Province’s mule deer management plan getting update

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alberta is looking to update its management plan for mule deer, a species that is said to be declining in western parts of the province but abundant in the east.

The formation of a new advisory committee to modernize Alberta’s mule deer management plan was announced by the government on Aug. 12. The current plan is more than 30 years old and does not reflect the current issues facing the species today, according to a news release.

The new plan will balance conservation, economic, recreational and Indigenous goals, said Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks. 

“It’s clear that action needs to be taken to address concerns with the mule deer population in Alberta,” he said.

The panel will include representatives from a number of organizations with “deep knowledge and interest in mule deer management in Alberta,” including Alberta Conservation Association, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Bowhunters Association, Alberta Fish and Game Association, Alberta Professional Outfitters Society and the Metis Settlements General Council.

Mule deer numbers vary across the province, explained Todd Zimmerling, president and CEO of Alberta Conservation Association. “Overall, the species is in good shape across the province, but there are certainly pockets here and there that I would say it’s a conservation concern,” he said.

Mule deer populations in the west central, mountain and foothills wildlife management units (WMU) are reportedly declining. In response, the province may adjust some hunting seasons or tag allocations, he said.

“The management plan should work towards deciding, what is our goal? How many mule deer do we want in this area, and when (the numbers) drop below a certain level, then the number of tags should drop to whatever level to account for that so we make sure we’re not overharvesting when we have many years of reduced numbers,” said Zimmerling.

In the prairies, it’s a different story – not just for mule deer, but for people too.

“Thirty years ago, when the last plan was made, the demographics and attitudes across the province was very different than it is today,” Zimmerling noted. “What we’re doing is developing a management plan that suits what people want nowadays.”

Today, there is less social acceptance of having abundant deer running across roads because people are hitting them with their cars. “That’s a major issue that probably wasn’t there 30 years ago.” Also farming practices have changed, which has resulted in more conflict between mule deer and hay producers.

Therefore, the panel will consider the “social carrying capacity” of the landscape, rather than the biological one, he said.

Mule deer are abundant in Wheatland County. Across WMUs 156, 160, 152 and 138, parts of which includes all of the county, the mule deer population is estimated at 12,000, based on aerial surveys and harvest reports, according to John Muir, spokesperson for Alberta Environment and Parks.

Within WMU 156 alone, there is an estimated 2,600 mule deer, based on an aerial survey flown on Jan. 13 to 16, 2020. In 2018, the mule deer harvest within this management unit was 220 total mule deer (150 male, 58 female and 12 young), accounting for a 71 per cent success rate. 

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible and fatal prion disease affecting ungulates, is also a major consideration in developing a new plan, as it was not a problem 30 years ago.

“It’s starting to spread through our mule deer population, and in some cases, is getting into white-tailed deer as well,” said Zimmerling. “So, what is the plan? What do we want to do about that?

“If you reduce deer numbers way down, the ability (of the disease) to spread decreases, but what’s the downside of doing that?”

The panel will be studying different approaches and their respective outcomes as to how species management could play a role in controlling CWD.

Hunting in areas with CWD also aids in the studying of the disease. In certain WMUs, including WMU 156, it is mandatory to submit the head of harvested white-tailed and mule deer, which are then tested for the disease.

Despite these trends and issues, the panel does not have an initial direction in terms of increasing or decreasing harvesting in specific areas. Instead, Zimmerling said they are considering, “what are the key issues, what are the different options, and of those options, what makes the most sense?”