NORTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA — Antlerless deer harvest has been halted or curtailed by several coastal treaty Indian tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to bolster black-tail deer populations over a large swath of the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Death claimed nearly three-quarters of 126 radio-collared fawns tracked during the first three years of a four year study by the Makah tribe. The young deer were followed as they moved through Makah reservation lands and private timberlands. Biologists believe the Olympic Peninsula black-tail deer population is likely declining.
Most of the fawns died from predation by cougars and bobcats, combined with poor body condition caused by hair loss syndrome, which is caused by exotic, biting lice. While hair loss syndrome doesn’t kill deer outright, the incessant licking and scratching caused by the lice prevents the animal from feeding well and distracts its attention from predators. It also interferes with the deer’s ability to regulate its body temperature, particularly during the winter and spring, when pneumonia can set in.
“The management measures are an inter-tribal and state milestone,” said Rob McCoy, wildlife division manager for the Makah Tribe. “Everyone worked together to do something to protect the population for the future. “Harvest is something we can control. We don’t have the capability to accomplish predator control at this time and we can’t control the hair loss disease,” said McCoy. “This is the best way to maximize adult doe survival and increase the numbers of offspring,” he said.
“The community stepped up based on this information,” said Frank Geyer, Timber/Fish/Wildlife biologist for the Quileute Tribe. “It’s a hardship for many who depend on this meat for their families, but it’s about protecting the resource for the future.”
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has also halted antlerless deer harvest in their traditional hunting areas and Jamestown S’Kllallam and Port Gamble S’Klallam have agreed not to harvest antlerless deers in places they hunt west of Port Angeles.
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For more information, contact: Rob McCoy, Wildlife Division Manager, Makah Tribe, (360)645-3058; Frank Geyer, Timber/Fish/Wildlife biologist, Quileute Tribe, (360) 374-5695; Debbie Preston, Coastal Information Officer, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, (360) 374-5501
