State wildlife officials are launching a massive and rare effort to feed the largest mule deer herd in the state, which biologists say face a massive die-off because of extremely deep snow and cold temperatures in the Gunnison Basin.
DOW biologists are predcting that unless the Division of Wildlife feeds the 21,000 deer, 30 percent of the adult female deer will die and as a direct result, 70 percent of the fawns born in 2007 will die and the effects would also result in 50 percent of the bucks dying.
Joe Lewandowski, of the DOW, said that it would take up to eight years to restore the Gunnison herds population.
At present, the DOW is contacting feed mills around Colorado so they can gather the feed necessary to feed the deer. The DOW estimates they can reach about 8,000 of the deer on snowmobiles and snowcats in an operation that should begin about the middle of next week.
Lewandowski said that before they feed the special formula feed to the deer, they will have to scatter hay for the basin’s 16,300 elk to get them away from the areas where the deer will be fed. He said the elk, which normally gather in herds of about 300-400, will “muscle” the mule deer away from the feed unless they are distracted.
Lewandowski said the feeding operation will be costly but it is imperative to preserve the herd.
DOW is crunching the numbers on the cost, and the scope of the feeding/rescue operation will be the focus Thursday at the Colorado Division of Wildlife Meeting at DOW headquarters in Denver.
