Photo: Cowboy Wildlife Photography

PWA wildlife Committee

The Committee is responsible for dealing with any wildlife matter which the membership feels deserves the PWA's attention. We have worked with the Conservation officers on enforcement issues, with the Biologists on management issues, and with the Habitat Dep't to preserve critical ungulate winter ranges. The Lillooet River and Gates Creek watersheds are our main focus, but we have commented on provincial issues from time to time as well.

The committee is now into the third year of a deer radio collaring project which the Ministry of Environment is conducting. Volunteers are needed for this work - contact the committee chair for details.

PWA Deer Hunting Survey - 2010

Here are the results of our latest deer hunting survey for MU 2-11:

26 hunters - 190 man days - average of 7.3 days per hunter

430 deer observed - average of 2.3 per day
94 bucks observed - average of .5 per day - two man days in the field to see one
108 fawns and 228 does observed

15 Class four bucks observed - average of .08 per day - over 10 man days to see one

20 bucks harvested - 9.5 man days per kill
4 hunters who took the bag limit of 2 bucks - 12 hunters who took one buck
8 hunters who were "skunked" - or did not see the buck they wanted….

3.6 antlerless deer observed per buck
22.4 antlerless deer observed per mature buck

PDFDownload a GPS Collar Tracking Map

Details on bucks observed:
Class 1 - 29, Class 2 - 20, Class 3 - 24, Class 4 - 15

Details on bucks harvested:
Class 1 - 2, Class 2 - 5, Class 3 - 6, Class 4 - 7

The Ministry of Environment's goal for the herd is the following ratio:
>20 bucks/>55 fawns/>40 yearlings per 100 does

We recorded:
41 bucks/ 47 fawns/ 0 yearlings per 100 does (yearlings are not counted in the fall)

General observations:

  • hunter effort was slightly higher than last year
  • total deer observed per day was slightly lower
  • buck to doe ratio remains higher than the management goal.
  • fawn to doe ratio still appears low - did we sort out all the fawns from does?

It has been suggested that the annual survey include antlerless harvest & predator observations - We'll try to fit that in next year.

Thanks to those who took time to fill out the survey.  A PWA cap will be awarded to one of you after "the draw" which will be held at our Feb. 2 - 2011 AGM.  Hope to see you there…..

Committee Contact: Steve Isdahl