Buck harvest has been shown to be the best indicator of long term population trends in white- 

 tailed and mule deer populations of eastern Montana (Dusek et al, 1989, Wood et al, 1989). 

 The harvest survey information was reviewed for consistency as a part of the effort to 

 complete a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) on Montana's wildlife 

 management program. Deer harvest survey methodology has changed throughout the years. 

 Although early harvest figures are a reasonable reflection of what actually occurred, harvest 

 trend information since 1971 is the most accurate. Therefore, the following estimates of trend 

 in harvest are for the period 1971 - 1994. 



Total buck deer (both species) harvest from 1971 - 1994 indicates a strong upward trend, 

 since the low recorded in 1976 (Figure 6). Deer hunter days is the only estimate of hunter 

 effort available. Deer hunter effort per buck deer in the bag varied inversely with numbers of 

 buck deer harvested (Figure 6). In other words, with an increase in numbers of bucks 

 harvested over time, a reflection of increasing populations, unit effort expended per buck 

 harvested declined. This same relationship was found when comparing hunter effort vs. 

 whitetail bucks harvested in western, southern and eastern Montana. 



The trend in both mule deer and white-tailed deer buck harvest is compared regionally in 

 Appendix II. The buck harvest in Region 1 indicates populations of both mule deer and 

 white-tailed deer in northwestern Montana are significantly higher now than those recorded 

 in the 60s and 70s. Mule deer populations also appear to be up in the northeast. Region 6. 

 White-tailed deer populations are also at all time highs in Regions 2 and 3 . Periodic 

 population fluctuations typical of mule deer in the prairie environment is very evident in the 

 buck harvest of Region 7, the southeast portion of the state. 



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Figures. Buck Harvest vs Hunter Effort. 1971-1994 

 100 



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YEAR 



□ BUCK HARVEST ♦♦ DAYS/BUCK HARV 



MFWP HARVEST STATISTICS (RECONCILED) 



11 



10 



