NE Nevada tag reductions and winter kill. (Ruby Mountains)

[nphunter]

I’ve seen a ton of talk about WY, UT and East ID deer taking a huge hit but it sounds like NE NV took one as well.

I just spoke with the bio out of Elko discussing the Rubies. They are seeing 50% fawn mortality and about 20% adult mortality. Sounds like there are going to be some huge tag cuts due to the hit the deer herd took this winter.

I assume a good portion of that 20% adult mortality are older age class bucks. I wonder if they will be announcing the reduced numbers prior to the application deadline in a coupe weeks? It sounds like there will be a significant reductions.

 

[Grundy53]

That's unfortunate. Hope the herd bounces back.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[MuleyFever]

I assume a good portion of that 20% adult mortality are older age class bucks.

Why would you assume that?

 

[WeiserBucks]

Why would you assume that?

Because they run themselves into the ground during the rut and enter the winter in poor condition leaving them vulnerable to any number of pitfalls?

 

[Jaden Bales]

Bucks run really close to the same morts as does in the winter. For instance the collared bucks are at 49% in the Wyoming Range and the does are at 47% survival currently.

20% mortality is only slightly set back. Averages around the west are 10-15% on any given unit, so I wouldn’t be too alarmed if I were hunting the Ruby’s. Probably nice to ease a little pressure if a guy can still draw.

 

[Dendragapus]

NDOW releases proposed quotas prior to draw, commission has finalized them a couple days before draw the past few years. Proposed quotas have been released, it ain't pretty. Repeal the wild horse and burro act.

 

[nphunter]

NR Rifle deer tags in 101-109 reduced from 150 down to 36 tags. NR Archery from 73 total to 47.

Res from about 3300 total combined tags down to about 1400.

Overall about a 60% reduction in total tags. Around 70% decrease in rifle tags across the board.

That should make an impact for sure!

 

[Dirtscoots]

Would you mind sharing a link to be able to view cuts in other units?

 

[dplumlee12]

Looked like more southern areas were reduced considerably also.

 

[nphunter]

Would you mind sharing a link to be able to view cuts in other units?

https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/16B-CR-23-14-2023-2024-Recommended-Big-Game-Quotas-Memo-and-Language-1.pdf

 

[Dirtscoots]

Thank you

 

[Jaden Bales]

I went back and did more digging. Bummer so many units have cuts outside the NE corner, too. I always find it funny when NV makes 1-3 tag changes year to year. Maybe it’s statistically significant but when you’re talking Archery tags it feels excessive.

 

[bojangles808]

curious as why would they decrease early season tags but increase mid season tags in certain units. looking at 171-173. any clue what that would accomplish? genuinely curious.

short term this feels like a kick in the you know what but long term this moisture should help the herd down the road? or is this nothing to be half glass full about

 

[nphunter]

curious as why would they decrease early season tags but increase mid season tags in certain units. looking at 171-173. any clue what that would accomplish? genuinely curious.

short term this feels like a kick in the you know what but long term this moisture should help the herd down the road? or is this nothing to be half glass full about

Maybe they were trying to re-allocate some of those 1500+ rifle tags they cut? Mid season is also the hardest time period to kill a buck, they tend to stick to cover once they strip their velvet, so it should be the rifle season with the lowest success rate.

I agree with the moisture being good, from talking with bio's it sounds like this drought has been keeping does skinny, and skinny does often don't breed and are not always successful when they do. It should defiantly be a good year for antler growth for the bucks that survived.

 

[WKR]

To clarify......

Please edit your post and remove any unit numbers and or specifics

 

[Wyatt.Carter]

curious as why would they decrease early season tags but increase mid season tags in certain units. looking at 171-173. any clue what that would accomplish? genuinely curious.

short term this feels like a kick in the you know what but long term this moisture should help the herd down the road? or is this nothing to be half glass full about

I believe its a " more tags, less death" strategy by NDOW. Give some folks the opportunity to hunt but not crush what's left on the landscape post-drought