Baker County's deer herds are taking advantage of green grass growing as winter's deep snow retreats. (Photo by Jon Croghan).

By JAYSON JACOBY

Baker City Herald

Nick Myatt worried, for the whole long spell of wintry weeks, about the deer.

His fears turned out to be well-founded.

The recently concluded winter (concluded according to the calendar, anyway) culled Baker County’s deer herds with a ruthlessness unmatched since 1993.

Myatt emphasizes, though, that what befell the deer doesn’t qualify as a disaster.

andquot;It was a significant winter, but compared to some winters in the early ’90s and ’80s, it wasn’t anything like those,andquot; said Myatt, district wildlife biologist at the Oregon Department of Wildlife’s Baker City office.

andquot;It was no where near as horrible,andquot; Myatt said.

The deer census numbers Myatt and fellow ODFW employees Brian Ratliff and Jamie Nelson compiled late last week during three days of helicopter flights lend statistical support to Myatt’s conclusion.

On average across Baker County’s four units, the biologists counted 29 deer fawns for every 100 does.

That’s the lowest spring fawn ratio since 1993.

That winter of 1992-93 decimated the county’s deer herds, sparing just 13 fawns per 100 does.

The current situation, though not nearly so dire, is significantly worse than a year ago, when the county’s average fawn ratio was 48 per 100 does.

andquot;One saving grace was that the winter didn’t hit extremely early, in November,andquot; Myatt said.

Nor was there a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures a sure killer of deer, he said.

The fawn ratio is low enough, though, that ODFW probably will sell fewer buck tags for this fall’s hunting season compared with 2007, Myatt said.

He’ll send his recommended tag quotas to agency headquarters next month.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will set actual tag numbers in early June.

Myatt doesn’t expect a drastic decline.

He will present his proposals during a public open house May 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the ODFW office, 2995 Hughes Lane.

Myatt, Ratliff and Nelson counted 6,590 deer during 24 flight hours spread over three days, March 20-22.

Fawn ratios were similar in each of the county’s four hunting units: Sumpter (29 per 100 does), Pine Creek (29), Keating (26) and Lookout Mountain (31).

The trio also catalogued about 2,500 elk.

Elk, being bigger and hardier than deer, seemed to weather the winter well. Myatt doesn’t anticipate major changes in elk tag numbers for this fall.

Myatt said the ODFW crew also kept track of other wildlife they saw from the air. The annual aerial tour lacked any abnormal sightings.

andquot;We didn’t see any cougars, but a handful of coyotes, some chukars, sage grouse,andquot; Myatt said.

andquot;When you’re counting that many deer almost 2,000 on one flight it’s all you can do just to remember which way is up.andquot;