April 2024 e-edition - 9

NEWS
Seventy-three percent of those who participated in the 2023 Mule Deer Hunter Attitude Survey said the Wyoming Game and Fish Department does an excellent, good or fair job of managing mule
deer hunting opportunities in areas where responders hunted. (Photo by Patrick Owen/WGFD)
Survey looks at attitude
of resident mule deer hunters
CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game
and Fish Department wanted to know more
about how residents felt about mule deer
hunting, so it teamed with the Wyoming
Survey Analysis Center at the University of
Wyoming to get some answers.
The Mule Deer Hunter Attitude Survey
was conducted in August and September last
year. It was sent to nearly 78,000 resident
hunters who purchased or applied for a mule
deer license in the past three years. About 10
percent of those surveyed - 7,487 individuals
- submitted valid responses. Data from
the survey will inform stakeholders and may
be used in future mule deer management
decisions.
The last time Game and Fish conducted
such a survey was in 2017 and 2012.
In the most recent survey, 65 percent of
respondents said the quality of their mule
deer hunting experience in Wyoming
declined over the last three years. One major
factor was the winter of 2022-23 when the
harsh weather resulted in significant mortality
of mule deer - especially in western
Wyoming.
" We had bad winters prior to the previous
two surveys in 2012 and 2017. However, the
winter of 2022-23 was the worst for mule
deer mortality we have on record in the western
part of the state, " said Jeff Short, Game
and Fish wildlife biologist in the Green
River Region. " There were hugely significant
declines in mule deer numbers, and you saw
that in people's opinions. "
According to a presentation Short gave to
the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
earlier this year, the estimated population of
mule deer in Wyoming is 166,000 less than
it was in 2016.
The survey indicated an even split between
hunter satisfaction and dissatisfaction based
on hunters' most recent mule deer hunting
experience in Wyoming. The top three
reasons hunters were satisfied were because
they enjoyed hunting, had a good outdoor
experience and got to spend time with family
and friends. Hunters said not enough mule
deer, crowds and not enough trophy bucks
led to their dissatisfaction.
A key takeaway from the survey is that
more mule deer results in higher hunter satisfaction.
Fewer hunters are satisfied with
their hunting experience than in previous
surveys and other factors such as overcrowding
are likely far less impactful than mule
deer abundance.
Regarding some of the questions about
Game and Fish's management of mule
deer, 73 percent said the department does
an excellent, good or fair job at managing
mule deer hunting opportunities in areas
where responders hunted. Fifty-nine percent
opposed limiting the number of resident
hunters to reduce crowding, and 57 percent
opposed requiring resident general license
holders to select a single region of the state
to hunt. Forty-five percent of hunters preferred
a general license season for mule deer,
34 percent preferred limited quota and 21
percent had no preference.
One thing that was clear from those who
participated in the survey - they like to
hunt mule deer. Eighty-five percent said it
is moderately or very important to be able
to hunt mule deer in Wyoming every year.
- Game and Fish staff
SCAN THE QR CODE TO
WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT
THE MULE DEER HUNTER
ATTITUDE SURVEY.
Wyoming Wildlife | 9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOL1MfjcLqw

April 2024 e-edition

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