EXTREME HEAT COULD AFFECT DEER HERDS
BY JIM NIEMIEC
BRIDGEPORT – The outlook for the general deer seasons, that will begin opening up over the next couple of weeks, isn’t looking all that promising. Day time temps, even at higher elevations have been pushing up into the mid-eighties, doesn’t bode wells for opening day of the season. Night time temps have started to drop significantly, but still over-all, lows have hard pressed to get blow freezing temperature.
Western Outdoor News checked in with Joe Beard, at Ken’s Sporting Goods, 760-932-7707, in Bridgeport, to get an update report on the deer status and a first had field report.
“It’s been very hot along the entire Eastern Sierra for the past couple of weeks. Night time temps are still holding in the high forties to low fifties, but not many nights see the temp falling below freezing. The area is expecting some rain and cooler temperatures to arrive before the general X12 season opens on September 19. As of today, we have not heard any reports coming in from archery hunters and no bucks have been brought into the tackle store, as it has just been too hot out there,” said Beard.
Beard went on to add, “Likely the bulk of the deer heard in hunt zones 12X and X9a are hanging out at higher elevations along the eastern slopes of the High Sierra, I would expect most deer hunters will be targeting the mountain country between 7,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level. Reports coming in from local hunters indicate that there appears to be a huntable population of mule deer in these zones. The mild winter of this year, seems to have built up deer herds and these deer are recovering from the devastating cold freezing weather of the 2023 winter kill.”
There were (are) just 350 buck only tags available by draw for zone 12x and for zone X9a the allotted number of premium buck only tags is 270 deer. During last deer season the total deer harvest for the 12X zone was a dismal 17 mule deer and for those that hunted the X9a zone a total of 126 bucks were reported harvested.
WON checked in with Reagan’s Sporting Goods, 760-872-3000, in Bishop to get some information on prospects for the opening of the X9b and X9c zones. To date, the weather has been extremely hot, with day time temps reaching above 100 degrees. Hunters are just now starting to scout lower elevations in advance of the archery season. Local deer hunters have indicated that deer herds seem to be in good shape with huntable numbers in place. Bachelor groups of mixed bucks are just about done with scraping away velvet off antlers. The Sherwin Grade buck population has bounced back since the freeze of 2023, but there have been a couple of wild fires along Hwy. 395 that could affect the movement of deer coming out of the high country late in the season for these trophy class deer zones.
General deer seasons for zone D-19 opens on October 3, while those who plan on hunting zone D-16 will have to hold off hunting until October 24, with both seasons running for 30 days. These two zones are very popular and can often produce some outstanding mule deer bucks. This WON Sr. hunting writer, checked in with outdoor expert Steve Turigliatto of San Diego to find out the deer status for this region of Cleveland National Forest and other huntable land.
“I just scouted zone D-16 and My Country Club ranches this past week. Saw lots of deer on MCC properties, but only saw 2 deer on adjoining forest lands. It is very dry, despite recent thunderstorms. The deer seem to be in good shape though, and several fawns were spotted. My scouting was in the northern part of San Diego County, and I didn’t see any deer on the San Felipe W.A., but did check out one of the springs that I know of and it had water, and there was some good deer sign,” said Turigliatto.
Turigliatto went on to add, “The deer herd population on MCC ranches seems to be solid and I saw at least 15 deer in one small area. Deer season should be about the same as last year, which was very good. MCC now includes French Valley on Palomar Mountain.”
