January 2024 - 29

varied sportspersons. That way, a sportsperson who
hopes for a limited-opportunity area with a chance
at a big buck or bull and another sportsperson who
values a high-opportunity area with generous license
numbers and longer season lengths can each find
what they're looking for in Wyoming.
MONITORING BIG GAME POPULATIONS
Big game surveys are necessary to track population
trends over time and measure population dynamics
relative to management objectives. Survey methods
are customized to the species and herd unit but
adhere to statewide standards.
" When it comes to monitoring the status of
wildlife populations relative to the objectives set
for them, wildlife managers look at how big the
population is and the rate at which the population is
growing or shrinking, " Hall said. " Wildlife managers
and scientists in Wyoming employ tried-and-true
approaches and cutting-edge methods to help us
answer those questions. "
Aerial surveys from an airplane or helicopter are
the primary tool for assessing population size. The
data collected during these surveys are coupled with
modern statistical analysis to provide an estimate
of the population size by accounting for the fact
that not all animals can be observed during an
aerial survey.
To determine the growth potential of a wildlife
population, managers need information on two
key metrics: the number of individuals entering the
population (productivity rate) and the number of
individuals leaving the population (mortality rate).
A herd cannot grow if the mortality rate is greater
than the productivity rate. Wildlife managers collect
what are called " classification " or " composition "
data by flying or driving through a herd unit and
tallying the number of observed fawns, yearlings and
adults. High numbers of fawns and yearlings relative
to adult females is a sign of a population with high
productivity and therefore high capacity to grow.
Hunter harvest surveys are sent to a random sample
of hunters each year, and information gathered from
survey responses allows managers to estimate the
number of animals harvested during the hunting
season. Mortality rates from other causes, such as
disease, predation or starvation, can be determined
from animals wearing GPS collars that notify Game
and Fish staff if the animal has died. Using stateof-the-art
analytical tools, wildlife managers use
estimates of population size, productivity rates and
mortality rates to paint a picture of the herd's status
relative to its objective.
Game and Fish staff dedicate a lot of time and
resources to learning as much as possible about
the wildlife populations they manage. The size and
Game Warden Alex Poncelet, left, secures a GPS collar to a captured bighorn sheep while Danielle Dershem, right,
helps keep its head still in Sybille Canyon near Wheatland. (Photo by Patrick Owen/WGFD)
Saratoga Wildlife Biologist Teal Cufaude uses a radio telemetry antenna to locate radio collars fastened to
pronghorn during a pronghorn fawn survey in the Laramie Region. (Photo by Parker Loew/WGFD)
Wyoming Wildlife | 29

January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024