Volunteers Needed for 2018 Hart Mountain Mule Deer Count
The Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge will sponsor a mule deer count for members between Wednesday, November 28, and Sunday, December 2, 2018 at Hart Mountain. This annual count is used to assess population trends at the refuge. It is considered a ‘composition survey’ and is done by traveling around the refuge (in a vehicle or on foot) and counting the number of does, fawns and bucks (and the number of their antler ‘points’). The refuge is broken into ten survey areas that will surveyed by the Friends.
Preferred survey periods are mornings and evenings when deer activity is highest. Friends of Hart Mountain survey volunteers are welcome to stay at the Refuge housing facilities. The bunkhouse and mobile home housing facilities are equipped with individual sleeping quarters (or shared with one other person, depending on the size of the group), refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens, cookware, and utensils. The bunkhouse also has separate men’s and women’s bathrooms/showers. In addition to food, you will need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, towel and other personal items. The Refuge does not provide housekeeping service, so you are expected to clean the housing facility before you leave.
Participants will have a choice of how many days and which area(s) you would like to survey between November 29 and December 1. For those volunteers who wish to survey for three days, November 28, and December 2, will be travel days. If you have not participated in the mule deer count before, you will need to attend the orientation/training session between 4 and 5:30 PM, November 28, or make other arrangements to receive the training. There will be other experienced surveyors to lead groups of those who are new to the survey and you will be provided with the necessary survey protocol, maps and datasheets.
You will need to use binoculars (or spotting scopes) to conduct the survey. The Refuge has a limited supply of binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, and car window mounts which may be checked out when Refuge personnel are on duty. The refuge also has a limited number of vehicles that can be used by volunteers.
If you would like to participate, or need additional information please contact Bob Lebens by phone (503) 478-4956 or by email at [email protected]
Preferred survey periods are mornings and evenings when deer activity is highest. Friends of Hart Mountain survey volunteers are welcome to stay at the Refuge housing facilities. The bunkhouse and mobile home housing facilities are equipped with individual sleeping quarters (or shared with one other person, depending on the size of the group), refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens, cookware, and utensils. The bunkhouse also has separate men’s and women’s bathrooms/showers. In addition to food, you will need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, towel and other personal items. The Refuge does not provide housekeeping service, so you are expected to clean the housing facility before you leave.
Participants will have a choice of how many days and which area(s) you would like to survey between November 29 and December 1. For those volunteers who wish to survey for three days, November 28, and December 2, will be travel days. If you have not participated in the mule deer count before, you will need to attend the orientation/training session between 4 and 5:30 PM, November 28, or make other arrangements to receive the training. There will be other experienced surveyors to lead groups of those who are new to the survey and you will be provided with the necessary survey protocol, maps and datasheets.
You will need to use binoculars (or spotting scopes) to conduct the survey. The Refuge has a limited supply of binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, and car window mounts which may be checked out when Refuge personnel are on duty. The refuge also has a limited number of vehicles that can be used by volunteers.
If you would like to participate, or need additional information please contact Bob Lebens by phone (503) 478-4956 or by email at [email protected]