So Why Not “Predator Free Zones” In Maine?
January 4, 2010
Open for discussion! Please use the comment section at the bottom of the page.
I tossed out a suggestion a few days ago as one of several on ways to help protect and rebuild Maine’s depleted whitetail deer populations. That suggestion was to create predator free zones, mainly around deer wintering areas. My idea is a modification of predator zoning suggested by Dr. Valerius Geist.
I thought about this idea a bit more this weekend. It seems that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants to put the blame on the deer demise on two specific occurrences: harsh winters and loss of wintering habitat. While I know of nobody who disputes that assessment, I also know of few who think that’s the ONLY problem.
We can’t do much about the weather and trying to tell private landowners what they have to do with their land is a touchy subject. We know some winter deer yards have been destroyed but many still exist. George Smith, Executive Director for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, says that some of the winter deer yards on the state’s public lands don’t have any deer in them. This tells us that the problems with the wintering yards isn’t that they have simply been cut down. Why are there no deer in these yards?
There is a situation in parts of the state where the deer are reported to have been depleted beyond sustainable levels. In these areas and others, the state is no longer looking at maintaining population numbers and certainly not reducing. The deer need to be replenished. At these levels saving one or two deer might make the difference.
Smith (SAM) has asked MDIFW if they will map out the deer wintering areas. If this can be done, then why can’t we use the same mapping and designate predator free zones around those wintering areas that are low on deer and high on predators? Of course this would take a strong commitment on the part of MDIFW to stand by such a decision as being one of necessity in order to save a species. They can’t start the project and then back down at the first threat of a lawsuit aimed at stopping predator control.
These predator free zones would receive immediate and priority attention and resources. The goal here wouldn’t be to kill off all predators but to keep them away from winter deer yards. Gerry Lavigne, retired deer biologist for MDIFW, believes that targeted predator control will work. He is not alone. Dr. Valerius Geist says that creating predator zones should be an integral part of wildlife management.
Reducing the number of predators around winter deer yards will save some deer and will help with fawn survival rates. If we are staring down the barrel of extirpation, I see saving one, two or six deer as well worth the effort. What do you think?
Do you think predator free zones can work? What are your ideas on how to implement a predator free zone? Please use the comment section of this article to express your thoughts and ideas.
Tom Remington
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Predator free zones. What a nutty idea.
Actually, it is the first I have ever heard of it. In fact, it may not be as nutty as I it sounds or as I first thought it to be.
It is the first affirnative step I have seen proposed other than to starve the Coyotes after they have killed-off all the deer. The balance of nature thing – you know…
If we are not gonna manage the deer herd we might as well end all restrictions on hunting deer by humans (seasons, bag limits, weaponry) and beat the Coyotes to the last deer. The wily fellers can then starve a few years earlier.
What use is it to have a staff of biologists to just keep track of a vanishing deer herd. I can see the deer are being exterminated just by hunting the Bingham area. You don’t have to tell me that! Lead, follow or get out of the way fellers…
Great idea which would serve to funciton as a research effort and help disprove “natural balance” as a viable, sustainable theory of biological management. Over the past two million years, man’s predation is absolutely essential to keep dangerous predators from eradicating lesser species. When we abidcate that natural role, lesser species and unarmed humans needlessly suffer. I saw an article in Field and Stream about the time California made mountain lion hunting illegal forever. The biologist who wrote the article said that attacks on humans were the sign of an over-population of cougars. At the time of the ban, such attacks were occurring, and of course they became worse. Confusion arises when game departments are confounded by the nonsense soup of animal rights…..the cougar has a right to be there. No it does not. See Robert Cupp’s SMU Law Review Article 2007 “Dubious grail:…”
I think predator free zones around deer yards is an excellent idea. Combine predator free zones with supplemental feedings in traditionally used deer yards and you have a reciepe for winter survival for whietails. The last two years spent roaming around sherman and cyrstal area deer yards is enough to sicken anyone. Deep snow, lack of quality feed and overpopulated blood thirsty coyotes have set the stage for a mass slaughter of unprotected deer. In the winter of 08′ alone it is reasonable to say that we lost 50-60% of our deer herd. There were more dead deer than could be eaten by scavengers, as evidenced by seeing uneaten kills. When questioning state wildlife managers about feeding and management programs, money always seems to be the problem. Where does all our liscense revenue go? How can anyone think that you can milk a rescource and never put anything into it and think it will remain substainaible is beyond me. To get back on task the best way to have predator free zones and to feed deer is to. Locate active deer yards and start a centralized supplemental deer feeding program. What I mean about centralized is to feed deer in the middle of the yard away from roads and people. This will help the incident of roadkills and keep people from stressing out deer. The second step is to set up coyote baits and shooting shacks on the outside perimiters of the active deer yards. Baits should be placed far enough away from the yards so hunters don’t bother deer, but close enough to lure coyotes out of the deer yards. These setups should be manned as much as possible to prevent coyotes from getting away, shoot straight. We need to pull together and ensure that deer populations will be plentiful for future generations.