2014 Deer Hunting Info From the Wildlife Biologist

[Badger's HuntressC]

Hey all. Jess (our biologist) talked to my husband a while back and confirmed she had found employment in another state and that she was headed out. I won't be specific to the state but hopefully she does well. I think that some of the things she put in place may well be utilized for the upcoming season (seasons?), but we are not able to confirm or deny any details as they were speculation during the time of the discussions. Wait and see is about all we have unless more specifics are clarified by Conservation and or Environmental. I was reminded by someone recently that most evidence points to the lower priority status both monetarily and man power wise that deer management seems to get on base. It is an opinion I consider plausible in light of the lack of management evident during the fiasco that came to be known as the extended G-11 season hunt on Vandenberg.

I still appreciate the debates and discussions being put forth by folks who post on this site as to how to better manage the deer on Vandenberg. As hunters and outdoor enthusiasts we want a system in place that works to all our benefits without being detrimental to the lands and the wildlife. Most of the men and women I know who spend the time in the outdoors like we all do recognize that without long term visions and protections in place it spells disaster for the lands and all it contains. The world is constantly changing and we must adapt to meet those changes for here and now and for the future.

How? Lets continue to discuss and question and gripe because maybe the right answers and tools will come to light through such processes. We know what worked on Vandenberg in the past based on many of our long term experiences of hunting and outdoor pursuits over the years. Now there is a lot less to work with in terms of quality and quantity on Vandenberg for all the reasons mentioned before, so we better tread lightly and on the side of caution regarding up coming seasons on Vandenberg. It is intimidating to look back and see how relatively quickly a thriving resource can be mismanaged and brought to such a state as it is today (and yes the drought and lions and overharvest all tie into mix).

"Remember when..." is always the good starting off point to any hunting story. I want the stories to continue but it won't be without a lot of trial and error since we've gone so far away from the good ol' days of short (6 weeks, remember) seasons and well timed Zone A buck only season with an even shorter G-11 antlerless within that time frame.

Have a good night!

 

[weekender21]

You pretty much nailed it Monica. As much as I hated to see the A zone season ending just as the rut was getting started, it worked. The population on VAFB was good and improving 5 or 6 years ago. I do think this ridiculous drought has had a huge impact too but the extended season sure didn't help.

The biggest problem I see is a lack of consistent management effort. Lets not kid each other, deer management on VAFB is not a priority of the base or the state. The "old way" kept things simple and seemed to work. It was easy for whoever was in charge at the time to enforce. I'd love to see it go back to:



-A zone season dates and tags (including archery only (AO) tags which is legal everywhere in the A zone)

-Late season MA tags (only if drawn through state and only for those who are eligible to hunt on base) this would drastically reduce the number of deer hunters on base during the rut and post rut.

-G11 either sex tags issued only for areas with population reduction in mind. The only problem here is that this is completely subjective. Who makes the decision?



Anyway, I've been in Hawaii for a few years and won't likely get to hunt VAFB for a few more seasons. Hopefully things are headed in the right direction soon. Glad to see rain in the forecast!