Page 13 - SeptOct2019

Bowhunters who submit observations they make during the time in the field help biologists with information about furbearers and deer populations across the state. FURBEARER NUMBERS STEADY IN BOWHUNTERSURVEY Archery hunting seasons will open Oct. 1 for deer, elk on pri- vate lands, turkey, bear and antelope. Thousands of sportsmen and sportswomen will take to the woods and prairies in pursuit of game with bow and arrow or crossbow. The Wildlife Department is hoping that some of those archery hunters will volunteer to share their experiences to help wildlife biologists collect data about furbearers in addition to deer across the state. The Department’s fourth annual Bowhunter Observation Survey will begin Oct. 1 and run through Nov. 30. This survey was implemented to calculate population indices for furbearer species and deer at state and regional levels. Bowhunters spend a large amount of time in stands within the natural environment of many wildlife species while hunting deer and are in prime spots to observe these species. During the 2018 deer archery season, more than 100,000 hunters took part. But only 350 archery hunters signed up for the observation survey, and they submitted 1,940 reports accounting for 7,606 hours of observation time. Most reports came during the first half of the survey period, and at least one report came from every county in Oklahoma except Harper County. Based on standardized results, the state’s overall furbearer population has remained fairly steady the past three years. Bowhunters reported seeing 125 furbearers for every 1,000 hours of field observation, compared with 122 and 137 for the previous two seasons. The species included in the furbearer category, listed with most commonly seen first, are raccoon, coyote, opossum, bobcat, striped skunk, gray fox, red fox, river otter and badger. Other species reported, listed with most commonly seen first, are fox squirrel, gray squirrel, turkey, quail, feral swine, domes- tic dog, elk, black bear and housecat. The state’s overall deer population is healthy and growing. Bowhunters reported seeing 904 deer for every 1,000 hours of field observation, compared with 869 and 744 for the previous two seasons. The Bowhunter Observation Survey is now recruiting volunteer scientists for this coming archery season. The Wildlife Depart- ment is using social media outlets and email messages to ask interested bowhunters to sign up. Any bowhunters who would like to help biologists by reporting what they see in the woods can sign up at www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/research/bos. It's not too late for bowhunters to sign up to help in the Department's annual Bowhunter Observation Survey. September/October 2019 11 mICHAEL BERGIN/ODWC WILDLIfEDEPARTmENT.COm