MDF VOLUNTEERS IN THE FIELD
MDF at work in Oregon!
By: Ryan Krapp: (MDF Biologist and Contributor)
The wildfire smoke cleared and the sky was blue along the Crooked River drainage for the Eagle Rock/Sanford Creek mule deer winter range protection volunteer work day. Thanks and congratulations go out to all of you, the Prineville BLM staff/volunteers, the Mule Deer Foundation and Oregon Hunters Association – Ochoco Chapter volunteers that were on hand to accomplish the long-awaited project intended to protect our wintering mule deer in the region.
The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) hosted event had 21 total persons (including the local rancher and allottee) on the ground assisting in trash pickup, gate post digging, steel fence post pounding and hanging smooth wildlife friendly wire. The team also removed over a ¼-mile of dangerous doubled up barbed wire fence, just ripe for ungulate entanglement.
The Ochoco mule deer herd has recently been deemed as the highest level of concern in Oregon by the ODFW. Projects like these are specifically outlined in the new Mule Deer Management Plan aimed at reversing the negative growth rate and decreasing total numbers of mule deer over the past 5-years. To further assist in this effort the MDF with the BLM National Stewardship agreement has also directed $100,000 to contract the reduction of juniper across this area in the Fall 2024/Summer 2025.
This event was also part of the BLM National Public Lands Day program in which recognizes and celebrates OUR public lands. MDF was proud to be a partner with the BLM and assist in contributing 126 volunteer hours to the efforts of preserving and enhancing public lands for wildlife.
Event photos can be viewed here https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ajd5amG2Uubif1zx5
Special thanks also to our corporate sponsor onX Hunt (www.OnXmaps.com) for providing some well-deserved door prizes for our volunteers.
Visit www.muledeer.org for more events and support MDF by becoming a member today!
Good Luck!
Good luck this fall. Send pictures or stories from the field to Web@muledeer.org to be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article, or any of our articles helped you become a better conservation steward, join the mule deer foundation. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/
