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Another MLD Question......Surveys? #6892391 09/19/17 07:33 PM
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Jgraider Offline OP
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Last year was our first year under the MLD program. We are a mule deer only property with the conservation option enrollee for the 2017-2018 hunting season. We got a new biologist very recently, and he informed me just today that we need to do 3 surveys per year to satisfy the requirements to be enrolled. We have already done one, which is all the last biologist told us we had to do to remain enrolled. So, the question is:

Is the requirement one survey per year, or three per year? Thanks for the info.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6892517 09/19/17 09:15 PM
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slippinaround Offline
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I am unsure if its different for mule deer but for whitetail you have to do a minimum of 3 spotlight surveys per year. Also this is what it states about requirements to participate in the Conservstion Option:

Entry into the Conservation Option requires a department-approved wildlife management plan (WMP) that includes:

PWD 1047 – W7000 (2/17) o

o

o

o

o

Deer population data for the two years immediately preceding the application.

The number of bucks and does harvested during the two years immediately preceding the application.

Documentation of two department-approved habitat management practices conducted during the two years immediately preceding the application on the tract of land to be enrolled in the Conservation Option.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6892588 09/19/17 10:21 PM
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DLALLDER Offline
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Were you MLD level 3 last year. Normally takes more than one year to be level 3. Not sure of difference in this year's Conservation option and last year's level 3





Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6892847 09/20/17 02:27 AM
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Ask him about doing camera surveys . That may be more work to put out feeders and cameras than you want to deal with . Typically they want one camera per 200 acres at least that's what we have to do for white tails . Yes on three spotlight counts per year .

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6892963 09/20/17 04:39 AM
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We have only had to do one camera survey a year. Just about finished my counts up and will submit he info in the next day or two.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893012 09/20/17 11:05 AM
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I have been on 2 different MLD places in the last 20 years and help establish MLD on another place... Of the 3 places, we were required to do 3 spotlight surveys or other approved survey methods. Now the Biologist takes into account our camera surveys, and our daylight Observation logs.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893101 09/20/17 01:12 PM
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Jgraider Offline OP
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Thanks for the help guys. I was just plain misinformed on the surveys, as it is obvious that 3 per year are the norm. I do like the camera survey idea, but this property is 65,000 acres......

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893144 09/20/17 01:51 PM
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therancher Offline
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I prefer chopper surveys (only one per year). But the largest I do is 18,000 acres. 65,000 would get a little pricey.


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Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893191 09/20/17 02:38 PM
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OP, either your biologist is wrong or you misunderstood his guidance. You only have to do one census/year (deer count/survey). We do ours by helicopter, typically in November.

You have to complete 3 "management practices" per year.


Deer harvest counts as one management practice. Supplemental feeding does not count as a management practice. So you'll need a census and two other management practices (besides deer harvest) each year such as habitat manipulation, adding water sources, predator removal program, etc. All have to be approved by your biologist to remain in compliance with MLDP rules. Hope that helps.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893210 09/20/17 02:56 PM
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The info I was given from my biologist about camera surveys states its a supplement to regular spotlight and it can be biased because the bucks will run off the doe and fawns to get to the corn---therefore you will not get an accurate count of doe and fawns. It also states that the surveys must take place in September-October which is too late for this seasons data for tag issuance. I have seen on this forum that several people have mentioned that they are doing camera surveys instead of sporlight surveys. It seems each biologist may have a different acceptable techique for the regions they cover.

Last edited by slippinaround; 09/20/17 03:08 PM.
Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: slippinaround] #6893219 09/20/17 03:05 PM
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Originally Posted By: slippinaround
It seems like the different biologist are different in each region they cover.


Have noticed the same.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6893241 09/20/17 03:26 PM
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With spotlight surveys they like to see 3 completed, under similar conditions (start and end time, weather conditions, same people, etc.) to look at the average of the numbers.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6895624 09/22/17 06:48 PM
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One survey is all that is required. If your biologists wants 3 spotlight surveys, sounds like he/she does not feel the spotlight surveys are as accurate as other methods. All methods have their flaws, but one well executed, 10 day camera survey will give you the most accurate results in my experience. I typically run mine beginning Labor Day weekend and get the numbers tabulated and into the biologist in plenty of time for tags to be issued before the season starts. They like the census to be done in September because the bucks are in hard horn and easier to identify unique individual bucks.

I actually just sent my census to the biologist this morning. Even so, if I had not been able to get the results in until later, the biologist will issue a partial tag allotment based on your previous years tag issuance so you will be able to begin hunting when the season starts. Once you get the census data in, the remainder of the tags are issued.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Big_Ag] #6895669 09/22/17 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: Big_Ag
One survey is all that is required. If your biologists wants 3 spotlight surveys, sounds like he/she does not feel the spotlight surveys are as accurate as other methods. All methods have their flaws, but one well executed, 10 day camera survey will give you the most accurate results in my experience. I typically run mine beginning Labor Day weekend and get the numbers tabulated and into the biologist in plenty of time for tags to be issued before the season starts. They like the census to be done in September because the bucks are in hard horn and easier to identify unique individual bucks.

I actually just sent my census to the biologist this morning. Even so, if I had not been able to get the results in until later, the biologist will issue a partial tag allotment based on your previous years tag issuance so you will be able to begin hunting when the season starts. Once you get the census data in, the remainder of the tags are issued.



That's what our biologist does. They don't typically like to fly our census until November so the brush won't be quite as dense. Plus, the deer will be in more of a daytime routine by then. We get about 50% of our tags before the census and then adjust the number afterward.

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6895755 09/22/17 08:50 PM
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I appreciate the responses, but some of you guys say one, some of you say 3 surveys are required.........which one is it? Maybe it's up to the biologist?

Re: Another MLD Question......Surveys? [Re: Jgraider] #6895863 09/22/17 10:47 PM
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Jgraider, My biologist rquires a minimum of 3. I ended up doing a total of 5 which gave him even more data to determine his recommendation for harvest. Like you said, from the responses you received on this forum it appears some biologist may have different requirements. I recommend contacting him and have a discussion about what you need to do to participate---Although i am pretty sure its too late now as the deadlines have passed.

Also, in my original response to you on the previous page I cut and paste requirements for the conservation option although that was not in your question. The only reason I did this is because you mentioned that last year wss your first year as MLD and if that is the case then you would not qualify to be in the conservation option this year because you do not have 2 previous years of harvest data and management practises. I hope this helps. Contact your biologist buddy.

Last edited by slippinaround; 09/22/17 10:57 PM.
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