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NDOW presents FY2027 predation plan, collaring data; board urges unit-level analysis
Summary
NDOW briefed the White Pine CAB on collaring, ear-tag monitoring and predation mortalities; members and public questioned sample-size limits and asked for unit-level separation in analyses. The board voted to support the draft predation management plan.
NDOW biologists briefed the White Pine County Advisory Board on the draft Fiscal Year 2027 Predation Management Plan and recent monitoring results.
Ridge Ricketts said Unit 12 initially had 25 collars deployed and currently shows "24 active collared deer in Unit 12," while Area 13 has 29 collared deer. Ricketts and Kody Menghini described use of ear-tag trackers in Unit 12 (10 deer) and noted battery life concerns for Area 13 collars. Public commenter Trevor Marques pressed NDOW on mountain lion kill attributions; Ricketts reported in Unit 13 there were 10 collared mortalities, "60% of which were attributed to lion predation," and in Unit 12 eight mortalities with 71% attributed to lion predation in 2024.
Commenters and board members noted the small sample size (roughly 30 collars among ~2,000 deer) and asked that NDOW separate results by unit to better identify drivers (predation, habitat treatments, chaining projects). The board moved to support the Draft FY2027 Predation Management Plan; the motion carried with no opposition.
