FWP releases spring counts

by Annie Wooden

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has released results from its spring ungulate surveys. FWP surveyed white-tailed deer, sheep and elk throughout Region 1, which includes Sanders County. According to FWP Wildlife Biologist Zack Farley, the number of elk surveyed was down this year in HD 121 on the west end of Sanders County, while overall, the deer and sheep populations appear stable, and recruitment (the number of offspring surviving the winter) is up for all species in most districts.

FWP uses spring survey data along with harvest data, hunter effort and sportsmen’s feedback in the decision-making process for season length, type and license/permit allocation. “Spring surveys, when conducted at the correct time, provide fairly reliable data we can use to track changes in populations over time,” Farley stated.

Farley said elk recruitment is the highest the agency has seen in recent years. In HD 121, recruitment this year was 29.4 calves per 100 cows, and in HD 123, 28.2 calves per 100 cows. That compares with five-year averages of 22.7 and 18.4, respectively. With that, overall elk counts are down in 2023, with 1,212 elk spotted in spring surveys and the 10-year average at 1,520. Farley said there were many factors leading to the elk count being low.

“Spring green up was late during the early to middle of April compared to average, which may have reduced the use of open/viewable areas by elk during those surveys due to lack of prime vegetation,” he noted. Additional surveys were delayed, and the area saw abnormally warm temperatures. He explained that it likely caused elk to use more open and visible areas during cooler periods at night and more timbered areas during the day, when surveys were conducted.

In HD 123, the total elk count was up slightly at 376, compared with the 10-year average of 345. The number of bulls was down in each district, with 10 bulls per 100 cows in HD 121 and 11.2 in HD 123, compared with the five-year average of 11.8 in HD 121 and 16 in HD 123. “Given the difficulty in sightability in heavy timber, where most bulls are seen, counts of bulls underrepresent the true number in the population,” Farley noted. Recruitment for white-tailed deer was within the five-year range in all four hunting districts. In April, FWP counted 31.4 fawns per 100 adults in HD 121 (the five-year average is 33.1), 33.2 in HD 122 (37.9), 44.9 in HD 123 (39.5) and 33 in HD 124 (33.1). Due to changes in survey routes in recent years, the total counts of white-tailed deer were not reported in the local districts. Farley said the route changes make comparison inappropriate across years with different survey routes.

FWP saw increases in several bighorn sheep statistics locally, with overall counts above average in HD 122 and 124. In HD 122, FWP counted 69 sheep, compared with the 10-year average of 65, and 284 sheep were counted in HD 124, with the population including Flathead Reservation, and the 10-year average is 272. In HD 121, the total count was slightly below average, with 46 sheep counted compared with the 10-year average of 48. Recruitment was the lowest the agency has recorded in five years in HD 124 with 25.3 lambs per 100 ewes (36.4 average), as was the number of rams, at 30.8 per 100 ewes (57.7 is the five-year average). However, recruitment was up in HD 121 (38.1 lambs per 100 ewes) and HD 122 (36.4). HD 121 saw above-average numbers for rams, while HD 122 was slightly below the five-year average. Farley also noted that this spring’s survey had the highest number of ewes counted in the last 10 years, which could lead to a decrease in the ram-to-ewe value.With the number of rams counted this year at the midpoint of the 10-year range (28-107), Farley said it appears that the number of ewes is up rather than ram numbers being down. Additionally, Farley pointed out that rams are notoriously difficult to view during aerial surveys.

Farley said that generally, good recruitment numbers over a few years will result in an increase in a population. In 2021 and 2022, HD 124 saw high recruitment for bighorn sheep. Yearling females typically have lower pregnancy rates than adult females, which Farley said could increase the number of bighorn sheep classified as ewes, but the lamb-to-ewe count would be lower.