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Fawns find a new world to explore

FAWNS of the White-tailed deer are out and about. Single births have happened for first time doe deer. The majority of older does will have twins. About 10-15 percent of the older and definitely mature does will have triplets. A high birth rate for this species is one of nature’s methods to replace high losses from all causes. And the causes are not just fall hunting. They include weather issues, predators, some disease vectors (although this is not frequently observed), and accidents of deer getting caught in fences or hit by motor vehicles as the animals cross roadways.

Even with all these obstacles, deer have a huge capacity to over-populate quickly. If left unchecked from all mortalities, a population can double in two years, and two years after that double again. Iowa habitat could support this many deer. But there is a reality to deal with. That reality is too many deer for the winter habitat. And winter habitat is the pinch point of a deer’s life. Every spring, summer and fall, there is enough cover to hide in, to eat from and escape into. When winter storms roll in, temperatures drop, ag land crops are not available to eat in or hide in, deer have to adapt to a critical point in their life cycle.

One more reality is not just the carrying capacity of the land for wildlife, but the social carrying capacity. This last item deals with tolerance levels of people to the real or perceived term of “too many deer.” Wildlife biologists understand the tight-rope of balance they must deal with in regards to the land’s ability to support deer, and the human populations ability or tolerance levels of this animal. So in the end, as biologists and game wardens conduct summer game spotlight surveys, roadside counts, and other data sets, a DNR goal is formulated via hunting seasons, county quotas for doe deer to be killed by hunters, and an overall goal of the total number of deer off takes from the land to keep the deer herd of Iowa somewhat close to the social carrying capacity numbers.

Deer hunting data from the 2015-16 season shows that 105,319 deer were taken in Iowa. The number of hunters participating in youth, archery, muzzleloader or shotgun seasons was 172,788. Those same hunters are allowed to purchase anywhere from one to several licenses depending upon preferences and within limits set by DNR regulations. Total deer licenses sold last year was 339,366. Marshall County hunters took 3 percent fewer deer in 2015 than 2014. Doe deer made up 41 percent of deer killed in 2015.

The breakdown in hunter’s deer harvests showed that antlered bucks were 47,398, and doe deer removed from the herd at 48, 207 or 46 percent of all harvest reports. Button buck taken numbered 9,714. A graph of Iowa’s deer killed over the past ten years clearly shows a steady downward trending line from the high point of 2005-06. In other words, Iowa’s overall deer population is being managed through carefully regulated harvest pressure to get as many counties as possible at a stable point. Each county has its own unique habitat conditions which is a mix of cropland, grasslands and forest areas. As habitat varies, so do deer populations to a large degree.

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Iowa has within its hunting laws and regulation provisions for the legal taking of game animals during fall seasons. The taking of deer, for example, outside the ethical, sporting and fair chase parameters is illegal. We typically call it poaching, a derogatory term by definition. Poaching is theft, stealing through a variety of methods. Night spot lighting using high powered rifles is just one activity that gets game warden attention. And every year there are cases brought to court by conservation officers whereby poachers got caught. Investigations usually develop from information phoned to the game warden or to the statewide TIP hotline. By the time all the pieces of the investigative puzzle are put together, and charges brought to bear and arrests made, a lot of time has been consumed to bring poachers to justice.

Iowa courts have fines that can be imposed for fish and game violations, from the least serious to the most serious. And in addition Iowa has the provision for liquidating damages being imposed. These monetary add-ons are meant to help deter the illegal action in the first place, and to assist the DNR fish and game bureaus with replacement strategies. For instance, In Iowa, a buck deer with very large antlers can fetch liquidating damages of $10,000. The basis for this type of judgment is the antler score using the Boone and Crockett standardized method. A score of 150 or greater has the potential to fetch a $10,000 fee in addition to fines and court costs. Fines go through the court. Liquidating damages are paid to the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund.

Another state, this time Maryland, just passed a law implementing restitution penalties of up to $10,000 for poached deer. In Maryland’s situation, the law requires the judge to order convicted persons who have illegally taken deer to pay from $300 to $10,000, depending upon the antler size. The stiffest penalties are for deer antlers scoring above 150. And their law also mandates community service of 40-80 hours. Fines alone in Maryland for illegal deer are about $1,500. So add $1,500 to $10,000 and you can see that fish and game violations of taking big deer can be very costly for the poacher.

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Here is another story about wildlife products being big business. It can be okay if the regulations are followed as prescribed. Not OK for those who desire to cheat the system. In Wyoming, deer and elk, or moose antler collection is not allowed west of the continental divide between January and April. Game wardens in that state say this regulation does not stop some folks. Antler collecting can be a hobby, or a fund raiser for groups like 4-H or service clubs. At the prescribed and allowed times, antler collections take place, get sorted and later offered for auction to those who want to buy the cast off bones from the heads of deer, elk or moose.

But big money raises it head and tempts some people to break the law. One way is for that casual hike in the foothills or mountains prior to collecting season is to find and cache antlers. Then by using GPS locating capabilities on smart phones, go back to the stash on opening day of antler collecting season to bring in the goodies. Antlers can be used for a variety of things, from furniture, light fixtures or ground into powder form and sold to Asian markets for teas or other nefarious and unproven medicinal purposes. The temptations of big money, selling antlers at $14 to $18 per pound is the driver.

The reason of not allowing antler collecting from the land between January and April is disturbance to the animals who are trying to survive and recover from winter. Any disturbance from vehicles or hikers walking through winter range affects the behavior of the animals. Those disturbances unnecessarily increase their energy requirements by forcing them to move daily.

Game wardens in Wyoming are cracking down on out-of-season antler poaching. Fines increased from $250 to as high as $1,000. According to Jordon Kraft, Pinedale warden, his agency wrote double the number of citations this year. Antler poachers can now lose their right to hunt and even get jail time.

Game wardens everywhere have a lot to deal with. Each area of the country has its own special circumstances. You have just heard of one in Wyoming.

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Here is another money-related story and its connection to wildlife. A California woman was arrested for trying to sell a fawn on Craigslist. She said she found it along a rural road. Law enforcement set up a sting purchase. And in the process she was also arrested on an unrelated warrant for her failure to appear in a drug case. The world is unfortunately full of slow learners.

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KID FISHING DERBY is Saturday, June 18 from 8 a.m. until noon at Marshalltown’s Riverside Cemetery. Come check out those hungry bullheads.

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“A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than that of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.”

– Aldo Leopold,

Sand County Almanac

Garry Brandenburg is a graduate of Iowa State University with BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology. He is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. Contact him at PO Box 96, Albion, IA 50005.

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