January 2024 - 28

A group of pronghorn is spotted during an aerial survey in the Jackson Region. (Photo by Mark Gocke/WGFD)
or sooner as needed. The review process considers the
individual herd unit dynamics as well as the statewide
context by maintaining continuity in management
strategies for each species across the state. Public and
landowner input is a critical component of proposed
changes. Herd unit objective adjustments require
Commission approval.
TYPES OF MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
Where possible, the objective for each big game
herd unit is the number of individuals in the herd
after the hunting season. The number of all individuals
is generally used for pronghorn and deer
objectives. For elk, objectives often focus on the
number of individuals counted along certain survey
routes or at key wintering areas to look at population
trends. Because population sizes can fluctuate from
year to year due to variations in harvest success,
weather, disease and other factors, and to acknowledge
the margin of error in methods to estimate
population size, Game and Fish considers a herd
to be at objective if the population size is within
20 percent of the target.
28 | January 2024
Alternative objectives are used when objectives
based on population size are not practical. For example,
the Beckton pronghorn herd in the Sheridan
area is managed with a landowner and hunter satisfaction
objective because of the constraints of
conducting population surveys in and around the
urban/suburban landscape. Additionally, many
objectives for moose and bighorn sheep herds are
based on hunter success rates and the ages of harvested
animals.
" Given the diversity of species, varying life histories,
landscapes and land ownership patterns in
Wyoming as well as constraints on available survey
techniques, having the flexibility to manage with
alternative objectives is critically important, " said
Tim Thomas, Sheridan wildlife management coordinator.
" Having multiple management objective
options to choose from allows managers to work
with the public to determine the most appropriate
objective at the local level. "
In managing herds toward their respective objectives,
managers also ensure a variety of hunting
opportunities are available to meet the interests of

January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024

January 2024 - 1
January 2024 - 2
January 2024 - 3
January 2024 - 4
January 2024 - 5
January 2024 - 6
January 2024 - 7
January 2024 - 8
January 2024 - 9
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com