“Consistent with that direction, the department developed an Alternative Mule Deer Management Plan describing how we will accomplish those goals,” says Game Branch Chief Tice Supplee.

The specific objectives for buck:doe ratios are not being met in Unit 12A, the North Kaibab. “The recommendation is to reduce overall harvest of bucks to meet this objective. The objectives for higher hunt success and older age bucks in the late season hunts are already being met,” explains Supplee.

Because of reductions in general deer hunt permits, the muzzleloader deer season scheduled for Unit 12AE is recommended to remain in 12B.

There is good news for young hunters – department biologists are recommending a fifth year of anterless hunting with 500 permits for Unit 12AW. “The west side winter range is continuing to recover from wildfires that reduced deer habitat capacity by nearly 50 percent in 1996. Deer browse use on the winter range was again within acceptable levels this past year,” Supplee says.

Supplee adds that the 12AW deer herd had a poor fawn crop of 46 percent in 2002, which is close to a herd maintenance level. “The recommended antlerless harvest should still allow for a modest increase in the west side deer population.”

The season dates for Units 12A, 12B, and 13A archery deer are recommended to be later – September 5-18 – in response to archery hunter requests to make the hunt later, and Kaibab National Forest concerns regarding fire danger.