Monitoring Wildlife Populations

Transcript for Arizona’s Hunt Recommendation Process

Michael White, Arizona Game & Fish Department: See the deer on the hill right there?

Speaker: These Arizona Game and Fish biologists are hunting mule deer.

Michael White: Yeah, we got two does, a fawn, and a spike.

Speaker: They’re not using guns because they’re only harvesting data.

Michael White: All right, let’s move.

We survey the same routes year after year. And that can let us compare data and give us good trends on what the populations are doing—if they’re going up or down.

Speaker: Counting deer is a critical step in determining how to structure the next season of hunts, including how many permits to issue.

Amber Munig, Arizona Game & Fish Department: We get those counts, and then we use some modeling to generate a population estimate from those counts. We also get the male-to-female ratios and the young-to-female ratios. So, we know how productive those populations are and if they’re within those limits that allow us to offer hunting opportunities.

We do surveys in a given area every other year. So, we’re getting counts of that population and doing population modeling every other year for mule deer.

Speaker: Surveys take place on the ground and high above it.

Curtis Herbert, Arizona Game & Fish Department: One of the best parts of the survey is getting to get out and see your district from the air. As we fly the survey, we’ll see the deer at the left or right side, and we’ll circle the animals and get the data. So, we’re on day two right now. We have one more day left. Yesterday, I think we saw about 45 deer, 70 javelina.

Speaker: Game and Fish wildlife managers use population estimates to make hunt recommendations, but there’s much more to it than that.

Amber Munig: We also look at habitat conditions. We look at whether precipitation has been good. Are we in a drought situation? How long-term has that drought been occurring? We also monitor the harvest. So the hunter harvest—we send out questionnaires, and we get information back from the hunters. And we know what percentage of take is occurring. And all of that feeds back into how we set permit levels for mule deer.

Curtis Herbert: It’s more than just going out looking for deer. I think that’s the general perception—that we just go out, look for deer. And then we make a general recommendation based off how many deer we saw. What it really goes down to—or the key—is the hunt recommendation process.

Speaker: That process starts with guidelines that are adopted every 5 years. They set the basic parameters for hunts based on science and public input.

Amber Munig: There are so many diverse opinions on whether we should be hunting or not hunting, at what level we should be hunting, and then what type of device you would use to hunt with.

Speaker: There are archery-only hunts, muzzleloader hunts, youth hunts, hunts with a high availability of animals, and hunts that are much more challenging.

Amber Munig: The hunters help define what type of experience that particular hunt is going to provide.

Speaker: Some hunters don’t mind seeing a lot of other hunters in the field if it means they have a better chance of drawing a tag each year. Other hunters prefer a more selective, more solitary experience.

Amber Munig: And we see that quite frequently, where the population is robust enough to support a higher level of hunt opportunity. But because of the desires of those hunting in there or the general public, we manage it at a more conservative level.

Speaker: Managing wildlife for all Arizonans, conserving and protecting more than 800 species, is the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s primary mission.

Amber Munig: We manage wildlife in the public trust. Our ultimate goal is a sustainable, robust population that is self-supportive on the landscape. And when we can offer that hunting opportunity, we do.

Michael White: I’m starting to feel like we’re hunting unicorn.

Amber Munig: The hunt recommendations themselves start with our wildlife manager, who’s the person out—the biologist out—on the ground who knows the most about a particular population or a particular herd in a part of the state.

Michael White: The drought of 2018 prior to the summer monsoon rains was really bad. And I’m afraid we had some pretty significant mortality on our mule deer. And that’s one of the main reasons we’re out here checking, is to try to document that.

Speaker: Michael White manages a section of Game Management Unit 21, which stretches from Carefree to Camp Verde just east of I-17.

Michael White: Last night, I think we only had one group that found deer and that is really rare for 21. We almost never get zeros, and so it’s pretty concerning.

Speaker: Michael will take his hunt recommendations to his regional supervisor.

Amber Munig: Before we jump right into the recommendations—

Speaker: Then Amber Munig, the Department’s big game management program supervisor, will meet with each regional office to examine every recommendation.

Amber Munig: Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, the Department recommends—

Speaker:: The final step is to take the hunt recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for approval.

Amber Munig: For the 2019 seasons, we will be looking at a reduction in mule deer permits across the state. Mainly contributed, or what we’ve contributed much of it to, is the poor habitat conditions from drought.

Speaker: The public has a very important role in every step of this process.

Amber Munig: We struggle to get our public involved in that process. And so, the public input is driven by a few. And so if you want to be heard, you have to start talking to us.

Speaker: Game and Fish invites you to attend a Commission meeting or send an email to [email protected]. By doing so, you can make a difference in how wildlife is managed in Arizona.

On screen: Get involved in the Hunt Recommendation Process by emailing your suggestions to: [email protected]