The Southern Interior Mule Deer Project is an outstanding event.
I say “event” because “SIMDeer”, as it’s known, is more than just a project. I became aware of it through BCWF, and attended a presentation by Dr. Adam Ford and Dr. Mark Hebblewhite on it at UBC Okanagan several years ago.
The project itself consisted of collaring mule deer does and setting camera traps in the woods to find out who was around. Our club, North Shore Fish and Game, provided funds for one of the collars. Over the years lessons were learned and fawns were added to the collaring program.
But one of the coolest characteristics of the study was that the data would be shared with a network of universities and wildlife bios across western North America. This commitment to sharing data came with the benefit that scientists at UBCO would, in turn, be given access to data that the other scientists at other universities were collecting. The synergies are amazing.
BCWF has done multiple webinars on SIMDeer, and there have been multiple podcasts done on it as well, but a partnership with Telus led to a great documentary entitled “Community for the Wild” that ran on Telus TV for an extended period of time before moving to YouTube.
The documentary is now available to watch online!
A huge thanks to all our supporters that made this project happen, and still allow it to continue (note our club name in the credits!):
Forest Enhancement BC
Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
Bonaparte Indian Band
BC Timber Sales
Summerland Sportsmens Association
Kelowna Fish and Game Club
United Bowhunters Association
Kamloops Fish and Game Club
Grand Forks Wildlife Association
Southern Okanagan Sportsmen’s Association
Clinton Fish & Game Protective Association
Keremeos-Cawston Sportsman Association
Mission & District Rod & Gun Club
Pemberton Fish and Game Club
Region 8 Okanagan BCWF
