2004-05 Deer Harvest Report - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

2004-05
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Deer Season Summary
Don’t forget to put your tag on it
Hunters throughout Arkansas will recognize a lengthy addition to their big-game license
this year – game tags. In an effort to streamline the hunting license system, the Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission has initiated a new tagging format for big-game hunting.
The new format enables hunters to police their own ranks more effectively and will
benefit biologists with more accurate harvest totals.
The new annual big-game license will include seven tags – three for the 2005 deer
season, two for the fall 2005 turkey season and two for the spring 2006 turkey season.
Other hunting licenses will have an appropriate number of tags depending on the
license.
All big-game licenses will expire June 30 each year. Hunters who bought licenses in the
first six months of 2005 will receive a new license expiring June 30, 2006.
Tagging your take
Before you can move any big game harvested in Arkansas, you must remove the
appropriate tag from your license and attach it to the ear or antler of a deer or leg
of a turkey. The best method to attach the tag is with a standard household twist-tie.
All game tags must be filled out legibly in ink and must remain attached until final
processing and storage of harvested game.
Hunters holding the 65 Plus License or the Disability License, hunters under 16 and
Mississippi license holders hunting under the Reciprocal Hunting License Agreement
must either use the tag below or a substitute tag displaying the hunter’s name, the date,
time and zone number of the harvest. Non-resident hunters under 16 must purchase a
license and replace their temporary tag with an official license tag after harvesting a deer.
For more information on the new tagging system or to buy a license,
call (800) 364-4263 (during normal business hours) or visit
www.agfc.com.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205
GAME TAG INSTRUCTIONS
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
IMMEDIATELY after the kill and before moving the deer or turkey, the tag must be printed
legibly in ink and securely fastened to the antler or ear on a deer and to the leg on a
turkey.
The game must be checked at an official check station within 24 hours of kill.
Type of game: DD – Doe Deer; BB – Button Buck; BA – Antlered Deer; FT – Female Turkey;
MT – Male Turkey
Method: MG – Modern Gun; ML – Muzzle Loader; A- Archery; C – Crossbow
Check Station # (or On line #) must be printed on the tag
The tag must remain on the deer or turkey until final processing and storage by the
hunter.
If born after 1968, you must carry proof of Hunter Education training.
GAME TAG – EXPIRES 6-30-06
Valid only for holders of the following hunting licences: 65+; Disabled or Resident and
Non-Resident Sportsmen under 16 years old to tag harvested deer and turkey.
THIS TAG IS NOT VALID FOR HOLDERS OF ANY OTHER LICENSE, UNLESS TAGGING A BEAR
NAME: ___________________________________________________________________
LICENSE # ________________________________________________________________
(NOT APPLICABLE FOR UNDER 16 SPORTSMEN)
TIME: ____________________________ DATE: _________________________________
WMA/ZONE: ________________ TYPE OF GAME: _______________________________
METHOD: __________________ CHECK STATION# _____________________________
Table of Contents
1 Executive Summary
Section One: Harvest Results
2 Harvest Results for 2004-05
3 Historical Deer Harvest
4 Statewide Harvest by Method
Section Four: Deer Hunting Accidents
23 2004-05 Deer Hunting Accidents
Section Five: Bowhunter
Observation Data
5 Statewide Harvest by Zone
24 2004-05 Bowhunter Observation Data
by DMU
6 Statewide Harvest by Date
Section Six: Chronic Wasting Disease
7 Statewide Harvest by Month
25 Keeping Arkansas’ Herd Healthy
7 Deer Management Units
26 Chronic Wasting Disease Sample Sites
8 Harvest Density
26 Chronic Wasting Disease Sample Years
8 WMA Harvest per Acre
11 Total Acres per Deer Harvested by DMU
12 Acres of Deer Habitat per Deer Harvested
by County
Section Seven: Deer Management
27 Choctaw Island WMA
31 Acknowledgements
12 Deer Harvested by County
Section Two: Herd Health Reports
13 Herd Health Data Collection
14 Average Kidney Fat Index by DMU
15 Average Date of Conception by DMU
16 Average Number of Fetuses per Doe
by DMU
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
17 Biological Data Collection
18 Age Structure by Sex and DMU
19 Average Buck Dressed Weight by DMU
20 Average Antler Index by DMU
21 Average Doe Dressed Weight by DMU
22 Average Doe Lactation by DMU
www.agfc.com
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 2004-05 Deer Season Summary is also available on our
Web site in Portable Document Format (PDF) at www.agfc.com/deer.
Executive Summary
The 131,639 deer harvested in the 2004-05 deer season represent a 22 percent increase from the previous
year’s harvest of 108,147. The buck harvest (72,563) increased 11 percent from the 2003-04 harvest of
65,607. The 46 percent increase in doe harvest (32,175 to 47,733) is a result of the doe bag limit increase
in many parts of the state. The button buck harvest increased 15 percent (9,825 to 11,343). This is
common when the doe harvest increases because some hunters may mistake a button buck for a doe.
The 2005 herd health data showed kidney fat indices ranging from a low of 47 percent on Crowley’s Ridge
to a high of 87 percent in the Arkansas River Valley. The peak period of conception was Nov. 20-27, 2004.
The average number of fetuses produced was 1.7 per doe.
The 2004-05 biological data demonstrates the majority of bucks (47 percent) and does (30 percent)
harvested statewide were 2.5 years old. This is primarily the result of the three-point rule started in 1997.
Average dressed body weights for adult bucks ranged from 107 pounds in the West Gulf Coastal Plain to
130 pounds on Crowley’s Ridge. Average adult doe dressed weights were highest on Crowley’s Ridge (94
pounds) and lowest in the Ouachita Mountains (74 pounds).
Statewide lactation rates in adult does were below the minimum acceptable value of 80 percent. The highest
adult lactation was 77 percent in the Ozark Mountains; the lowest adult lactation was 53 percent in the
Ouachita Mountains.
Antler index is the sum of main beam circumferences, main beam lengths, number of points, brow tine
lengths and inside spread. The highest average score was 43.8 on Crowley’s Ridge; the lowest was 39.1
on the West Gulf Coastal Plain.
1
Section One: Harvest Results
Harvest Results for 2004-05
The overall statewide deer harvest for the 2004-05 season was 131,639, a 22 percent increase from the
2003-04 harvest of 108,147. The overall buck harvest increased 11 percent from 65,607 in 2003-04
to 72,563 in 2004-05. This is most likely the result of improved weather conditions and a visible rut.
The 46 percent increase in the doe harvest from 32,175 in 2003-04 to 47,733 in 2004-05 was most
likely because of the doe bag limit increase in many parts of the state.
Total Harvest by Year
Figure 1. Deer harvest in Arkansas, 1938-2004.
2
Section One: Harvest Results
Historical Deer Harvest
Table 1
Year
1938
3
Total
Harvest
203
1938-2004
Year
1955
Total
Harvest
6,856
Year
1972
Total
Harvest
32,087
Total
Year Harvest
1989 113,079
1939
540
1956
8,249
1973
33,794
1990
90,910
1940
408
1957
9,438
1974
33,763
1991 110,896
1941
433
1958
9,993
1975
33,322
1992 110,401
1942
1,000
1959
12,280
1976
27,790
1993 122,063
1943
1,723
1960
15,000
1977
29,109
1994 120,491
1944
1,606
1961
19,359
1978
43,452
1995 163,924
1945
1,687
1962
27,772
1979
36,074
1996 152,460
1946
1,661
1963
25,148
1980
45,202
1997 167,305
1947
2,016
1964
16,637
1981
44,591
1998 179,225
1948
2,779
1965
17,138
1982
42,873
1999 194,687
1949
3,075
1966
20,028
1983
60,248
2000 182,132
1950
4,122
1967
21,751
1984
66,039
2001 150,279
1951
4,600
1968
20,063
1985
60,076
2002 124,451
1952
6,090
1969
25,696
1986
79,880
2003 108,456
1953
6,245
1970
26,017
1987 106,392
2004 131,639
1954
7,343
1971
24,720
1988 110,207
Section One: Harvest Results
Statewide Harvest by Method
Table 2A
Method
Bucks
Button
Bucks
Archery
2,751
Crossbow
2003-2004
Does
Total
Bucks
Button
Bucks
539
3,024
6,314
3,137
1,217
368
1,386
2,971
Muzzleloader
6,737
896
3,409
Modern Gun
54,902
8,022
Entire Season
65,607
61%
Percent of Total Harvest
2004-05
Does
Total
628
4,981
8,746
1,430
501
2,446
4,377
11,042
9,835
1,498
6,938
18,271
24,896
87,820
58,161
8,716
33,368
100,245
9,825
32,715
108,147
72,563
11,343
47,733
131,639
9%
30%
55%
9%
36%
Statewide comparison by method of the 2003-2004 and 2004-05 deer harvests. Note: Totals by method may not match the statewide total
due to check sheets with an incorrectly recorded method.
Statewide Harvest by Method
Table 2B
Method
% Difference
Bucks
% Difference
Button Bucks
% Difference
Does
% Difference
Total
Archery
14%
17%
65%
39%
Crossbow
18%
36%
76%
47%
Muzzleloader
46%
67%
104%
65%
Modern Gun
6%
9%
34%
14%
Entire Season
11%
15%
46%
22%
4
Section One: Harvest Results
Statewide Harvest by Zone
Table 3
Zone
2003-04 2004-05
Bucks
Percent
Change
2003-04 2004-05
Does
Percent
Change
Button Bucks
Percent
2003-04 2004-05
Change
1
2,827
2,686
-5%
369
611
66%
85
91
7%
2
2,083
1,923
-8%
336
403
20%
121
87
-28%
3
6,014
8,837
47%
1,239
2,674
116%
495
971
96%
4
482
636
32%
341
632
85%
98
181
85%
04A
176
247
40%
62
124
100%
17
29
71%
5
1,010
1,161
15%
846
1,256
48%
294
339
15%
05A
154
196
27%
54
85
57%
9
26
189%
6
4,771
4,839
1%
513
927
81%
175
202
15%
7
1,379
1,532
11%
151
255
69%
82
63
-23%
8
3,061
3,249
6%
375
879
134%
144
186
29%
9
3,357
4,452
33%
2,125
3,620
70%
591
705
19%
10
924
987
7%
256
445
74%
84
80
-5%
11
5,446
2,334
-57%
702
857
22%
306
123
-60%
12
24,234
26,811
11%
18,863
26,067
38%
5,894
6,484
10%
13
1,471
3,840
161%
926
2,250
143%
285
594
108%
14
1,378
1,726
25%
958
1,300
36%
242
263
9%
15
679
798
18%
494
668
35%
142
141
-1%
16
535
588
10%
428
569
33%
53
70
32%
16A
235
231
-2%
107
137
28%
12
13
8%
17
1,283
1,299
1%
1,127
1,227
9%
75
75
0%
4,108
4,191
2%
2,443
2,747
12%
621
620
0%
Other
(WMA)
Comparison by zone of the 2003-04 and 2004-05 deer harvests. Note: Zone totals may not match the statewide total because of check
sheets with incorrectly recorded zones.
5
Section One: Harvest Results
Statewide Harvest by Date
The 2004-05 deer season was the second season that scannable check sheets were used. In addition to ease
of use, faster data processing and almost real-time data reporting, the scanning process enabled the AGFC
to analyze the deer harvest by date. This information will allow the agency to chart opening day trends. It
also will provide valuable details about the effects of season structure on the harvest. The most noteworthy
finding from the 2004-05 harvest by date was that 20 percent of the total harvest (25,390 out of 130,306)
occurred during the opening days of the muzzleloader and modern gun seasons, and almost 30 percent
(38,057 out of 130,306) occurred during the opening weekends of muzzleloader and modern gun seasons.
Statewide Harvest by Date
2004-05
Table 4
Date
10/1
10/2
10/3
10/4
10/5
10/6
10/7
10/8
10/9
10/10
10/11
10/12
10/13
10/14
10/15
10/16
10/17
10/18
10/19
10/20
10/21
10/22
10/23
10/24
10/25
10/26
10/27
10/28
10/29
10/30
10/31
Total
989
1,058
820
315
256
253
200
170
636
395
231
277
284
206
431
5,754
3,053
898
742
735
842
805
1,656
1,549
102
89
76
97
79
255
155
Date
11/1
11/2
11/3
11/4
11/5
11/6
11/7
11/8
11/9
11/10
11/11
11/12
11/13
11/14
11/15
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/19
11/20
11/21
11/22
11/23
11/24
11/25
11/26
11/27
11/28
11/29
11/30
Total
55
114
152
235
411
797
486
196
188
171
197
393
19,636
9,614
5,135
3,190
2,633
2,322
2,799
4,769
3,270
936
662
1,734
3,865
4,528
3,597
2,961
706
797
Date
12/1
12/2
12/3
12/4
12/5
12/6
12/7
12/8
12/9
12/10
12/11
12/12
12/13
12/14
12/15
12/16
12/17
12/18
12/19
12/20
12/21
12/22
12/23
12/24
12/25
12/26
12/27
12/28
12/29
12/30
12/31
Total
1,182
1,244
1,379
3,118
1,511
328
619
707
708
1,031
2,362
1,601
171
137
139
142
169
835
571
513
112
72
100
117
117
3,288
3,259
3,265
220
172
70
Date
1/1
1/2
1/3
1/4
1/5
1/6
1/7
1/8
1/9
1/10
1/11
1/12
1/13
1/14
1/15
1/16
1/17
1/18
1/19
1/20
1/21
1/22
1/23
1/24
1/25
1/26
1/27
1/28
1/29
1/30
1/31
Total
51
53
26
16
21
38
35
93
58
29
22
21
26
48
78
51
27
17
15
17
24
30
18
17
12
7
6
7
22
24
7
Date
2/1
2/2
2/3
2/4
2/5
2/6
2/7
2/8
2/9
2/10
2/11
2/12
2/13
2/14
2/15
Total
3
13
7
10
30
16
6
4
7
8
12
29
9
10
10
 Opening Days
Note: The harvest
by date totals may
not match the
statewide total due
to check sheets with
incorrectly recorded
dates.
Continued next
page >>
6
Section One: Harvest Results
Statewide Harvest by Month
Table 5
2004-05
Month
Totals
% Total
Month
Totals
% Total
October
23,408
18%
January
916
0.70%
November
76,549
59%
February
174
0.10%
December
29,259
22%
Note: The monthly totals may not match the statewide
total because of check sheets with incorrectly recorded dates.
Deer Management Units
The 1999 Strategic Deer Management Plan defined Deer Management Units (DMU) based on the
following Arkansas physiographic regions: Ozark Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas River Valley,
West Gulf Coastal Plain, Mississippi Alluvial Plain (Delta), and Crowley’s Ridge (see Map 1). The Strategic
Deer Management Plan established long-term deer biological and population goals for each DMU.
The statewide deer zones are subdivisions of the DMUs. Zones allow separate management strategies to
address differences in deer populations, harvests, habitats and land use within each DMU to maintain the
established population and biological goals.
Map 1
7
Section One: Harvest Results
Harvest Density
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, the AGFC analyzed the 2004-05 deer harvest by
total acreage for the DMUs and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). The West Gulf Coastal Plain DMU
was the most productive, with a yield of one deer harvested for every 127 acres (see Map 2). Choctaw Island
WMA was the most productive with a yield of one deer for every 28 acres.
At the county level, biologists analyzed the harvest by acreage of deer habitat, defined as any habitat minus
urban areas, row crops and standing water. Although Union County had the highest total harvest at 5,812,
Prairie County was the most productive per acre of deer habitat with a yield of one deer harvested for every
49 acres of deer habitat (see Map 3).
Some WMAs experienced dramatic increases in the buck harvest from the 2003-04 season. The majority
of the increases can be attributed to noncompliance with deer-checking requirements.
WMA Harvest per Acre
2004-05
Table 6
WMA Name
Total Acres
Harvest
Acres per Deer
Bald Knob NWR
15,000
23
652
Bayou Meto WMA
33,832
67
505
Beaver Lake WMA
5,827
25
233
Bell Slough WMA
2,040
8
255
302
2
151
7,020
1
7,020
280
7
40
Big Lake NWR
11,038
23
480
Big Lake WMA
12,320
6
2,053
Big Timber WMA
37,742
111
340
128
1
128
8,200
4
2,050
215
1
215
Buffalo National River WMA
95,730
68
1,408
Cache River NWR
54,000
139
388
Camp Robinson WDA
4,029
30
134
Camp Robinson WMA
26,675
197
135
Caney Creek WMA
85,000
89
955
Casey Jones WMA
83,832
161
521
Benson Creek Natural Area WMA
Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA
Big Creek WMA
Blevins
Blue Mountain WMA
Brushy Creek WMA
Continued next page >>
8
Section One: Harvest Results
WMA Harvest per Acre
2004-05
Table 6
WMA Name
Total Acres
Harvest
Acres per Deer
Cattail Marsh WMA
78
2
39
Cedar Creek WMA
103
3
34
Cherokee Prairie Natural Area WMA
130
1
130
Cherokee WMA
105,313
99
1,064
Choctaw WMA
7,676
272
28
Crossett Experimental Forest WMA
1,675
4
419
Cut-off Creek WMA
9,314
48
194
Cypress Bayou WMA
1,503
3
501
Dagmar WMA
9,720
14
694
Dardanelle WMA
42,500
73
582
Dave Donaldson Black River WMA
21,150
88
240
Departee Creek WMA
450
3
150
Devil’s Knob Natural Area WMA
499
2
250
13,646
52
262
Earl Buss Bayou DeView WMA
4,435
10
444
Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA
8,694
90
97
Electric Island WMA
118
2
59
Ethel WMA
176
3
59
2,004
2
1,002
Felsenthal NWR
65,000
389
167
Fort Chaffee WMA
66,000
332
199
Galla Creek WMA
3,329
23
145
Gene Rush WMA
18,190
52
350
9,914
3
3,305
Gulf Mountain WMA
11,683
110
106
Gum Flats WMA
15,661
30
522
Harold E. Alexander Spring River WMA
13,859
115
121
3,769
3
1,256
Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA
17,524
94
186
Hobbs SMA
11,744
59
199
Holla Bend NWR
7,000
24
292
Holland Bottoms WMA
6,190
17
364
Hope Upland WMA
2,115
20
106
26,000
176
148
170
1
170
Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D’Arc WMA
Falcon Bottoms Natural Area WMA
Greers Ferry Lake WMA
Harris Brake WMA
Howard County WMA
Howard Hensley Searcy County WMA
9
Continued next page >>
Section One: Harvest Results
WMA Harvest per Acre
Table 6
WMA Name
2004-05
Harvest
Acres per Deer
161
1
161
4,000
25
160
971
2
486
14,527
23
632
1,200
2
600
Lafayette County WMA
16,739
58
289
Lake Greeson WMA
38,000
181
210
Lee County WMA
200
1
200
Little Bayou WMA
1,284
2
642
597
6
100
2,616
10
262
14,496
84
173
78
1
78
Mount Magazine WMA
120,000
143
839
Muddy Creek WMA
146,206
294
497
3,550
37
96
Norfork Lake WMA
10,000
30
333
Overflow NWR
13,000
7
1,857
580
1
580
7,834
1
7,834
678,878
313
2,169
Petit Jean River WMA
15,502
32
484
Pine Bluff Arsenal
14,944
3
4,981
180,000
97
1,856
Poison Springs WMA
17,604
92
191
Pond Creek NWR
27,000
115
235
453
3
151
11,327
84
135
488
2
244
Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA
7,221
9
802
Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA
4,895
4
1,224
104
2
52
1,023
8
128
35
1
35
5,032
12
419
Iron Mountain Natural Area WMA
J. Perry Mikles Blue Mountain WDA
Jamestown/Independence County WMA
Jim Kress WMA
Jones Point WMA
Little River WMA
Loafer’s Glory WMA
Madison County WMA
Moro Creek Bottoms Natural Area WMA
Nimrod/Lloyd Millwood WMA
Ozan WMA
Ozark Lake WMA
Ozark National Forest WMA
Piney Creeks WMA
Prairie Bayou WMA
Provo WMA
Rainey WMA
River Bend WMA
Robert L. Hankins Mud Creek Upland WMA
Sandhills Natural Area WMA
Seven Devils WMA
Total Acres
Continued next page >>
10
Section One: Harvest Results
WMA Harvest per Acre
WMA Name
Total Acres
Harvest
Acres per Deer
10,711
35
306
701
2
351
St. Francis Forest WMA
21,201
28
757
St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA
27,361
57
480
4,000
1
4,000
16,520
60
275
150,000
272
551
77
1
77
8,173
72
114
11,850
41
289
W. E. Brewer Scatter Creek WMA
3,898
7
557
Wapanocca NWR
5,485
33
166
Wattensaw WMA
19,184
153
125
Wedington WMA
16,000
8
2,000
573
13
44
White River NWR
160,000
724
221
White Rock WMA
280,000
243
1,152
Winona WMA
160,000
328
488
Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA
Spring Bank WMA
Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek Bottoms WMA
Sulphur River WMA
Sylamore WMA
Terre Noire Natural Area WMA
Trusten Holder WMA
U of A Pine Tree Experimental Station WDA
White Cliffs Natural Area WMA
2004-05 Deer Harvest
Total Acres per Deer Harvested
by DMU
A mistake was found in the 2003-04 Deer Season
Summary in the Total Acres per Deer Harvested by DMU.
The above numbers represent corrected figures.
11
2004-05
Map 2
Section One: Harvest Results
2004-05 Deer Harvest
Map 3
2004-05 Deer Harvest
Map 4
Acres of Deer Habitat per
Deer Harvested by County
Deer Harvested by County
12
Section Two: Herd Health Reports
Herd Health Data Collection
AGFC personnel collect several hundred deer
samples each year in late winter and early spring
to gauge herd health. Samples are collected
from all six Deer Management Units. This
data gives biologists important information
about herd health, timing of the rut and fawn
production. Herd health checks have been
conducted for four years, and more than 1,300
samples have been collected. All usable meat
was donated to Farmers and Hunters Feeding
the Hungry or families within the community.
Kidney Fat Index: Kidney Fat Index (KFI) can
be used to evaluate physical conditions of deer
coming out of the winter stress and entering
spring green-up. KFI is the weight of the fat
deposits surrounding the kidneys divided by
the weight of the kidneys, and is expressed
as a percentage. The higher the KFI value,
the healthier the deer. Targets for KFI change
with the season, but for February the target
is 35 percent.
Conception Date: Fetuses are extracted and measured using a JIM-GEM fetus scale to determine days
from conception and days to birth. Conception data provides “peak rut” dates, which assist biologists in
making management decisions such as setting deer season. Conception dates vary from year to year and are
dependent on population density. Ideally, adult does should breed during their first estrus cycle (November),
which results in fawns born during early summer (June). Fawns born during July and August have decreased
survival rates because of poor habitat conditions and extreme heat.
Fetal Counts: The number of fetuses per doe is a measure of breeding success and health of the animal.
The number of fetuses per yearling doe is slightly lower than the number among adults, but this is common
because of the developmental stage of yearling does. There is little regional variation for this among DMUs,
which indicates breeding success is uniform across the state. The goal for fetal counts is 1.7 fetuses per doe.
13
Section Two: Herd Health Reports
14
Section Two: Herd Health Reports
15
Section Two: Herd Health Reports
16
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
Biological Data
Collection
AGFC wildlife management
employees and participating deer
clubs collect a variety of data
from harvested deer each season.
Data collected includes age, body
weight, antler measurements and
lactation rates. These indices make
it possible to analyze differences
in biological characteristics of
Arkansas’ deer over time and
between DMUs.
Age Structure: Average age
structure is directly related to
harvest. Buck age structure
depends on harvest criteria such
as the three-point rule. Before the
three-point rule was implemented, 80 percent of bucks harvested were yearlings. Among does, the average
age harvested provides information on the age structure and potential population growth.
Dressed Body Weight: Average dressed body weights can vary depending on environmental conditions
such as soil fertility, weather conditions and available mast. Bucks can experience extreme loss in body
weight during the breeding season because rutting activity causes them to focus less on eating and more on
establishing territories and monitoring receptive does. Body weights among does also fluctuate throughout
the year because of gestation requirements, lactation and available food. The target for average buck dressed
weight is 110 pounds, except in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, where it is 130 pounds. The target dressed
weight for does is 80 pounds across most of the state, 90 pounds in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.
Antler Index: Antler index is the sum of the main beam lengths, main beam circumferences, total number
of points, brow tine lengths and inside spread. Antler indices vary by region and within DMUs, depending
on environmental conditions such as nutritional foods available. Other factors include age and genetics.
Lactation: Lactation is an indicator of a bred doe. Lactation rates tend to be much higher in adult deer
(2.5-plus years old) than in yearling deer (1.5 years old). Lactation figures represent lactation data collected
during October and November to ensure accurate determinations. Target lactation is 80 percent for adults
and 25 percent for yearlings.
17
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
18
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
19
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
20
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
21
Section Three: Biological Data Reports
22
Section Four: Deer Hunting Accidents
2004-05 Deer Hunting Accidents
By County
During the 2004-05 season, 17 deer hunting incidents were reported. Eleven involved the discharge of a
firearm; nine resulted in injury and two were fatal. Six accidents involved individuals who fell from deer
stands; none was fatal.
Map 5
23
Section Five: Bowhunter Observation Data
2004-05 Bowhunter Observation Data by DMU
Table 7
The 2004-05 archery season was the first in which hunters from across the state collected deer observation
data. Hunter observations provide population data such as sex ratios, deer density, fawn-to-doe ratio and
antler structure. This kind of population data, along with biological data from harvested deer, provides a
more detailed picture of the deer herd for each region. Almost 1,100 archery hunters in the survey collected
more than 18,500 hours of data. It is important to stress that the information below represents only a year
of observation data. Additional data will be needed to determine trends and potential change related to
management strategies.
If you would like to participate in the bowhunter observation program, please contact the AGFC
at (501) 223-6430.
October 1, 2004 through February 15, 2005
Bucks - Total Number of Points
3-4
5-6
7-8
9+
Hours of
Observation
Spikes
Ozark
4,087
217
213
198
198
Ouachita
2,037
129
76
63
Arkansas River Valley
2,101
65
54
West Gulf Costal Plain
5,695
439
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
4,465
391
Deer Management Unit
Crowley’s Ridge
Total
Unknown Deer
Does
Fawns
69
2,624
984
660
5,163
100
15
704
426
182
1,695
56
76
14
825
326
185
1,601
197
247
774
39
2,061
1,113
531
5,401
207
107
99
168
38
1,853
622
429
3,523
14
13
15
14
1
131
124
49
361
Relative Abundance =
Total Deer Observed Sex Ratio
(Does:Bucks)
Deer Management Unit
/Total Hours
Ozark
1.26
2.2:1
Fawn:Doe
Ratio
0.38
Percent
of Spikes
24%
Bucks - Total Number of Points
% 3-4 % 5-6 % 7-8 % 9+
24%
22%
22% 8%
Ouachita
0.83
1.5:1
0.61
34%
20%
16%
26%
4%
Arkansas River Valley
0.76
2.3:1
0.40
25%
20%
21%
29%
5%
West Gulf Costal Plain
0.95
1.1:1
0.54
26%
12%
15%
46%
2%
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
0.79
2.3:1
0.34
33%
17%
16%
27%
6%
Crowley’s Ridge
0.92
1.6:1
0.95
25%
23%
26%
25%
2%
24
Section Six: Chronic Wasting Disease
Keeping Arkansas’ Herd Healthy
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible neurological disease in deer and elk, which produces
small lesions in the brain of infected animals. It is characterized by poor body condition, behavioral
abnormalities and death. CWD is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), and is
similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep.
Infectious agents of CWD are neither bacteria nor viruses. They are believed to be prions, infectious proteins
that lack associated nucleic acids.
Although CWD is a contagious fatal disease among deer and elk, research suggests humans, cattle and other
domestic livestock are resistant to the disease. While the possibility of human infection remains a concern,
there have been no verified cases of humans contracting CWD.
CWD can reduce the growth and size of wild deer and elk populations in areas where it is prevalent, and it
has become an increasing concern for wildlife managers across North America. The disease was long thought
to be limited in the wild to a relatively small area in northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and
southwestern Nebraska. However, it recently has been found in several other areas across the continent.
The disease also has been found in commercial game farms in several states and provinces.
Arkansas began surveillance for CWD in 2003. To date, 2,678 wild deer samples have been tested in USDAcertified labs at the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and the University of Georgia. No evidence
of CWD has been detected in any of these samples. Testing will be completed in every Arkansas county by
March 2006. This effort is being made in cooperation with the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission
and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
During the last two years, cooperating deer clubs and individual hunters provided the majority of the
samples tested in Arkansas. These hunters allowed AGFC biologists to extract tissue specimens from
harvested deer at state check stations. The effort to prevent CWD and to conduct surveillance would
not be possible without the cooperation of these hunters.
If you know of a deer with symptoms of CWD (extremely poor appearance, excess salivation, lack of
coordination or drooping ears), contact AGFC toll-free at (800) 440-1477. For more information on
CWD, visit www.cwd-info.org.
25
Section Six: Chronic Wasting Disease
CWD Sample Locations
Map 6
The points on the map represent
samples taken to check for Chronic
Wasting Disease. No evidence of
CWD has ever been found
in Arkansas.
CWD Sampling Projects
by Year
Map 7
The different colors on the map
represent the year in which each
county was scheduled for testing.
No evidence of CWD has ever been
found in Arkansas.
26
Section Seven: Deer Management
Choctaw Island WMA
Choctaw Island WMA was purchased in October 2001 from Price Industries Inc. The area is near Arkansas
City in Desha County in southeastern Arkansas. The area includes two tracts separated by a portion of the
old Mississippi River (see map below), both of which lie within the Mississippi River levee system. The
mainland tract (5,729 acres) is bottomland hardwoods dominated by sugarberry, box elder, cottonwood,
sycamore and pecan. The island tract (1,947 acres) has species such as black willow and sugarberry.
Recreation
Map 8
Choctaw Island always has
been noted for its potential
as a deer-hunting area. The
intensive timber management,
combined with former rowcrop agriculture, created a
highly productive habitat for
white-tailed deer.
Fishing is another popular
pursuit on Choctaw Island.
Pothole and Kate Adams lakes
are highly prized by anglers
for their crappie fishing.
Several other oxbow lakes
and borrow pit areas also are
popular fishing sites.
Deer Research Area
Soon after the acquisition
of Choctaw Island WMA, members of the AGFC’s Region 3 wildlife management staff provided a formal
presentation to the Commission requesting that Choctaw Island be used as the AGFC’s first Deer Research
Area. This request was based, in part, on ongoing efforts in Region 3 to trap and ear tag deer for later
identification. Increasing interest in deer management associated with the Deer Management Assistance
Program also played a key role in this decision. The need for deer research also was identified and supported
in the AGFC’s 1999 Strategic Deer Plan.
27
Section Seven: Deer Management
Deer Trapping and Tagging Efforts
Wildlife management personnel have trapped and tagged more than 40 deer on Choctaw Island WMA.
This effort has allowed field staff to monitor and identify individually tagged deer from deer harvest, hunter
observations and motion camera photographs.
The objectives of the tagging effort are to allow Region 3 field staff to:
• monitor antler development across age classes,
• test the reliability of aging by tooth wear/replacement, and
• maintain the ability to recover older age class, radio-collared bucks
that have succumbed to either natural or hunter-induced mortality.
Deer Population Density Estimates
Motion Camera: Two surveys using fixed, motion-detecting cameras were conducted in January 2003 and
2004. Forty-eight cameras in 2003 and 45 cameras in 2004 were placed in 100-acre grids and monitored for
five consecutive days.
Methods for determining deer densities were based on the ratio of identifiable, branched-antlered bucks
to total bucks photographed. These ratios were applied to mathematical formulas to predict buck, doe and
fawn densities.
Using this sampling method, deer density estimates for Choctaw Island were 15.6 acres per deer for 2003
data and 17.1 acres per deer for 2004 data (mainland area only).
Thermal Infrared Videography: In 2003, the University
of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) and AGFC
personnel conducted two thermal imaging flights.
This sampling method uses a video camera capable of
detecting heat emitted from deer. The heat signature
is represented on video as a highly visible white dot,
which can be recorded and counted as an individual
deer. The sample area is divided into grids that are
videotaped from an airplane to maintain a relatively
uniform sample. The deer density is calculated based
on the number of deer heat signatures recorded and
the total acreage sampled.
Typical deer heat signatures identified in thermalimaging surveys on Choctaw Island WMA.
The density estimates for these flights averaged 7.4
acres per deer (n=788) on the mainland and 38.4 acres
per deer (n=30) on the island. The flights were repeated in 2004, and the postharvest density estimates were
8.9 acres per deer (n=665) on the mainland and 14.9 acres per deer (n=75) on the island.
28
Section Seven: Deer Management
Observation Data
Hunter observation data has been collected during the last two years. The objective of collecting this data has
been to monitor trends in deer numbers, buck-to-doe ratios, fawn-to-doe ratios, buck antler development
in tagged deer and hunter success. The following is a summary of the 2003 Choctaw Island WMA Hunter
Observation Data. (Note: 2004 observation data is being analyzed).
Number of Hunter Hours = 5,750
Number of Deer Observed = 5,291
Deer Observed/Hour Hunt Time = 0.92
Observed Buck-to-Doe Ratios = 1:1.7
Fawn Recruitment = 51 percent
Number of Deer Shot, Hit and Not Recovered = 43
Number of Hunters Observed per Hour Hunted = 0.2
29
Section Seven: Deer Management
Harvest Data
The 2003 deer season was the first since the acquisition of the Choctaw Island Deer Research Area.
Considering only 9 percent of the bucks recorded on the Hunter Observation Forms exceeded eight points,
the five-point rule (on one side) restriction significantly limited the buck harvest.
Method
Bucks
Button Bucks
Does
Total
Archery
2
1
91
94
Crossbow
0
0
3
3
Muzzleloader
0
0
5
5
Modern Gun
10
11
58
79
Entire Season
12
12
157
181
Following analysis of the 2003 Hunter Observation Data and Motion Camera Study, Region 3 wildlife
management staff recommended more liberal buck harvest guidelines to allow the potential harvest of older
age class six- and eight-point bucks not meeting the five-point rule. This, combined with the option to
harvest a Type B (management buck) resulted in a substantially higher buck harvest for 2004.
Method
Bucks
Button Bucks
Does
Total
Archery
28
4
127
159
Crossbow
3
0
7
10
Muzzleloader
3
0
2
5
Modern Gun
27
15
56
98
Entire Season
61
19
192
272
A legal buck is either:
• Type A: Buck with five or more points on one side of his rack or an inside spread equal to
or greater than 15 inches; or a button buck.
• Type B (management buck): Buck with five or fewer points on both sides.
These antler restrictions are tailored to this area and will allow biologists to try new management techniques
after collection of additional data.
30
29
Acknowledgements
Doyle Shook
Chief, Wildlife Management Division
Cory Gray
Deer Program Coordinator
Jeff Johnston
Data Management Program Coordinator
Hanna Ford
Programs Support
Jeff Williams
Editor
Randy Zellers
Editor
Angela Browner
Senior Designer
31
www.agfc.com
2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
(800) 364-4263