|
Counting Deer From an Eagle's Vantage
by Bruce Gardner
I was recently invited to join wildlife biologist John Vore on a helicopter ride to count deer. Each year the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks conducts a census of the local deer population to determine the health of the herd and to gage adjustments in hunting limits for the following year. The day’s mission was to count mule deer on the east side of the Valley from Sleeping Child to Birch Creek and white tail deer on the Valley floor from the Silver Bridge in Hamilton north to Metcalf Refuge.
John and I met pilot Ron Gipe at 7:30 A. M., but heavy fog cover kept us earthbound for a couple of hours. Once the fog lifted, allowing us to proceed, we climbed aboard Ron’s 1968 Bell Model 47 chopper, buckled in, and Ron gently lifted his chopper aloft. The Bell 47, so named for the year of its initial introduction, proved to be the perfect platform for the day’s work. The cockpit sits three abreast in a cabin that is a clear bubble. The noise level in the cabin is low enough so as to allow conversation. The chopper is incredibly maneuverable, and slow enough to not miss a thing. We began our day by surveying up high in the Sleeping Child area, looking for mule deer. Once we started finding them, we found plenty. Most bands numbered around a dozen to a high of 62 individuals. These herds were made up of does, fawns, and yearling bucks. As the rut is over for the year, mature bucks were in smaller, separate groups. We saw a number of elk in herds of 12 to 24. Bull elk were either solitary or in groups numbering not over 4. An oddity was observed among the largest herd of mule deer—a solitary antelope who thought he or she was a deer. Ron and John agreed that an antelope sighting in the Bitterroot is a rarity.
As the day progressed, we flew back to the airfield every 2 ½ hours to refuel. Covering the east side of the Valley to Birch Creek, we found mule deer in abundance. John carried a hand-held Global Positioning System on which he charted each group of animals we found throughout the day. The map he produces using this information would be an absolute treasure trove for a hunter, if it were produced during hunting season.
After spending a good part of the day at higher altitudes in search of mule deer, we combed the Valley floor in search of white tails. As with the mule deer, John kept a running tally aligned by sex and their numbers were high. The largest herd of white tails we found numbered over 80 individuals with average herd size running 15 to 20. The Bell Crossing area had the largest concentration of white tails. Curiously, the two areas set aside for wildlife were practically devoid of it. We saw fewer animals of all stripes--deer, eagles, Canada geese, and mallards--within both the Teller and Metcalf than elsewhere on the Valley floor.
Throughout the day I was reminded of a game the kids play in the car when traveling at dark. The first person that sees a vehicle with only one headlight taps the dash and earns one point. A false tap and you loose a point. I played that game to myself in spotting deer. All day I strained my eyes to be the first to spot a deer and not once did I beat John or Ron. Whenever I pointed at a couple of deer bolting from cover, Ron would remark that he had them in sight but did I see the other three still hiding under cover? I would hurriedly count a small herd as we flew over and ask John if he counted 23. He would reply with an affirmative, 10 does, 8 fawns, and 5 yearling bucks. I was clearly out-classed.
Ron would fly his machine at top speed of 80 mph between sightings and slow to an appropriate speed when we spotted our quarry. We usually flew 200 feet above the treetops. So maneuverable is Ron’s chopper that he was able to round up deer hiding in cover so they could be counted. He stopped aloft when necessary, and even backed up on occasion to count members of a herd that had run under us. I felt as if I was on a gentle carnival ride. By late afternoon, completely worn out from all the concentration of not wanting to miss a thing, I told my two companions that I thought they had the best jobs in the Bitterroot.
I would like to tell you about one last curiosity. Our Valley plays host to quite a number of Bald eagles, a number of which we spotted. As the chopper flew over, the eagles would quit their perch and take evasive action exactly as a robin does when pursued by a hawk. I thought about that. Wouldn’t you think that an eagle would have no airborne predators to fear? Could it be that their feigns and dodges are a hold-over from an earlier time when eagles did have larger predators aloft with them? This is not a trick quiz, I don’t know the answer.
It was a terrific experience to be in the company of folks who have such deep knowledge of their fields of endeavor. Ron is a master at piloting his chopper and John is a champ at spotting and identifying wildlife that would rather not be seen. What a grand day, to be in the company of these two pro’s.
I’ll be seeing you out there.
January 4, 2002
|
