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Rachel Voss Part 2

we were talking about cats and we were talking about juveniles

Rachel Voss Part 2. Hey, where we left off yesterday, we were talking about cats and we were talking about juveniles and the issues that you’re having. And let’s face it, here in Colorado Springs a place called Rockrimmon, that’s where mule deer come down out of the hills, out of the mountains and spend the winter. Traditional wintering habitat and people call all the time, my friends at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, “There’s a cougar on my deck.” All the time. So let’s pick up right there and let’s stay right on the Mule Deer Foundation and the growth and what your goals are and anything else you want to talk about. Rachel Shelly Voss Part 2

Rachel: Sure, sure. Like I said, I’d love to jump back in with the Mule Deer Foundation and the role that I play in the importance of the foundation just to conservation and to the entire nation, really. I’m so passionate about it and Washington State last year, for people that don’t know, had the worst fire season to date. We lost over 1.1 million acres of super vital mule deer and blacktail deer habitat. Rachel Voss Part 2

It was absolutely devastating for the state. And so I’m so passionate about the amount of money that these chapters in Washington State, these 13 chapters have worked so hard to… I should rewind. Rachel Voss Part 2

Like a lot of conservation groups, we have annual fundraising banquets. It’s a great time [inaudible 00:01:45] it’s drinks, it’s an auction, people get to win guns, it’s a great thing. But that is how our money is raised. And that is how the money that we spend back on the ground, that’s where it comes from, Bruce. It comes from the community and the people who support mule deer and blacktail conservation in Washington State. Rachel Voss Part 2

It comes from the community and the people who support mule deer and blacktail conservation in Washington State.

I could just go on forever about it, but there’s so many important things specifically for this year here in Washington State alone, a lot of the money that has been raised, you will see a lot of it going back to a lot of fire rehab and that might be for projects where we’ve lost some very important, excuse me, that might be for some areas where we’ve lost very important mule deer wintering and summer ranges. Rachel Voss Part 2

It could involve, with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, some multi-phase replanting projects out of some of their very common dietary forage that they lost. They will be out of the area or they will just die off without, anything from antelope bitter brush to wax currant to the roe currant and just the basic base and big sage. All very important parts of the mule deer’s diet.

So very important to me, very, very important, the money that we raise, it goes back on the ground

So very important to me, very, very important, the money that we raise, it goes back on the ground, and that’s the great thing about the Mule Deer Foundation. These chapters and these committees and these cities work so hard to raise this money that they want to see their chapter rewards that they have earned go back and stay local for their local deer.

And it’s something we take a lot of pride in with Mule Deer Foundation and can firmly say that the money these people raise and work so hard for, they get to keep local and use it how they choose for mule deer and blacktail habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You pretty much hit it. They’re absolutely majestic.

You pretty much hit it. They’re absolutely majestic. And going back you saying it’s hard to find a 200-inch and that is again, where Mule Deer Foundation comes in and it’s dedicated and committed to some of those goals. For example, we’re big into restoring and proving and protecting mule deer habitat that results in self-sustaining, healthy, free-ranging and huntable deer population.

Promoting public education and scientific research related to the mule deer and wildlife management. Supporting regulated hunting as a viable component of mule deer and blacktail deer conservation. There’s so many things that we’re doing on a national level with our mission, with our goals, and that we stand behind at Mule Deer Foundation to help have that for our youth, for our future of conservation.

So they can see those big, 200, majestic looking beautiful creatures on that ridgeline. So that those big bucks are back and around and they’re here for us for the future. So you hit right on it. And those are some of the most very important goals behind Mule Deer Foundation and why we do what we do.
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