The Rich Outdoors

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EP 431: Mule Deer Biology Series – Colorado

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In today’s episode, Jaden wraps up the mule deer biology series with one of the most requested states – Colorado. He sits down to talk with JT Romatzke, the NW Regional Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Colorado offers some of the highest quality deer hunting in the west and the guys talk a lot about how mule deer have been traditionally managed in the state. Also, they go deep into Chronic Wasting Disease, the research from on the ground, and what Colorado is doing to change management strategies in response to new CWD data. This is a great podcast for anyone looking to hunt Colorado or find out more about CWD research.

Show Notes: 
Intro – 0m 55s
Colorado Muley Management Overview – 6m 44s
Ideal Buck to Doe Ratios & CWD – 11m 21s
CWD Effects & Management Proactivity – 21m 22s
Public Reaction, Awareness, & Engagement – 27m 41s
Hunter Numbers & Management – 31m 59s
Effect of Archery Season Date Changes – 37m 14s
What to Ask a Biologist for Info on New Areas – 41m 29s
Closing Thoughts & Ask of Audience – 45m 44s

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EP 427: Mule Deer Biology Series – Nevada

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Welcome to another episode of our Mule Deer Biology Series. Today, Jaden sits down with Cody Schroeder, the Mule Deer Staff Biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Nevada’s mule deer management is a really interesting contrast to states like Montana and Idaho since every hunt is a limited-quota draw hunt. As a result, Cody Schroeder covers the suite of topics in the state of Nevada and mule deer management there. The guys also basically touch on what’s happening with mule deer in every corner of the state, from wild horses and predators in the northwest corner, to fires outside of Elko, to drought in desert units just north of Las Vegas, and everything in between. Enjoy this super informative episode!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to go back and listen to all the different mule deer biology series to give you a good perspective on just how different states manage mule deer populations.

Show Notes: 
Intro – Cody’s Work & Background – 1m 45s
Management Overview – 5m 24s
Bonus Point System – 11m 52s
Impactful Issues on Mule Deer – 18m 59s
Mule Deer Herds on Western NV – 28m 20s
Keystone Requests From the Public – 35m 57s
Closing Thoughts – 43m 4s

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EP 423: Mule Deer Biology Series – Idaho

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Hey guys! I’m stoked to bring you this episode of the Muley Monday Biology Series all about Idaho mule deer. In this podcast, I talk with biologists Matt Pieron, the IDFG Mule Deer Initiative Coordinator, and Curtis Hendrickson, the Regional Wildlife Manager for the Upper Snack Region. We go in deep on habitat and what hunters should look for when identifying good mule deer areas, including some vegetation specifics and what they’re doing or need to do for habitat improvement in Idaho. Also, Idaho just adopted a new mule deer management plan in 2020-2025 and as a result, there are potential changes to the nonresident tag allocation structure in the legislature right now. While it won’t affect hunters in 2020, it’s something to keep an eye on. These are two great guys, and both sportsmen who have devoted their professional careers to working on wildlife issues and we touch on that as it seems to be pretty consistent with all biologists I’ve come across in this series. I really appreciated these guys taking time out of their busy days between winter range counts and crunching harvest data to sit down and talk mule deer.

Show Notes: 
Intro & Biologist Background – 0m 35s
Overview – Idaho Mule Deer Management – 6m 18s
Controlled Hunts & Buck:Doe Ratios – 11m 59s
Winter Herd Losses – 18m 41s
Populations, Habitat & Food Sources – 22m 9s
Hunter Data, Numbers & Opportunity – 47m 8s
What to Ask a Biologist When Researching – 63m 19s
Closing – 69m 19s

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EP 419: Mule Deer Biology Series – Montana

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Welcome back to another episode of the mule deer biology series. In these episodes of Muley Monday we are interviewing biologists across the west to discuss how mule deer are managed, issues impacting mule deer populations and what we as hunters can do to be active participants in mule deer management.

In this week’s episode, Jaden sits down with Montana biologist, Jay Kolbe. Jay has been a biologist in Montana for 25+ years in different areas and has a wealth of knowledge to share about how Montana manages mule deer. From how Montana got to having such long general season to buck to doe ratios to case studies on how special management units affect deer populations within the state, Jay and Jaden cover the gambit of topics in this super informational podcast.

Show Notes: 
Introduction – 1m 17s
MT’s Mule Deer Management Overview – 3m 44s
Population Densities & Winters – 16m 35s
Hunt & Season Change Process – 20m 37s
270 Case Study & CWD – 23m 43s
Fire Effects & Age Class Management – 38m 40s
Public Inquiries & Deer Expectations – 52m 41s
BMA – Block Management Program – 58m 10s
Your Feedback Matters – 65m 13s

You can find this episode and all Muley Monday’s exclusively on The Rich Outdoors Patreon feed.

Stay tuned for more of these conversations with biologists regarding mule deer and mule deer management across the west as we hope to get folks on from states like Colorado, Nevada, and others.

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EP 415: Mule Deer Biology Series – Wyoming

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Hey guys! This is Jaden Bales from the Rich Outdoors. 2020 is the “Year of the Deer” for me, so you can expect a bit more coming from me in the future as I document how I’m trying to take my deer hunting skills to the next level this year. I wanted to kick off the Year of the Deer by getting biologists on from different states to better understand how mule deer are managed across the west. The hope is this can help me, and the rest of the listeners, better understand harvest states, mule deer populations, and hopefully make the right application choices this spring.

To kick off the series, I wanted to have on my good friend from Wyoming, Lee Knox. Lee and I became close when I lived down in Laramie and often times would ourselves deep in conversations about some of the data he’s gathering regarding mule deer age classes, antler sizes, the research that’s out about CWD, and much more. Without making too bold of claims, he does a good job at pointing to the best information managers in Wyoming have available that’s helped them make their management decisions. Importantly, he also covers how mule deer are managed in the public trust and how public input plays an important role in how seasons, and ultimately deer are managed in various regions around Wyoming.

Show Notes: 
Introduction – 0m 34s
Mule Deer Management in WY – 6m 11s
Special Management Units & Age Classes – 16m 12s
Age & Antler Restrictions – 40m 7s
CWD Management – 50m 7s
Contact Info – 72m 56s

You can find this episode and all Muley Monday’s exclusively on The Rich Outdoors Patreon feed.

Stay tuned for more of these conversations with biologists regarding mule deer and mule deer management across the west as I hope to get folks on from states like Colorado, Nevada, Montana, and others.

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