Central Oregon mule deer populations appear to be doing well heading into the mid-winter, according to a recent survey completed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

”We’re finally getting the population back to the level we were at prior to the hard winter of ’92-’93,” said Corey Heath, a wildlife biologist for the Deschutes District.

”We’ve also got pretty good fawn ratios going into this winter. If the fawns can carry through the winter, that’s good news not only for buck ratios, but overall population levels.”

The post-hunting, pre-winter survey counted the number of fawns and bucks per 100 does.

The survey is used in conjunction with another survey conducted in the spring to give biologists an idea of the health of deer populations. Biologists use the information to determine how many hunting tags to issue in the fall.

”It gives us an idea of how the hunting season went,” said Heath, ”and what we will have for mature bucks going into the season next year.”

The south portion of the Upper Deschutes hunting unit had a ratio of 52 fawns per 100 does and 20 bucks per 100 does, while the north portion had a ratio of 62 fawns and 24 bucks. The ODFW’s management objective for bucks is only 15 per 100 does in the unit.

”Those buck ratios are typically good because a lot of those deer summer in the wilderness areas up around the Three Sisters and are difficult for hunters to hunt,” noted Heath,

Still, Heath is concerned about the overall population in the unit, which he believes is dropping.

”That’s probably a result of human development and activity,” he said. ”Just sheer numbers of people building in deer migration corridors and winter ranges. And the highway mortality on the deer has gone up. There are a lot of mortality factors impacting that herd in the Upper Deschutes.”

In the north part of the Paulina Unit, the ODFW found a ratio of 20 bucks and 60 fawns, while the south part had a ratio of 14 bucks and 65 fawns.

”Hunters had a very successful season in the Paulina Unit,” noted Heath. ”I think that’s why, at least in the south unit, that the buck ratio has dropped down a little bit.”

The Metolius Unit had a buck ratio of 17, well below the management objective of 25, and a fawn ratio of 55.

”It’s a unit that has heavier cover than a lot of our other units,” said Heath. ”The bucks are harder for hunters to find. A ratio of 25 gives them not only mature bucks, but makes it easier to locate a buck.”

In the North Wagontire Unit, there is a ratio of 19 bucks and an unusually high fawn ratio of 63.

”We’ve had problems with very little fawn survival (in that unit),” said Heath. ”The last couple of years we’ve seen a decline in the coyote population and we’re seeing the mule deer population coming up.”

The buck ratio of 19 is the result of a limited-entry system that decreased the number of hunters allowed in the unit in 1992, when buck ratios hovered at about four per 100 does.

The north part of the Fort Rock Unit had a ratio of 69 fawns and 15 bucks.

In the Ochoco District, the ODFW increased the deer tag numbers in the Maury Unit by 300 to 1,500. And hunters found success, which meant a drop in the buck ratio from 19 in 1999 to 12 in 2000.

”This would indicate that we were successful in providing some additional hunting opportunities for folks and they did take some of those bucks,” said Brian Ferry, head biologist for the Ochoco District.

The fawn ratio in the Maury Unit was 56 per 100 does.

The Ochoco Unit had a buck ratio of 16 and a fawn ratio of 59, up substantially from the 48 ratio recorded in 1999.

In the Grizzly Unit, biologists found a fawn ratio of 54 and a buck ratio of 12.

The ODFW’s buck ratio management objective for all three units in the Ochoco District is 12.

Overall, if the winter remains mild, biologists expect the deer population to continue strong through 2001.

”It’s been a mild winter so far,” said Ferry. ”For the most part, at least with what we’ve seen, we’re in relatively good condition.”