Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1961)
HERALD AND NEWS, Klanulk Fiftl. Or. tv., Jm. If, mi Psft I Oregon's Big Game Inventory Under Way; Counting Will Continue Through Winter By MILT GUYMON This is the time of year when game agents throughout the state travel far and wide conducting in ventories on Oregon's big game resources. It's an annual task that begins sliortly after the hunting seasons and continues through the winter into March and April. First phase of tlie big game in ventories is herd composition stud ies to determine the ratio of bucks, does, and fawns on each range. Biologists begin gathering herd composition information im mediately after the hunting sea sons are over when they make a systematic survey of all big game ranges. All animals observed are classified as to sex and age and expressed in a ratio of the num ber of buck or bulls, fawns or calves per 100 adult females. Herd composition must be com pleted beefore buck deer or bull elk lose their antlers. By mid January herd composition on deer is no longer feasible as bucks rapidly shed their beams, and by early February there is little re semblance to the proud animals nimiods observed during the hunt ing seasons. Elk often retain their antlers as late as mid-March be fore the massive beams are dropped and new growth begins. Surveys are made by automo bile, on foot, horseback, and on some ranges by airplane. Almost without exception surveys on an telope are made from tlie air, preferably when snow is on the ground. At this time the animals are bunched on tlie winter ranges and the sliort sage country in which the animals live makes aerial observation quitk, easy and accurate. Some elk herds are also censused by airplane, especially in rough mountain country which prohibits other means of travel. Deer ranges are traveled primari ly by liorscback, although on some ranges, depending on snow, sample routes are run by auto mobile as well as foot travel by snowshoe. Rain, snow, wind, and cold are not deterrent, for game agents must travel in all kinds of weath er if tlie status of Oregon's big game herds is to be accurately determined. Nature's hand is at work around the calendar affect- ing the big game herds through the seasons. Contrary to the fall hunting seasons enjoyed by Ore gon sportsmen, tlie winter months might aHly be called tlie hunt ing season for game agents where in the cold and snow they hunt out" the big game animals, watch them as they go through the win ter, study their food supplies, keep a critical eye on herd condition, j' KM KARL MORTON, district game agent at Baker, looks over fawn deer that was unable to make it through the winter. Too many mouths had reached the food supplies before this little fellow resulting in death from malnutrition. Diseases, parasites, predation and extreme cold make heavy inroads on daer populations during the winter months. THIS TROPHY BUCK will soon lose Its antlers as the herds concentrate on the bleak, snowbound ranges in the dead of winter. Forked-horn in upper left has already shed an antler. New growth will begin In spring and de- record mortality, sex, and age and the number of animals ob served on each range. Herd composition doesn't com plete tlie winter surveys and about the first of February game fcgenls start all over again, this time to census animal numbers on each big game winter range.1 Observation continues until t h e herds disband with tlie spring breakup. , Although herd composition may be conducted throughout the ranges and at all elevations, the annual census is more or less confined to the winter ranges at lower altitudes. During late winter snows are deep in the mountain ranges, forc ing big game animals ever down ward to the breaks and scablands near the valley floors. Animals from an entire watershed covering thousands of square miles may bOcls. The winter range produces forced by the winter snows andilimited food supplies to begin cold into a narrow bolt a few miles long by a mile or so wide. Heaviest concentration of animals will be found in the food produc ing areas within the belt. This is tlie critical time of year and the time which game agents dread the most. For if the winter is long and severe they will wit ness first hand many animals dy ing of cold and hunger. There is little to worry about during mild winters, broken by periods of thawing and sunshine. During such winters, animals re- main scattered at all elevations of the winter range and manage to find enough food to keep them healthy and alert. But hunger alone is the driving force when snow piles deep or temperatures drop to sub-zero lev - velop through the summer by hunters. Game agents winter to classify bucks, before antlers are shed. wilh and when much of it is bur ied beneath deep snow, competi tion is keen for the meager sup plies that remain. Danger is for gotten, senses dulled, except the gnawing urge for food, and even this may become dulled in time. Under such conditions many ani mals may starve before spring, with fawns the first to go followed by old animals and yeanlings. Ex treme cold may also lake a heavy toll, mainly of weakened animals unable from the meager food sup plies to generate body heat to withstand the frigid temperatures. Permanent sample routes arc established on all big game win ter ranges. Small winter ranges may have only two or three sam pie routes, while large ranges !may have a dozen or more tra versing at intervals trom low to high elevations. These routes are traveled sys tematically. Ali animals observed are recorded and expressed in the ratio o( animals observed per mile of travel. Mortality is also recorded and expressed in the same manner. Records on all ranges are kepi from yar to year and compari sons made to determine if the herds are increasing, decreasing. or remaining constant. Some 7.0IXT miles oi sample rouie are trav eled each year by game agents; to determine the status of the big game herds. No attcmpl is made to count all big g:ime animals. This has lonp been recognized as impossible. If the trend in numbers can be ac curately determined game man agers are satisfied. The winter surveys give an ac curate picture of tlie population trends, numbers of buck deer or bull elk in each herd, fawn or calf production, mortalities, range condition, and food supplies. This and other information galhered around the calendar serve as a basis for next year's hunting sea sons. , into the beautiful racks prized must work fast during early does, and fawns in each herd Ford Trucks Last Longer on the FARM Soe your Farm Truck Headquarters BALSIGER MOTOR CO. Main at Esp. Ph. 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