Things have gone from bad to worse in Wyoming. Following what has been among the worst winters in a few decades, state officials released data this week showing the deadly effects of winterkill – things are worse than originally anticipated.
Struggling to find food buried under multiple feet of snow, previous reports indicated that mule deer on the famed Wyoming Range had suffered immensely. As such, Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department made some early cuts to available tags for the fall 2023 season. Unfortunately for Wyoming hunters, and the game they pursue, there might be more cuts to come.
Troubling data out of the Cowboy State is indicating that upwards of 80% of the adult mule deer herd and adjacent populations have perished. If that news wasn’t grim enough, Game and Fish Director Brian Neskvik stated last week that he believes that this year’s fawns have also been wiped out
As the snow has melted off, state biologists use the migration patterns of mulies to determine overall populations. As they return each year to their summer grounds on the Wyoming Range, quick headcounts are what state officials use to get a rough estimate of populations following tough winters.
As for other big game species, none seem to have fared quite as terribly as the mule deer. The state’s elk numbers remain above objective in most herds according to Nesvik, but has made a point to state that they did experience some elk mortality.
“We did see some winter elk mortality. That’s not something I’ve seen in my career,” Nesvik said.
Wyoming has also been monitoring pronghorn populations across the state as the double-edged sword of winterkill and a rare strain of pneumonia has hammered the state’s antelope populations. The department made the call to cut roughly 10,000 pronghorn tags for the upcoming season.
“We had pronghorn hunt areas where we closed the season completely,” he said.
While they have yet to completely shut down mule deer hunting in any specific area, Nesvik has been facing push back from some who believe that might be a sort of last ditch effort to save the herd.
“We have heard from a lot of people, ‘Shut everything down,’” Nesvik said. “But buck deer don’t have babies.”
As long as does are protected, herds should bounce back, he said.
“You can literally (have) one buck deer for every 20 does, and they’re all going to be covered,” he said.
With impending cuts to both resident and out of state tags, fears swirl around the Game and Fish Department’s ability to bring in sufficient revenue. As the primary driver for state funded wildlife management, sales from hunting licenses and tags are what keep the lights on.
Nesvik stated that perhaps larger infrastructure projects would have to be delayed but is feeling comfortable with the department’s savings account which holds about six months worth of operating costs for potential crises just like this one.
