March 2023 - 2

FROM THE
DIRECTOR
Mule deer on my mind
By Brian Nesvik
M
arch is the time each year when we
begin to get our first taste of spring.
I look forward to warmer days and
the chance to see how our landscape responds to
melting snow and important spring rains. This
is the time of year when we start to get a glimpse
into what post-winter herd health might look
like for all of our big game species, and today I
am really thinking about mule deer.
Mule deer populations have declined in Wyoming and across the
West for several years, and we are working hard to address the root
causes as we know them. Certainly, there have been bright spots,
good years, bad years, unexpected peaks and valleys, but in general,
the three-decade trend has been going in the wrong direction. The
time seems right as we look forward to a new Wyoming spring
to reflect on what we are doing to address these challenges, along
with what we aren't doing that we should. It's also a great time
to communicate with our partners and wildlife enthusiasts about
everything mule deer.
This month we are partnering with the Muley Fanatic Foundation
on its inaugural Mule Deer Days event in Sweetwater County. This
event aims to bring greater awareness and support for Wyoming
mule deer conservation - a goal Muley Fanatics and the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department share with great passion.
The mule deer is an iconic species of the West and is one of
Wyoming's most popular native species. Mule deer are named for
their ears, which are large like those of the mule. Mule deer are only
found on the western Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, southwest
United States and on the West Coast of North America. One of
Wyoming's herds is known for having the longest migration of any
mule deer herd anywhere, traveling as many as 150 miles twice a
year in the spring and fall.
This incredible species is a high priority for Game and Fish.
Estimates in 1991 indicated there were more than 578,000 mule
deer in Wyoming. By 2016 that number declined 31 percent to an
estimated 400,000 animals. Today, we believe we have a little under
300,000. In December Game and Fish kicked off our Mule Deer
Monitoring Program to look at five mule deer herds in Wyoming
over the course of five years to learn more about their habitats and
challenges. You'll hear more about these projects, our discoveries and
our efforts to help sustain this species in Wyoming for generations
to come. Below are some photos during our collaring and capture
efforts over the winter when Game and Fish personnel collared
more than 1,000 deer.
In the meantime, come see us at Mule Deer Days March 10-11
in Rock Springs, and check out the Working Together article by
Muley Fanatics in this magazine. Our partnerships and communities
provide fantastic opportunities to educate and inform the public
about our work, the great people of our state and the exceptional
opportunities we enjoy.
In March mule deer are always on my mind, but now more
than ever.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Mule Deer Monitoring Program will provide
information about future management of this iconic species. (Photo by Christopher Martin/WGFD)
2 | March 2023
More than 1,000 deer were collared this winter as part of Game and Fish's Mule Deer
Monitoring Program. (Photo by Christopher Martin/WGFD)

https://www.muleyfanatic.org/mule-deer-days

March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2023