https://wgfd.wyo.gov/news-events/game-and-fish-host-mule-deer-community-conversations

[mightyhunter]

Mule deer discussions. I was advised by the local warden about these mule deer meetings. In the Cody Region they start in December. The Powell and Cody meetings are scheduled for a couple of brew pubs. I have no idea why they didn’t use the new Game and Fish office. The warden asked me to attend. I am reluctant to do so. I don’t need another power point presentation from the same old person. Does anyone have an idea why these meetings are being scheduled? Whose idea? What the format will be? Mh

 

[wytex]

I'm betting they haven't given up on reducing mature buck numbers to lower CWD prevalence. Seems they can't understand we want more bucks not less and yes we still have mature bucks in high CWD areas, they don't want to believe that either.

 

[mightyhunter]

I have looked at the JCR for the last few years on the CF herd and Upper Shoshone Herd. There is virtually no discussion of predation (wolf, lion, bear or coyote) and the focus is CWD. The JCR used to discuss predation. My recollection is lion, wolf and grizzly bear populations are up in the Cody area. If the meeting I attend turns out to be another “dog and pony show” from the same biologist I will conclude these meetings are just another attempt to seek affirmation and to ignore the public. Just sayin…mh

 

[nfh]

They want to keep selling people on cwd. Deer numbers dropped well before cwd was a thing.

I have said it before, I give up on the meetings. Minds are made up before we attend. They never want to hear what we have to say especially when it's against their agenda.

My guess for the brewery is they want you to buy some mule deer foundation beer.

 

[DeerHunter53]

Mule deer discussions. I was advised by the local warden about these mule deer meetings. In the Cody Region they start in December. The Powell and Cody meetings are scheduled for a couple of brew pubs. I have no idea why they didn’t use the new Game and Fish office. The warden asked me to attend. I am reluctant to do so. I don’t need another power point presentation from the same old person. Does anyone have an idea why these meetings are being scheduled? Whose idea? What the format will be? Mh

It's never good when they do a meeting in a bar. Everyone gets a liquored up before the meeting and starts ****. Nothing good gets accomplished and I imagine that not too many remember what happened the day before.

 

[jims]

Those of us that live in the hotbed of CWD in Colorado, the late rifle season dates plus increase in buck/doe tags has done absolutely nothing to prevent or lower the prevalence of CWD.

From my point of view, this management strategy has done more harm than good. It's been almost 50 years since CWD prions first hit the soil in the hotbed of CWD in Colorado and I see mature bucks and does doing just fine....especially in years where there were more mature bucks in the herds. In fact, with the lush shrub and forb browse growth I've seen the last 2 springs, I've seen more twin fawns than I've seen for years.

Below is a photo of one of many old age class monster muley bucks that has survived CWD on the Arsenal near Denver where CWD existed in the concentrated high fenced area since the 1980's. Living proof that even though CWD prions have built up in the soils for 50 years mature bucks survive.

The mature buck below likely spreads his genetics with CWD resistant allele genes to the herd. This is almost the opposite management strategy of what the CPW has conducted here in Colorado. Mature bucks that live through CWD offer the best genetic material in the entire deer herd! CWD prions last for centuries in the soil. The CPW could harvest every deer in a herd and there will still be CPW prions in the soil.

Predators and rough winters often take care of the few sick CWD deer that exist, leaving healthy deer that have survived years of CWD prions in soils to survive.

I'm pretty sure there has been an outcry by the public in Colorado against culling and harvesting older age class bucks for the sake of CWD....it aint working! My guess is that the late rifle season dates here in Colo will likely be eliminated in the near future.