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Winter survival better for elk and mule deer

by RALPH BARTHOLDT
Staff Writer | June 18, 2020 1:00 AM

Statewide survival of mule deer fawns and elk calves was above average through the end of May, based on the results of a collared deer survey conducted by the Idaho Fish and Game.

The game department said that statewide, 73 percent of radio-collared elk calves and 63 percent of mule deer fawns survived through the winter based on Fish and Game’s data.

The numbers are well above survival rates over a 22-year average. That is how long the department has been monitoring mule deer winter survival. Fish and Game says the mild winter accounted for the higher survival rates.

“The average survival of fawns caught in early January as six-month-old fawns through the end of May has been 57 percent,” said biologist Jon Rachael.

Last winter, 63 percent survived, which is also higher than the long-term average.

The higher-than-average fawn survival usually means there will be more yearling bucks for hunters to harvest during the fall hunting season.

Mule deer populations will likely require at least two years of above-average winter survival to make up for the declines over the past several winters, Rachael said.

According to Fish and Game data, 63 percent of radio-collared fawns and 73 percent of radio collared elk calves were still alive in May compared to 42 and 69 percent last year.

A year before that, 57 percent of collared fawns and 66 percent of collared calves survived the winter of 2017-2018, and 30 and 52 percent respectively survived the winter before that.

Elk calves have ranged between 52 percent and 84 percent survival depending on the harshness of the winter. Researchers began five years ago collaring elk calves. This year, 73 percent of radio-collared elk calves survived the winter, up from 69 percent last year.

Fish and Game said 93 percent of the collared mule deer does survived last winter 97 percent of the collared cows survived.