Long term declines are due to land management practices that have precluded fire and thus resulted in long-term changes toward more mature and less diverse habitats, and practices that have not accommodated deer needs and thus have resulted in reduction of both habitat quantity and quality and the inevitable decline in deer numbers. Overall, fawn survival for D-6 has been low the last several years, therefore, fewer bucks are entering the population. Herd composition counts for the D-6 zone indicated the overall buck to doe ratio was 43 bucks for every 100 does observed, with a sample size of 669 adults in the fall of 1998. During these counts, the number of bucks per 100 does ranged from a low of 20 bucks per 100 does in the Stanislaus herd to a high of 65 bucks per 100 does in the Yosemite herd. You must have written permission from a landowner to hunt on posted private land.
Resident deer do occur on the lower elevation private lands.
Those animals often occur in scattered populations. Sierra Pacific Industries owns large blocks of land within the Stanislaus National Forest. Some of this land is behind locked gates and some is not. This lumber firm does allow public hunting on their property. Please remember you are their guest, carry out all refuse, be fire safe and respect their property.