New Mexico hunters indicated the serious crippling of 10 bucks for 48 legal 
bucks brought to bag, or a crippling loss of 21 percent of the legal kill. 
Leopold further remarked, however, that he believed the loss was at least 
30 percent, for not all the replies indicated ears to admit crapphanes 

Johnson in 1940. in an sunpapmenea manuscript 2/ reported but one dead 
buck on 3,200 acres during a survey in the Kaibab National Forest (north) 
after the 1940 deer hunt. At this rate he calculated there would be but 50 
dead deer on the west side of the Kaibab (north) from which 582 deer were 
legally removed. Range loss was consequently calculated as 8 percent of the 
legal removal. For the entire north Kaibab area he estimated that the range 
loss would be ‘Somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of the legal.removal. seas 
After a special hunt in Twelve-Mile Canyon in Utah, Costley, Ky) in, TS 37G 
found through questioning the game wardens and rangers, who were the only 
hunters involved in thet localized removal program, that there were 13 known 
wounded deer not recovered for:67 actually brought to-bag. The known cripples 
represented 19 percent of the legal removal. In some additional studies in 
the Dixie National Forest of Utah, Costley, 4/ in 1940, found a loss ratio of 
5.5 : 1 between the legal kill and the loss through crippling for areas open 
to the killing of botn bucks and does. The data were obtained by cruisers 
spaced 50 feet apart on sample areas of the range. They recorded dead deer 
and paunches or viscewa from deer that had been dressed out and removed. The 
ratio of 5.3 : 1 would represent a crippling loss of 30 percent of the legal 
removal. Colorado research studies by Hunter (1945) revealed that an additional 
15 percent of the deer and elk meee killed died of gunshot wounds or were 
left in the field.. : ‘ 
STUDIES OF LOSSES OF DEER oN THE -FISHLAKE NATIONAL -FOREST THROUGH CRIPPLING 
During the period ‘1939 to 1946, jnenuaiees the United States Forest Service 
carried on investigations on the Pilghileies National Forest in central Utah to 
determine the losses of Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) 
through crippling. These studies were conducted under the supervision of 
the writer while Ber vate as a wildlife technician Tor the forest Service. 

Methods siete SUS oe the Studies 
During one 1939 Hulnt ine season the Utah State Fish and Game Commission 
requested hunters to bring in one ear from each dead deer they found left un- 
cleimed on the range. Only one ear was ta. be taken from each deer so found. 
This reguest resulted. in 380 ears being le ft at checking stations on or ad-—— 
jacent to the Fishleke National Forest. On & subSequent post-hunting-season 
check #ishleke Forest employees found 27 dena deer, of which 4, or 44.8 percent, 
_+# 
2/ Jehnson, Harlan G. Hunting report, Kaibab Netional Forest, North. 
United States forest Service report. 1940. /Gnpublished./ 
3/ Costley, R. J.) Report-of December 21, 1987) to the Regional Forester, 
Ogden, Utah. United States Forest Service report. 1937. /Gnoublished./ 
4/ Costley, R. J. Report of December 20, 1940, to the Regional Forester, 
Ogden, Utah. United States Forest Service report. 1937. [/Unpublishea.7 
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