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PGC Field Crews
Take Buck Study to Another Level
A broken nose, a stitched
finger and a stuck pickup truck.
All
of this before lunchtime, on a frigid February morning. Undaunted, the
crew of six graduate students
and
their field supervisor recover to catch eight deer, including two button
bucks, which are the focus of
their
efforts. Just another day in the lives of the Armstrong County Field
Crew working to collect data
for
the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s antlered deer study. The
study was initiated to gain better
insight
into buck survival rates, cause-specific mortality, and movement patterns
in Pennsylvania.
There
are two active study sites in the state that include Armstrong and Centre
counties. The Armstrong
County
site represents agricultural habitat while the Centre County site is more
representative of large
forested
habitat. Prior to this study, most similar research had been done
within wildlife refuges or within
enclosures
where hunting is not permitted. The study is being completed in
cooperation with Penn State
University
and PhD. candidate Eric Long. Ultimately, the commission hopes to
learn more about causes
of
deer mortality, the movement of bucks from six months to 30 months of age,
including how and when
they
disperse, and the changes in male age structure due to antler
restrictions. They also hope to gain a
better
understanding of hunters’ opinions and satisfaction levels.
I
had the opportunity to spend two days volunteering with the Armstrong
County Field Crew in February, and became enamored with
the professionalism and care shown by this group of dedicated graduate
students,
some of whom come from New York, Ohio and Illinois to participate in the
study. Upon entering the house that the crew affectionately
refers to as “headquarters,” which also doubles as the group’s
living quarters, I was greeted with the sights, sounds and smells
that reminded me of an over occupied frat house. The unmistakable
aroma of a slightly overdue garbage removal, the hustle and bustle of six
college students fighting for breakfast and various items strewn
about the entryway resembled a poor man’s Real World as depicted
by MTV.
After
meeting the crew, Josh Schrecengost, Armstrong County field supervisor,
arrived to outline the
agenda
for the day. Schrecengost is an Armstrong County native, and has been
participating in the study
since
it began in 2002. He spent his first year as a crewmember prior to
supervising the Armstrong County crew. “I’ve been hunting
all of my life and was always fascinated by deer,” he said. “I look at
this study
as
an opportunity of a lifetime. Not many people get the chance to work so
closely with something they love.” This day would be similar to
most during the winter months of the study. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the
equipment
needed for the day is checked and loaded in time for the usual 9 a.m.
departure. First on the
agenda
is checking clover traps, which were strategically baited with corn and
placed throughout several
properties
owned by cooperating landowners.
Clover traps are simply large box traps
designed for deer capture. They employ a simple trip wire mechanism
with a trap door at the rear. The traps are named after their inventor
whose last name is Clover, and not for the type of bait used to lure
the deer in. Most commonly, the traps are baited with corn purchased
at a local farm. The traps being used as part of the study
have been modified by the commission and function much more
efficiently than the originals.
Riding
along with part of the crew in a small, extended cab pickup truck, it was
easy to sense everyone’s
growing
excitement level. We stumbled down a narrow, snow-covered road,
anticipating the successful
day
that may be ahead of us. The object of the game is to capture and
radio collar as many juvenile or
adult
bucks as possible for future monitoring. When a deer is found in a
trap, the crew rushes to it, throws the door open, and tackles
the deer to the ground for processing. Once on the ground, it is fitted
with a
facemask
that covers its eyes, providing a calming effect. No tranquilizers
are used in conjunction with the clover traps, only speed and
muscle. Schrecengost described tackling a fully healthy and capable deer
as
“a
pure adrenaline rush. We actually argue over who is going to get to tackle
on a particular day. To settle it, we just take turns now.”
Not
knowing fully what to expect and never having seen a person tackle a deer,
I imagined what the first
capture
would be like. Suddenly the truck slammed to a stop with three crew
members bailing out shouting “we have a double.” It
happened so fast that I was still sitting in the truck while the two
captured deer
were
being released from the cage. Two deer captured in one clover trap
is not uncommon. In this instance, the deer had been captured once
before and did not need to be processed.
The
ground rules were now set. If I wanted to be more than a distant spectator
of the capture process,
I
needed to be on my toes and ready to eject from the truck at a moment’s
notice. Speed is critical to the well-being of the captured deer,
with most being processed in less than two minutes. The less stress on the
animal
during processing, the better chance it has of escaping healthy and
unscathed. By
the end of the
clover
trap run, we captured a total of eight deer, including two button bucks
that we radio collared for
future
monitoring. According
to Schrecengost, this was a typical success rate for the 2004 trapping
season.
“This has been the best year of the study so far with regard to the number of deer we put on the air.
This year we caught 76 juvenile males and 45 adult males.” He attributed the high number of adult male
captures to the recently implemented antler restrictions in Pennsylvania. “We’re up from 13 adult bucks
last year to 76 this year. I personally believe in the effectiveness of the antler restrictions, and I think the
results we’ve had speak for themselves.” In addition to bucks, the crew has captured 120 juvenile does
and 94 adult does this year.
One day was particularly
memorable for Schrecengost.
“We had 36 active traps
set on a Sunday evening. When we did our Monday run, we captured and
collard nine button bucks and a handful of does. On top of that, we
captured and radio collared 10 button bucks and five adult bucks under two
drop nets.”
Normally, the crew is
thrilled to put 10 bucks on the air in a week’s time, let alone a single
day.
Once all of the clover traps
are checked for the day, the crew typically reunites at headquarters to
grab a quick lunch prior to completing daily tasks such as setting new
drop nets, rebaiting clover traps and prebaiting future trapping
locations.
This time is also spent
cultivating relationships with landowners who are participating in the
program, or talking with potential new landowner partners. These daily
tasks typically conclude just in time to head to the drop net locations
for the evening watch.
On most occasions, the crew
divides in half to cover two drop nets on a given evening. Drop netting is
somewhat more complicated than utilizing clover traps because there are
usually several deer to process at one time, making tranquilizers a
necessary tool to ensure the safety of the deer.
Once several deer are under
the net, it is released via a remote control. Immediately after the
release, the crewmembers converge on the trapped deer and begin the
tagging and radio collaring process.
During the 2003 trapping
season, innovative crew member Greg Huchko devised a plan that involved
sneak attacks on unsuspecting deer. He thought that it would be
interesting to try blind drops in certain areas to see what might happen.
As it turned out, this method yielded an approximate 15 percent button
buck success rate. “We routinely use the blind drop method now,”
said Schrecengost.
Sometimes watching a drop
net can be like spending a day on stand in frigid weather without seeing a
single deer. On the evening I participated in drop netting with the crew,
not a single deer made its way under the trap. Only the crystal-clear sky
filled with millions of stars kept my attention.
I found myself wondering how
the crews could do this night after night. Even if they were having
success, it had to be tiresome. I found my respect and appreciation for
their work growing by the minute.
I was particularly impressed
with the crew’s passion for processing the deer quickly and safely.
Although none of them would admit it, I sensed that the well-being of the
deer took precedence over their own safety.
Schrecengost indicated that,
“We love these animals, and we want to get them in and out as fast as
possible. Should a deer suffer even a minor injury during processing, it
hurts all of us.”
If the everyday grind of the
job isn’t tough enough to deal with, the crew members have few options
for off the job recreation due to the remoteness of the study area. Most
of the time the crew goes bowling for entertainment at the Greendale, an
unusual establishment that doubles as a restaurant and bowling alley in
the middle of nowhere.
“Most of the crew sleeps
for entertainment,” said Schrecengost, “or if they can, they try to
get in a little fishing. For most of us, though, sleep is our favorite
type of recreation.”
When asked why anyone,
whether they are interested in deer research or not, would be willing to
live in a small house with five other people and work 12-hour days for a
modest salary, Schrecengost offered a simple answer.
“This could be a once in a
lifetime opportunity to study whitetails in a very hands-on environment.
It’s great experience for all of us involved.”
He added, “The living
environment really brings the crew closer, and provides a great setting
for the type of teamwork that’s needed to pull this project off. We all
know what each other are going to do, even before we do it.”
The crews are largely
selected by Pennsylvania Game Commission Biometrician Chris Rosenberry,
PhD.
“I don’t know how he
does it,” said Schrecengost. “We’ve had nothing but great people to
work with, and each member is as dedicated as the next. We’re really
more like a big family.”
For more information about
the buck study and other current deer research being conducted by the
Pennsylvania Game Commission, visit their website at www.pgc.state.pa.us,
select wildlife and then deer.
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