white-tailed deer mule deer moose elk woodland caribou bison pronghorn antelope black bear ...

White-tailed deer Mule deer Moose Elk Woodland caribou Bison Pronghorn antelope Black bear Gray wolf Bobcat

North America◦ Most important big game animal◦ 30 subspecies◦ Exist over entire North American Continent◦ Expanded northward due to logging and other

activities of immigrants◦ 1900: 500,000◦ 2000: 30 million

Minnesota◦ Existed primarily in southern Minnesota where

food and cover are available◦ Deer did not originally live in evergreen forest◦ Forest lands became attractive after cutover and

regrowth from forest fires

◦ Overpopulation occurred early in 1900’s Habitat over browsed Consumed entire food source 15-20 deer per square mile

◦ 1850-1900 deer marketed commercially Deer meat sold in markets St. Paul customers purchased 8-10 cents/pound 1872: 6 tons shipped to Boston from Litchfield Unlimited harvest

◦ Before 1897, no restrictions and no hunting license required 1900: Harvest limit 5, license cost $.25 1901: limit 3 1905: limit 2 and a 21 day season established 1915: limit 1 1920s: bucks only law and alternate year 1933: every year hunting Today the population is growing

◦ Deer management units established◦ Present status

Deer over entire state Hunting season is annual Approximately 2 million deer exist in Minnesota

Always present Live primarily in western United States Rocky Mountain species most common No breeding colony currently exist in

Minnesota

Largest most distinctive mammal Northern wilderness A boreal (northern) forest mammal

Most common big game mammal before lumberjacks◦ Food for lumberjacks, early pioneers◦ Loss of habitat◦ White tailed deer competition

By 1885 Minnesota moose population scarce

First protection laws 1887 Current Minnesota population <10,000

“White Rump”◦ Wapiti

American Sioux Indian Name Native to Minnesota, very abundant

Elk disappeared by 1900s◦ Fenced pastures◦ Market hunters◦ Food source◦ Canine teeth valued

1932: small Minnesota herd found Restocking effort

◦ Enclosure of 54 elk (from Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

◦ Superior National Forest (a few released)◦ Beltrami County herd of 27 (from Itasca State

Park)

Common in Northern Minnesota 1660-1880 reported as abundant Require large forested, muskegs (acid soil)

and bog areas Two species

◦ Tundra reindeer◦ Woodland caribou

By 1880s population diminished◦ Unrestricted hunting◦ Logging, mining, forest fires◦ Settlement of land

Last Minnesota caribou sighted in 1940

Lasting hunting season was in 1904 Reintroduction of caribou to Minnesota in

1938 failed Last reintroduction attempt: 1970-1980

Occupied North America from Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains

2 species◦ Plains◦ Woodland

Fed and provided the Indians well 75 million existed at one time

Decline occurred within 30 years◦ Due to white settler slaughter

Prairie regions of Minnesota◦ Supported large herds

Plains bison

1850s bison disappeared from eastern Minnesota◦ Woodland

1880 4 animals were found in Twin Valley Buffalo skulls were used by surveyors

plotting SW Minnesota◦ Section corners – 4 skulls◦ Half sections – 1 skull◦ Readily available – early 1870s

Original range – western Minnesota◦ On eastern edge of their range

Never abundant in Minnesota Last hunting season – 1892 A native of America

Inhabited almost all of Minnesota Migrated north due to settlers Black bear most common species

Black bear disappeared from agricultural land areas

White Bear Lake, MN Were considered a nuisance First laws to protect bear in 1917 were soon

repealed◦ Bounty killing established in 1945◦ Bounty killing eliminated in 1965

Tourist attraction 1971: first hunting season established Separate permit required

1981: 1500 bear harvested Bear management units established Most current census has 15,000 Black bear

in Minnesota Nuisance problems beginning again

Primary predator of deer and moose Influence on population varies greatly Consume about 15 adult deer per wolf

Prey on very young, old, weak, sick prey Continuously hunting Deer make easy prey in winter Located primarily in the Superior National

Forest

Numbers declined from 1849-1965 due to bounty payments

In 1967, wolves were listed on Minnesota endangered species list

In 1975, management programs installed by US Fish and Wildlife Services

Eastern Timber Wolf Recovery Team established

Predator control program 10-30 verified livestock losses Currently over 3000 wolves in Minnesota

Kill deer, but do not seriously affect population

Prefer smaller game mammals Primarily live in northern forested areas

Fox Coyote Raccoon Others?