JON RACHAEL, IDAHO DEPT.

OF FISH AND GAME: WE'RE GOING
TO GO OUT TODAY AND CATCH SOME

MULE DEER FAWNS FOR OUR WINTER
MORTALITY STUDY.

NARRATOR SUE NASS, FISH AND
GAME PRODUCER: AT FIRST, IT

SOUNDS LIKE SCIENTIFIC
GIBBERISH TO TORY AND KATIE,

BUT THEY ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT
JUST HOW FUN AND INTERESTING

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT CAN BE.

RACHAEL: WE'RE GOING TO USE A
HELICOPTER TO GO OUT AND FIND

SOME MULE DEER FAWNS AND RUN
THEM INTO THESE BIG LONG NETS

THAT WE'VE SET UP.

GIRL 1: WILL THEY GET HURT?

RACHAEL: OH NO THE NETS ARE
DESIGNED TO FALL DOWN AS SOON

AS THE DEER HIT THEM, AND, AND
THEY'RE PRETTY TOUGH.

THESE FAWNS ARE BIGGER THAN
YOU THINK; IN FACT, MOST OF

THEM ARE BIGGER THAN YOU ARE.

GIRL 2: BIGGER THAN I AM, I
THOUGHT THOSE LITTLE SPOTTED

FAWNS WERE PUNY.

RACHAEL: WELL THEY WERE LAST
SPRING WHEN THEY WERE BORN,

BUT NOW IT'S SIX MONTHS LATER
AND THEY MIGHT WEIGH UP TO

EIGHTY OR NINETY POUNDS.

GIRL 1: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
THEM?

RACHAEL: COME WITH ME, I'LL
SHOW YOU.

ARE YOU GUYS READY TO GO TO
WORK?

TOGETHER: US?

RACHAEL: SURE WE COULD USE ALL
THE HELP WE CAN GET.

GIRLS TOGETHER: OKAY.

(HELICOPTER) GIRL 1: WILL THEY
COME RIGHT DOWN THIS STRIP?

RACHAEL: IT'S HARD TO SAY,
DEER WILL PRETTY MUCH COME

WHICHEVER WAY THEY WANT TO SO.

HE'S GOING TO TRY TO GUIDE
THEM WITH THE HELICOPTER INTO

THE NET.

GO GO GO!

LET'S GO TO WORK.

RACHAEL: OKAY HOLD ON TO THOSE
FOUR LEGS OKAY; PUT YOUR HEAD

RIGHT THERE, OKAY.

THAT'S OKAY HOLD THAT, IF IT
STARTS MOVING YOU PUSH YOUR

HEAD DOWN AND JUST SQUEEZE ON
TIGHT.

GIRL 2: WHAT'S THE COLLAR FOR?

RACHAEL: WELL WE'RE GOING TO
USE THIS RADIO COLLAR TO TRACK

WHERE THIS DEER MOVES, IT ALSO
HAS A, A SIGNAL IN IT THAT

WILL TELL US IF IT STOPS
MOVING AND IF IT STOPS MOVING

FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WE'RE
GOING TO KNOW THAT IT DIED AND

THEN WE CAN GO IN AND FIGURE
OUT WHAT KILLED IT.

OKAY WE'LL HOOK IT RIGHT HERE,
AND KEEP THE TENSION ON THAT,

LIFT IT UP.

LET'S SEE PULLEY IT OFF THE
GROUND AND WHEN ITS CLEAR

GIRLS CAN YOU READ THAT FOR
ME?

WHAT'S THAT SAY?

GIRL 1: EIGHTY.

RACHAEL: EIGHTY POUNDS OKAY.

GIRL 2: WHY ARE YOU WEIGHING
IT?

RACHAEL: WE'RE WEIGHING THE
FAWNS BECAUSE IT GIVES US A

PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT
CONDITION THE WINTER RANGE IS

IN.

RACHAEL: "ABOUT EIGHTY-SIX."

GIRL 1: WOW THAT DOES WEIGH
MORE THAN ME!

RACHAEL: IN FACT, THE WEIGHT
OF THE FAWN IS A PRETTY GOOD

INDICATOR OF WHETHER THIS
FAWNS GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH

THE WINTER OR NOT.

RACHAEL: HELICOPTER WE'RE
READY FOR MORE.

HELICOPTER PILOT: COPY.

RACHAEL: EVERYBODY DOWN.

NASS: KATIE AND TORY HAVE
BECOME PART OF THE TEAM.

GIRL 1: HERE THEY COME.

GIRL 2: SHHHH NASS: CATCHING
THE DEER, PROCESSING THE FAWN

AND LEARNING A LOT ABOUT
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.

RACHAEL: OKAY I'M GOING TO GO
AHEAD AND PUT THIS RADIO

COLLAR ON NOW.

CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHY WE DO
THIS?

GIRL 2: SO YOU KEEP TRACK OF
IT AND TELL IF IT DIED?

RACHAEL: RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT ALMOST ON HER FEET.

GIRL 2: THEY'RE HUGE AND VERY
STRONG.

NASS: TWENTY-FIVE FAWNS ARE
CAPTURED, COLLARED AND

RELEASED.

THESE ANIMALS WILL BE FOLLOWED
THROUGHOUT THE WINTER AND

EARLY SPRING TO TRACK HOW MANY
SURVIVE.

GIRL 1: HOW DOES FINDING OUT
WHAT KILLS A DEER HELP YOU

MANAGE DEER?

RACHAEL: SOME PEOPLE THINK
THAT PREDATORS ARE THE MAIN

REASONS THAT FAWNS DIE.

AND SOMETIMES THAT'S TRUE, BUT
WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR

RESEARCH THAT SOMETIMES FAWNS
ARE DYING FROM PREDATORS

BECAUSE THEY'RE WEAK AND
MALNOURISHED, AND THAT SOUNDS

LIKE A HABITAT PROBLEM, NOT A
PREDATOR PROBLEM.

GIRL 2: IF IT'S A HABITAT
PROBLEM, IT WOULD AFFECT THE

CARRYING CAPACITY OF DEER
RIGHT?

RACHAEL: WHOA YOU TWO REALLY
DO KNOW YOUR STUFF.

SAY ARE YOU TWO THINKING OF
BEING BIOLOGISTS SOME DAY?

GIRLS TOGETHER: YEAH!

RACHAEL: WHAT DID YOU TWO
LEARN ABOUT WILDLIFE

MANAGEMENT TODAY?

GIRL 1: WELL YOU GUYS HAVE TO
GET UP REALLY EARLY.

GIRL 2: IT'S COLD AND IT'S
REALLY HARD WORK.

GIRLS TOGETHER: BUT IT'S VERY