ORIGINAL: Screamin Steel
Of course there is recruitment each year, but since I didn't have a figure to work with I didn'tmake a big deal about it.And since I'm sure they will begin their HR by targeting mature does, and shooting year roundit wll be less of a factor. Regardless ...here is another thing to consider. They want to reduce the current herd of 1560 by 1300 leaving a target goal of 260 animals per 5.6 sq miles. That is their goal. (80% reduction) That is still a DD of 46 dpsm. RSB, you have stated that the herd is being controlled by nature as it has already begun declining on its own...exceeding the CC of the habitat. So why would their experts reccomend such a high density goal in depleted habitat, when PGC experts reccomended single digit OWDD in regions that never even came close to 278 dpsm, even at peak population?
I have no idea why they selected that population objective but perhaps the fact that the majority of deer there can leave to find food or even become a legal harvest where populations are controlled at an equal or lower number through legal hunting might have some influence in the number. Those factors might mean that many deer can use the park without significant oradverse long term affects. I don't know though and can really only guess at their management objectives.
That 46 deer per square mile might not be such an outrageous population size for the area either based on the fact that the surrounding wildlife management unit already has a five average harvest of 6.93 deer per square mile being harvested by legal hunters.
R.S. Bodenhorn