September 2023 - 48

Wildlife Health Lab Technician Maggie Johnson takes a blood sample from a mule deer captured at Sybille Canyon north of Laramie. (Photo by Chris Martin/WGFD)
five-year, groundbreaking project by the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
to study mule deer in the Cowboy State
is underway. Less than a year into the
data collection and scientific analysis, it's too early
to come to any definitive conclusions from the
department's Mule Deer Monitoring Project as to
why the state's mule deer population is declining.
Yet, some of the early information gathered, along
with a new wrinkle thrown in by Mother Nature,
has Game and Fish personnel excited about what
they will learn.
This project isn't the first by Game and Fish to
study mule deer. Work has gone on for decades
across the state to collect data about these animals
ranging from population estimates, harvest and disease,
to migrations, tooth aging and vehicle-wildlife
collision numbers on Wyoming highways.
This project, which started in late 2022, takes
a deeper data dive. It looks at six areas considered
46 | September 2023
A
critical for mule deer management: abundance,
composition, data management, survival, herd
health and harvest management. One of the primary
insights the project hopes to provide is how
many individual mule deer are in each of the state's
herds. Biologists call this abundance and know that
is the key to management.
Embere Hall, Game and Fish science, research
and analytical support unit supervisor and lead on
this project, said historically Game and Fish measured
abundance in one herd per year due to cost.
In March, Game and Fish personnel wrapped up
seven abundance surveys associated with this project
and will do six to eight surveys per year throughout
the length of the project.
WHERE TO START
From late 2022 through early 2023, 1,112 collars
were placed on mule deer from five focal herds
around the state. In each herd 80 does, 30 bucks
and 100 juveniles - animals at least 6 months
old - were collared.
There are 37 mule deer herd units in Wyoming.
Focal herds in this project include: Wyoming Range,
Laramie Mountains, North Bighorn, Sweetwater
and Upper Shoshone. These focal herds are located

September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2023

September 2023 - 1
September 2023 - 2
September 2023 - 3
September 2023 - 4
September 2023 - 5
September 2023 - 6
September 2023 - 7
September 2023 - 8
September 2023 - 9
September 2023 - 10
September 2023 - 11
September 2023 - 12
September 2023 - 13
September 2023 - 14
September 2023 - 15
September 2023 - 16
September 2023 - 17
September 2023 - 18
September 2023 - 19
September 2023 - 20
September 2023 - 21
September 2023 - 22
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September 2023 - 25
September 2023 - 26
September 2023 - 27
September 2023 - 28
September 2023 - 29
September 2023 - 30
September 2023 - 31
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September 2023 - 33
September 2023 - 34
September 2023 - 35
September 2023 - 36
September 2023 - 37
September 2023 - 38
September 2023 - 39
September 2023 - 40
September 2023 - 41
September 2023 - 42
September 2023 - 43
September 2023 - 44
September 2023 - 45
September 2023 - 46
September 2023 - 47
September 2023 - 48
September 2023 - 49
September 2023 - 50
September 2023 - 51
September 2023 - 52
September 2023 - 53
September 2023 - 54
September 2023 - 55
September 2023 - 56
September 2023 - 57
September 2023 - 58
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
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