org, which
serves low-income Ore-
gonians, the need for af-
fordable and accessible
healthcare is paramount. In
response to this, Governor
Kotek requested the CCOs
to reinvest an additional
$25 million towards proj-
ects aimed at bridging the
gaps in behavioral health
coverage. This partnership,
formalized through a Mem-
orandum of Understanding,
represents a collaborative
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viders, and the Oregon
Health Authority (OHA) to
support the mental well-be-
ing of Oregonians.
The $25 million
investment has been allo-
cated towards four projects
across the state, ensuring
geographical diversity and
a focus on serving the youth
population.
1. Trillium Family Ser-
vices Project - Portland
Metro Area: $13.2 million
2. Adapt Project -
Douglas County: $7.5 mil-
lion
3. Looking Glass Proj-
ect - Lane County: $2.3
million
4. Community Coun-
seling Solutions Project -
Morrow County: $2 million
To bridge the funding
gap for new psychiatric
residential treatment beds,
the Community Counsel-
ing Solutions Project in
Morrow County has been
allocated $2 million. This
investment will enhance the
capacity to serve individu-
als in need of mental health
care in an undeserved re-
gion. It aims to minimize
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venting access to adequate
treatment.
According to the Na-
tional Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI), approxi-
mately 731,000 adults in
Oregon live with a mental
health condition. The state
also faces challenges in the
GHOLYHU\DQGD൵RUGDELOLW\RI
mental health care, with Or-
egonians being four times
more likely to be forced
out-of-network for mental
health care compared to
primary health care. This
disparity impedes access
to essential treatment and
makes it financially bur-
densome for individuals
seeking help.
“Oregon needs more
treatment options to help
young people in our state
who are struggling with
serious behavioral health
issues,” Governor Kotek
said in a press release on the
4th. “The state and CCOs
developed a plan to reinvest
surplus Medicaid dollars
into Oregon communities,
and this partnership will
support youth behavioral
health projects that we des-
perately need.”
The $25 million part-
nership between Governor
Tina Kotek, Coordinated
Care Organizers, provid-
ers, and the Oregon Health
$XWKRULW\VLJQL¿HVDVLJQLI-
icant step towards address-
ing behavioral health gaps
in Oregon. By investing in
projects targeting the ex-
pansion of psychiatric resi-
dential treatment beds, this
partnership aims to meet
the increasing demand for
mental health services, par-
ticularly among the youth
population.
The cold and snow couldln’t stop Kim Gutierrez and his dog
Edger last week.3KRWRE\*D\OH*XWLHUUH]
Cam Sweeney on main street shoveling a walkway for
drivers to get from their car to the sidewalk.
3KRWRE\&LQGL'RKHUW\
By Annalynn Black
Morrow county resi-
dents had quite the snow-
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The snowfall was so in-
tense that it disrupted the
daily routines of many,
including our schools, mail
services, sports events,
and even local businesses.
Let’s dive into the winter
wonderland misadventures
that occurred.
The schools in Morrow
County had their fair share
of cancellations and de-
lays. Heppner High School
district decided to hit the
snooze button not once,
-Continued to PAGE TEN
Meetings planned to
discuss issues in
Morrow County
The Morrow Coun-
ty Citizens for Liberty &
-XVWLFH DUH RUJDQL]LQJ ¿YH
meetings across different
cities in Morrow County.
Led by Stewart Dick, top-
ics to be discussed include
MCHD ASA, para medics/
EMTs ambulance service,
the location for the new
Circuit Court House, Com-
missioner/Administrators
salary, Amazon tax abate-
ment Commissioner deals,
and nitrates in county wells.
The meetings will be held
on January 25th at 6pm at
the Senior Center in Hep-
pner, January 29th at 6pm at
the Holly Rebekah Lodge in
Lexington, January 31st at
6pm at the Irrigon Library
Conference room, and Feb-
ruary 5th at the Boardman
Grange Hall. An Ione meet-
ing at the Legion Hall is yet
to be announced. A private
ballot will be conducted
after the January 25th meet-
ing in Heppner.
CALL
541-989-8221
ext 204
for more
information