Wyoming Mule Deer Decline

[Irrelevant]

Wyo to target elk, large carnivores to aid reeling mule deer - WyoFile

Game and Fish Commission signs off on $2.4 million for intensive data collection from herds around the state.

wyofile.com

"Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik told members of the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce in late March that he doesn’t see large-scale predator control as a silver bullet to turning the corner on mule deer numbers, which have fallen statewide from a high of over 500,000 in the early 2000s to just over 300,000 today. But it could be a useful tool in places, he said."

 

[fowladdict]

I wonder how much emphasis was put on improving the elk population when it was around the 90,000 mark? Seems like a vicious cycle. Improve elk herds at the expense of the MD and then years later improve MD herds at the expense of the elk. I recall that in the early 2000's there was a lot of talk about elk numbers needing to improve and then a mere 10 to 15 years later we were living in the golden age of elk hunting.

 

[MTTW]

Living in Montana, it is hard to imagine wildlife managers giving a shit about mule deer. I hope this works.