Some of my views on Blacktail management.

The state of Oregon should stop using its dwindling number of Blacktail deer for a paycheck. In years past the Blacktail deer numbers were exploding in Southwest Oregon, but for the past fourteen years the numbers have been declining at an alarming rate. In 1979 there were an estimated 452,000 Blacktail deer in western Oregon; numbers are now down around 250,000. These deer are faced with disease, loss of habitat, and an explosion in the predator population just to name a few of their challenges. It seems as though every time the declining deer numbers are shown to ODFW (Oregon department of fish and wildlife) the blame is given to these things and say that there is nothing they can do about it. Instead of complaining they need to change their management tactics, and stop selling an unlimited number of deer tags every year. There are many different things ODFW could do to bring the deer numbers up, but it would lower the amount of money they brought in for a couple years, because of a decrease in the number of tags to sell.
The first thing that needs to be done is the buck to doe ratio needs to be in check. There absolutely cannot be a healthy deer herd with Oregon’s current ratio. “A minimum healthy buck to doe ratio is 50:100, but 75:100 is ideal”. It is also stated that Southwest Oregon currently sits at 12:100, which is less than a quarter of their 50:100 objective. A good start to reaching this goal is to stop letting hunters shoot any buck that they see; if ODFW would only let hunters take a buck with no less than three-points on each side the numbers would start to rebound quickly, about 75% of the bucks killed are young, immature deer with two or less points per side. There are many people who would not like this rule at all if it were to be enacted. Hunters might say “I’m just a meat hunter, you can’t eat the horns”. While I understand how they feel, it’s not about the horns; it’s about wildlife management and preservation. If these people really care about and respect the animals that they hunt, they will listen to reason, and give a little for the health of the deer population. If things continue the way that they are, there will be no hunting at all in a few years because the blacktail deer will be almost completely wiped out.
Another problem that a low buck to doe ratio poses is that there are not enough bucks to breed with all of the does. An average buck will breed 2-5 does a year. If a doe is not bred, she will go back into estrous twenty-eight days later; she will continue to go in and out of estrous two or three times if not bred. The problem this poses is; the fawns are born over a three month period instead of a three week period like they are supposed to. Spreading the birthing season out like this provides predators with a nice steady supply of easy meals; whereas, when the process takes three weeks, the predators can only get so many before they are big enough to have a chance at escaping. A combination of the predator problem and being born too late in the season to survive winter has dropped fawn survival rates to dismal all time lows.
In-breeding is also a negative side effect of low buck to doe ratios. In the past ten years, Blacktail deer have been battling chronic hair loss; which is a side effect of Asian lice. When deer are infected with the lice, they rub themselves bare in spots and can ultimately die from exposure. However, it is possible for the deer to survive this. In-breeding has caused the deer to become genetically weaker and more prone to die from “chronic hair loss”. Not only are the deer becoming weaker, they are much smaller than in years past. Fifteen years ago the average adult male Blacktail deer weighed 175 pounds on average; today the average is around 115 pounds.
It also would be a good idea for Oregon to stop selling an unlimited number of tags to hunters. This might cause some frustration for hunters on years that they do not get a tag, but once the buck to doe ratio is in check and deer numbers are back up, they could go back to the old system. If hunters would stand back and take a look at the big picture, they would be able to see that using a proven scientific management system will benefit everyone involved. There are many other states that have tried these management tactics in the past and now in those states hunters can get as many as five deer tags a year instead of just one like here in Oregon.
Take Missouri for example, in 1925 their states deer population was all but gone with only 400 deer left in the state. The first thing they had to do was shut all hunting down for five years to let the population recover somewhat. After five years they started allowing limited hunting opportunities with antler point restrictions. Something else they do is allowing doe hunting to keep the buck to doe ratio in check. Through the last sixty plus years of good quality management, their deer population has exploded to over 800,000. This is just one example, there are many states that focus on buck to doe ratio, and have excellent deer numbers to prove that it works.
Something that ODFW could look forward to once deer numbers are in check is an increase in revenue. Blacktail deer are only found on the west coast and are highly sought after by hunters from all over the world. If Oregon has a high buck to doe ratio and a healthy herd, the hunting opportunities will be much better and will draw hunters from all over the world. The cost of a deer tag and license for an Oregon resident is forty-two dollars; the cost for a non-resident is three hundred forty-one dollars. With many non-resident hunters coming to Oregon for the great hunting opportunities, the money would add up fast. The state would also be able to make more money off residents because they would be selling doe tags every year to keep the buck to doe ratio in check, each hunter would buy three or four tags instead of just one.
Starting a program like this in Oregon would not benefit only hunters. It would help the state with added revenue. It would create enjoyment for people who enjoy just observing and photographing animals. It would also help maintain a healthy population of predators. If Oregon’s deer numbers get much lower the bear, cougar, and coyote that depend on them to survive will starve to death. If these predators die hunters will stop spending the money on tags and the state will lose even more money. If ODFW would be willing to take a cut in revenue for a few years and manage deer with simple science it would pay off. It would be great to see the words “Blacktail deer population on the rise” on the cover of “Oregon Hunter”.