Pulled this one of the D zones up super high in 2022. The last 2 seasons have been rough. The population is really struggling especially up high. I have an A15 (X8) tag this year and have been scouting a lot the last few weeks - places that had large groups and tons of sign 5 years ago are dead and barren now. Bear and mtn lion scat everywhere but hardly any deer. I’m also seeing blacktails but no muleys so I’m wondering if something happened to the muley population in the last couple of years?
X8 hunters last year were reporting similar experiences and the game warden here confirmed it. Not sure what it’ll take for it to turn around but definitely discouraging considering how fun it is to hunt the high sierras.
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