I reckon the argument of closing down my land to hunting due to a couple of inbred poachers is akin to arguing for the banning of all firearms because some non-law abiding nut job went on a shooting spree.
IMHO better to have a posse of trust worthy hunters watching my small chunk of land than leaving it open to poachers who don't care if it is posted in the first place.
Not my land though so do what you think is best.
Hopefully F&W will be able to track down the culprits and put some hurt on them. Hopefully they have been contacted.
Re the comment about mule deer population, some interesting reading here
http://www.wafwa.org/Documents%20and...date_Final.pdf
Alberta
The 2016 pre-hunting season population estimate of mule deer in Alberta is 151,135 and reflects the most robust estimate provided in recent years. The population increase from 2015 can be attributed to a mild winter in 2015/16 and a more complete provincial database for mule deer population information. The population goal in Alberta’s most recent management plan for this species (1989) is 97,000. However, a new provincial management plan for mule deer is currently being written and this will see a change in the provincial population goal that is much nearer to the current population estimate.
Interest in mule deer hunting continues to increase in Alberta. The number of antlered mule deer special license applicants increased in 2015 (up to 75,112 from 70,668) along with the number antlerless mule deer special license applicants (up to 32,292 from 29,151). Based on voluntary hunter harvest surveys, during the 2015 hunting season 37,858 mule deer hunters in Alberta directed an estimated 255,915 days hunting for mule deer, producing an estimated Range-wide Status of Black-tailed Deer and Mule Deer ~ 2016. harvest of 14,792 mule deer (~47% antlered deer) with an average provincial mule deer hunter harvest success rate of 28%. The 2016 hunting season will support ~10,000 antlered mule deer special license and ~16,000 antlerless mule deer special licenses in addition to certain Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) providing unlimited licenses to harvest mule deer.
Alberta also supports a healthy commercial hunting industry, with approximately 1,500 antlered mule deer licenses available for non-residents through outfitter-guide allocations. There is an unknown number of rights based hunters in Alberta that do not require a license to hunt for sustenance and thus information on effort and harvests by this group is unknown.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is present in Alberta, primarily in eastern Alberta along the Saskatchewan border. Prevalence in 2015/16 increased to 2.4% (n=4,929 deer heads tested), up from 2.1% in 2014/15 (n=4,163 deer heads tested). In 2015/16, CWD was detected in 6 additional WMUs where CWD was not known to occur. In Alberta CWD occurs primarily in mule deer and males. Local prevalence in mule deer bucks in some WMUs exceeds 15%. More information on CWD in Alberta is found at
http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/...s/default.aspx