Wyoming Mule Deer, what the answer?

[go_deep]

What's a long term answer to the constant declining mule deer population in Wyoming?

Resident region licenses?
Limited licenses state wide?
Pick 2 or 3 hunt areas when you buy your general license and you can only hunt there?
Kill a predator earn a buck license?

What's your thoughts?

 

[Rich M]

R you looking at at once in a lifetime NR tag or an annual thing?

There is a diff. I wanted to shoot a nice muley, got a 160 and am happy. No more muley tags for me. A true BOAL for me.

Seems habitat and winter range are the main culprits.

Then comes trophy hunting. Everyone wants a 180 and then they shoot a 2x2 or 2x3 to justify their trip. Then complain no big bucks.

That’s my synopsis. Stop shooting babies and maybe will get a real buck.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

The insidious human/ environmental factors are a tough nut to crack. My money says you could do any of that with little effect… I hope I’m wrong.

 

[Buglebrush]

4x4 minimum restriction

 

[go_deep]

4x4 minimum restriction

I've seen some crazy big 2 points, not sure that's the answer for bucks with poor genetics.
I will agree though that I see quicker recovery from bucks when point restrictions are in place for a short period of time.

 

[willfrye027]

Better weather

 

[Laramie]

Hunting bucks has almost no negative effect on the population. Wyoming's declining mule deer population is a habitat, disease, weather, and predator issue... in that order.

The biggest impact the average hunter can have is supporting foundations that work on habitat. The second would be to predator hunt.

 

[cnelk]

A $10 bounty for every left ear of a coyote

 

[jimh406]

What's a long term answer to the constant declining mule deer population in Wyoming?

What stats are you using to say it has a constant declining population?

 

[go_deep]

What stats are you using to say it has a constant declining population?

Population based on G&F counts. But my own eyes say there's way less mule deer today.
I work for a utility company, get to work across lots of private ranches nobody else will ever get to see, while I still see deer, is nothing like it use to be. And if the stories the old ranchers tell me are even half true, there use to be even more deer.

 

[jimh406]

Population based on G&F counts.

My point is that population rises and falls on a cycle with weather. But, also, there are diseases like CWD.

If you go back far enough ... say 20 years, are you seeing a decline or cycle. That is the question.

Interesting article from Wyoming Game and Fish that describes their approach.

Deer and Data

The future of Wyoming’s mule deer lies in a new, cutting-edge monitoring project

wgfd.wyo.gov

 

[wytx]

I've seen a pretty steady decline over the last 35 years where we hunt, public and private.
They blame CWD but habitat and predators along with ranches getting divided up and sold off as lots for housing doesn't help. They shoot anything that moves on those divided ranches.

Some counties have bounties on coyotes, ours does not, $20 for the ears.

 

[HvyBeams]

I think we need an all-out war on predators for a minimum of 5 years with an option to extend. No licenses and you can shoot all the lions and black bears you can, no matter the sex as long as they don't have cubs by their side. Lengthen the general elk license dates in overpopulated areas to at least 30 days for bulls and 60 days for cows. For every 10 pairs of coyote ears you turn in you get an entry into a governor tag for deer that runs until Dec 31 that year. That's my lounge chair biologist opinion. lol. With all of that you probably can't beat the effects of CWD, and definitely can't beat bad winters or droughts.

 

[wapitibob]

Can anyone provide data for a western state that doesn't have a declining mule deer population ?

 

[go_deep]

Can anyone provide data for a western state that doesn't have a declining mule deer population ?

No

 

[mt terry d]

Some of the worst winters on record in the late 70's early 80's. Still could see 500+ deer
in the fall driving interstate from Billings to Livingston in the near years after. Now maybe a couple dozen?
There's always been hard winters occasionally, always will be (in spite of Gore & Greta).
And don't tell me there wasn't CWD then, it just wasn't detected and there wasn't a ton of $$ in studying and testing for it.
And years of government predator trappers/shooters telling ranchers to not allow citizens hunt coyotes because it made it harder for them.
And then they shipped in the turbo-wolves.

I blame decades of criminal game management.

 

[TaperPin]

Any politicians limiting hunting seasons for residents won’t stay in office long. The outfitters association and tourism has a lot of pull so nonresident tags will continue. The best we can hope for is heavy snow early in the season and everyone stays home - that and convince oil and gas workers to stop poaching on the winter range.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Need the weather to align for about 3-5 years.

 

[HvyBeams]

.

 

[CNEdeer307]

I hav spent the vast majority of my life in North Western Wyoming. And have harvested a a deer in that corner of the state 11 years in a row, all mature bucks, not monsters. I am fortunate enough to have access to a lease with several thousand acres of river bottom and agricultural land. 5 years ago you would see 200-400 deer any given night mostly mule deer some whitetail. this year after 6-7 days of hunting, out of a 10 day season is saw a total of 30 mule deer total and proudly 40-50 whitetail, with 2 mule deer bucks maybe 2-3 years old. they say that diseases are to blame and I'm sure they play a role, but on top of that ever walk in hunt area or sliver of public ground that has a chance of holding deer has 2-3 trucks parked on it. We are killing to many deer! compiled on this when hunters get frustrated they shoot does and small bucks which only makes the situation worst. I would give up my opportunity to buy a tag and hunt over the counter every year if it meant Wyoming G&F actually started managing our deer population by setting quotas opposed to blaming blue tongue and CWD whilst throwing their hands in the air. The deer population our part of the state is in free fall and I'm not sure the game department is competent enough to turn it around.