Climate change...deer numbers

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

You can't possibly, with any level of certainty, attribute impacts to wildlife as being caused by climate change or something else. You just can't. There is so much inherent and random variation in weather, and so many other things that impact wildlife.

If you watch that video I posted, Kerry confirms that current CO2 levels are like 400 PPM. However, when pressed, he also confirms that levels were over 2,000 PPM in the distant past and life didn’t end on earth.

- They have no way to determine what level of PPM triggers changes in climate.
- They have no way to enforce global adoption of emissions cuts
- They have no idea if hitting arbitrary targets will have any impact on climate
- They only have initiatives to reduce emissions that are estimated to cost $1 quadrillion dollars
- These same initiatives are already creating energy crises and threatening the national security of the US and it’s allies

 

[Pony Soldier]

Climate change at my house just means that the elk did not migrate and are still on the summer range.

Similar situation on the news last night where the buffalo are still within the park and have not had to migrate out to get shot.

 

[Ozarkansas]

You can't possibly, with any level of certainty, attribute impacts to wildlife as being caused by climate change or something else. You just can't. There is so much inherent and random variation in weather, and so many other things that impact wildlife.

I can attribute milder winters with ducks and geese not going as far south as early with a pretty high degree of certainty. I can attribute wetter springs with green tree reservoir timber die-offs with even more certainty.
@jjohnsonElknewbie
-can I prove these changes are long term? Nope, and I hope they’re not.

-can I prove that these changes are anthropogenic? Also no, although I personally think it’s too much of a coincidence to discount.

-can wildlife agencies do anything to stop the climate from changing, whether it’s natural or not? Absolutely not.

But we can probably agree that wildlife agencies can and should take steps to insulate game from climate change, whether that’s through ensuring the continued existence of habitat corridors and wintering grounds out west, or renovation of levees and water control structures on the green tree reservoirs in the Mississippi delta

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I live in Washington. I'm sure our game department will steal the idea from you guys.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Oh, the Commission has been listing it as a reason for all the changes they're trying to make. Deer, Elk, Cougar, Bear, Salmon.....if it has feathers, fur or fins they are citing "climate change" as a motive for reducing opportunity.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

But we can probably agree that wildlife agencies can and should take steps to insulate game from climate change, whether that’s through ensuring the continued existence of habitat corridors and wintering grounds out west, or renovation of levees and water control structures on the green tree reservoirs in the Mississippi delta

Wildlife agencies should be doing these things in spite of climate change, not in response to it. When necessary, they should also adjust season dates, tag quotas, and bag limits to insulate game populations based on the previous season's harvest statistics and local weather, fire, and disease impacts. However, this type of monitoring is expensive and many state agencies don't have the funding to execute it regularly.

 

[Ozarkansas]

@jjohnsonElknewbie Then I think other than our opinions on what might cause the climate to change, we’re both in agreement on what state agencies should be doing. I think a lot of the “climate resilience” stuff my state’s game agency does is just sound management that guys knee-jerkingly go against because they don’t want to agree with Al Gore.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

@jjohnsonElknewbie Then I think other than our opinions on what might cause the climate to change, we’re both in agreement on what state agencies should be doing. I think a lot of the “climate resilience” stuff my state’s game agency does is just sound management that guys knee-jerkingly go against because they don’t want to agree with Al Gore.

For sure, change is hard enough, and attempts to justify it in the name of climate change doesn't go over well with your average gun-toting American outdoorsman. Sounds like they need to do a re-brand of these initiatives in AR.

 

[jmez]

Unfortunately for climate change, correlation does not equal causation. Fortunately for climate change, most everyone does not understand the difference.

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2023 using Tapatalk

 

[Stalker69]

You can't possibly, with any level of certainty, attribute impacts to wildlife as being caused by climate change or something else. You just can't. There is so much inherent and random variation in weather, and so many other things that impact wildlife.

Yea, its people, period. It's crazy to say it's solely the weather.

 

[Beaglegun]

The climate changes every winter, spring, summer and fall because of cow farts

 

[406huntermt]

To many doe tags, to many people shooting everything that moves, to many people getting to many tags in multiple states to pad their social media accounts… I mean “fill their freezers”!

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Well, in Idaho they blame the decline in moose on climate change, while saying that wolves have no effect on the population levels. The excuse is that warming climate allows winter ticks to survive farther north. Only issue is the moose in extreme southern Idaho, where you would think the winter ticks would effect the population first are thriving, and expanding their range into northern Nevada, moose in Colorado and Utah also seem to be doing ok, but moose in central and northern Idaho, Montana and Wyoming seem to all be struggling, the common denominator where moose populations are declining vs stable/increasing seems to be wolves but fish and game departments blame climate change


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jfvhpilot]

Wyoming had a very bad winter last year with high snowfall and cold temps, especially in the western section. They adjusted several of their big game seasons to help the herds recover this year. It certainly didn't seem like climate warming. The pronghorn and Muleys suffered the most.

 

[jmez]

That's why they changed the trigger phrase. Global warming only accounts for warmer than usual/normal. Climate change covers it all. It's almost like magic!

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2023 using Tapatalk

 

[Naiche]

I blame Bob Barker and the anti fur people. Predators gobbling all the fawns

 

[Fujicon]

That drought is because of climate change or a natural cycle?

Climate change IS a natural cycle. Any climatologist will tell you this planet's climate is in constant flux -- and there is not one blessed thing mankind can do about it. That is the underlying hoax with the "climate change" alarmists.

 

[Fujicon]

I wanted to see if any of you have heard your state game department blame climate change as a major factor in mule deer decline in your state? Last night here in Oregon a meeting was held in my town to discuss the new management strategy for mule deer. Climate change was brought up as a significant factor, #1, in suppressing our deer herd. Anybody heard such a thing? Seems to me they are using it as a scapegoat because it's something they obviously can't control so they basically don't have to do anything because it's all the result of climate. Just to make this clear, they are not saying a bad winter here or there....actual climate change.

They are saying that because of climate change the deer are malnourished which results in them being easier to prey upon. Ok, I can understand that to a point but to say it's the #1 factor....what a crock of sh*t. It couldn't have anything to do with the 10,000 cougars we have in this state. Nah, that would be controllable and they'd actually have to do something. I guess this is what I get for living in a blue state that hates hunters.

Was there no mention of how white tail are encroaching into mulie habitat and how that is negatively impacting native populations?

 

[Balderdash]

Yes. In norther MN and WI they are blaming climate change for low deer numbers in the areas of the states that have the most wolves.

They are saying the winters are more severe. It's colder because it's hotter. Kid you not.

 

[fshaw]

Climate change is part of a natural cycle that occurs for various reasons over extremely long periods of time. The climate change that humans should be concerned about is the rapid acceleration of natural cycles due to anthropogenic forcing. It is worth reading some science about.

 

[Rckymtnshooter]

Mule Deer populations in NW Montana,specifically the Flathead , have really tanked. Local biologists say that the preferred alpine food sources are disappearing in our historical best areas. They are saying an area west of Kalispell still has good alpine food and that the Mule Deer numbers there are doing much better. They have started a study on this.

They didn't come right out and say climate change in the couple conversations s I had.