Wyoming Deer: An estimated deer population of 416,200 in 2019, 469,700 in 2018, 438,100 in 2017, 435,000 in 2016, and 423,000 deer in 2015, up from 400,000 in 2014. A harsh 2018-19 winter reduced populations. The deer population was trending higher after three mild winters into 2016, but a very harsh winter for 2016-17 west of the continental divide resulted in very low fawn survival. Also an EHD die-off. The mild winter of 2018 allowed populations to recover. A total population of about 578,000 in 1991. Wyoming Game and Fish draft CWD Management Plan 2019. Herd analysis at right. Historical Wyoming deer hunting data and news archive.. ![]() Wyoming Deer News ... study published in November in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B provided the first evidence that when the two species overlap, wolves have a greater effect on mountain lion populations than hunting by humans and the availability of prey. And the ways scientists say that wolves impact populations? By starving out adults and killing kittens... ... a positive test from a mule deer buck that was found dead. Deer Hunt Area 138 southeast of Pinedale ... Wildlife advocates discuss top Wyoming issues in 2021 January 17, 2021 Wyoming, KPVI News 6 ... Chronic wasting disease ... has been slowly marching its way west toward the 22 feedgrounds run by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ... Feedgrounds are controversial on their own — even the state of Montana once wrote Wyoming a letter asking the state to stop artificially feeding elk. Feedgrounds congregate elk, encouraging the spread of disease ... ... the Platte Valley is home to 12,000 mule deer that winter in the valley and move to summer ranges in the Snowy Range, Sierra Madres and foothills of North Park, Colo. The corridor includes public and private lands. The top concern for the corridor is maintaining connectivity between seasonal ranges... Mending fences: new group working to help migrating wildlife, one fence at a time January 15, 2021 Wyoming, svinews ... a wildlife friendly option... the bottom strand was raised to 18 inches and barbless. It allows pronghorn and young deer and elk to crawl under the fence without injury. They also lowered the top strand to 42-inches and enlarged the distance between it and the second strand to help ensure animals jumping over didn’t get entangled in the strands... BLM to conduct prescribed fire in Sweetwater County January 8, 2021 Wyoming, Bureau of Land Management ... The project consists of approximately 200 acres of slash piles that are targeted to be burned to reduce juniper where it is encroaching on sage grouse, mule deer, and elk habitat.., Data shows how bunched up elk are in Northwest Wyoming’s feedgrounds; a worry for chronic wasting disease spread December 27, 2020 Wyoming, Cheyenne-Scottsbluff KGWN-TV ... elk contact rates were 2.6 times higher during the feed season ... feeding concentrates animals, creating a conduit for the transmission of diseases ... About 20,000 elk are fed on the federally-managed refuge and on 22 state-run feedgrounds in Teton, Sublette and Lincoln counties... First elk associated with Wyoming feedgrounds tests positive for chronic wasting disease December 18, 2020 Billings Gazette ... This is the first elk to test positive for CWD in northwest Wyoming that lives in close proximity to winter feedgrounds... Intensive CWD surveillance of the Jackson elk herd has been ongoing since 2009... Game and Fish seeking comment on migration assessment December 12, 2020 Wyoming, Wyoming News ... an 80-mile stretch of mule deer migration routes in the Platte Valley, stretching from south of the Colorado border to north of Interstate 80... The Platte Valley is home to 12,000 mule deer ... The draft assessment is available here ... comment by December 15 ... Sublette County, Wyoming, acres conserved December 10, 2020 Wyoming, High Plains Journal ... 1,295 acres in the Upper Green River Valley... the ranch provides majestic views and critical wildlife habitat for deer, moose, and pronghorn... funded in part by the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust... Game & Fish Seeks Public Input in Elk Feedlot Revisions December 10, 2020 Wyoming, Public News Service ... Feedlots were first introduced in 1929 to keep elk away from food intended for livestock ... there are currently no cases of chronic wasting disease on the state's 22 winter feeding grounds, but mule deer and whitetail deer populations have seen major outbreaks in southeastern Wyoming and the disease is spreading westward... Wyoming governor's mule deer migration group set to meet for first time December 9, 2020 Oil City News ... The group will work to “to review the existing designation of the Platte Valley Mule Deer Corridor and develop recommendations for the governor.” ... ... “We’ve elevated elk populations by supplemental feeding for over 100 years,” ... If the feedgrounds were shut down, about 15,000 elk would crowd onto existing winter ranges where pronghorn and mule deer herds congregate. The existing native winter range could not support the additional wildlife... Winter Season closure for Wyoming Game and Fish habitat management areas December 5, 2020 Wyoming, Cheyenne-Scottsbluff KGWN-TV Bridger-Teton winter wildlife closure areas start going into effect in Wyoming December 1, 2020 Oil City News ... “When people or their animals enter closed winter range, wildlife is forced to move to new locations. This retreat requires animals, such as deer, elk and moose, to use energy they cannot spare.” ... Conservation groups protest massive pipeline project destined for Wyoming November 30, 2020 Casper Star-Tribune Online ... “The more we learn about big game migration corridors, the more clear it becomes that these migration routes are essential to maintaining healthy and thriving populations of deer, pronghorn, moose, and bighorn sheep,” Connie Wilbert, director of Sierra Club Wyoming... Wyoming Game And Fish Hold Virtual Public Meetings On Elk Feedground Management November 25, 2020 Wyoming Public Media ... “[We will] really try and lay out for people as best we can, why we're doing what we're doing, how we got here, and why we continue to use supplemental feeding of elk in the wintertime as a management practice,” said Goeck... Chronic wasting disease detected at Flathead game farm November 23, 2020 Wyoming, Polson Lake County Leader ... a single game farm animal in Flathead County was confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease. This is the second detection of CWD in domestic cervids in Montana this year ... Montana law requires CWD positive game farm herds to undergo complete depopulation ... Game and Fish seeks comments on draft Biological Risk and Opportunity Assessment for designated Platte Valley Mule Deer Migration Corridor November 18, 2020 Wyoming, EIN News ... The document provides an overview of the conservation challenges and opportunities along the 80 miles in south-central Wyoming that make up one of the most crucial pathways in the state for spring and fall mule deer movements. The public is invited to review the draft and submit comments... Mule deer collisions on 26-mile stretch of highway cost Wyoming $746K per year November 16, 2020 Oil City News ... vehicles collide with an average of 136 mule deer each year on a 26-mile stretch of US 26/287 near Dubois. Those collisions cost the state an estimated $746,000 per year... ... The first elk offered food paid for by the Wyoming Legislature was in 1910 after Jackson resident Stephen Leek began speaking and writing about starving elk... worries that elk would contract CWD on the feedgrounds then spread it north.., Burned, beetle-ravaged Wyoming forest expected to flourish November 2, 2020 Colorado, OutThere Colorado ... For elk and mule deer, the benefit will be less about tree cover and more about a sudden abundance of food. When a fire burns, it clears out conifers like lodgepole pines... more water on the ground for grasses, wildflowers and wildlife ... Trump signs off on conservation bill November 2, 2020 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise ... The ACE Act will help protect elk, mule deer ... establishes a task force to address the growing problem of chronic wasting disease... ... Mule deer numbers are good in most of the county ... The white-tailed deer population has also been productive and remains high... Five reports of dogs 'harassing, attacking and mutilating deer' in Lander area October 28, 2020 Wyoming, Oil City News ... most of the deer who were attacked “died of their injuries or had to be euthanized because of them.” “The reports given indicated different dogs attacking deer on different days with all dogs appearing to have homes as they were wearing collars,” ... ... Deer Hunt Area 142, just north of Big Piney, is the sixth positive area West of the Continental Divide. Deer Hunt Area 117 is southwest of Cody, and Deer Hunt area 96 is northwest of Bairoil. All three hunt areas are adjacent to existing CWD positive areas... Snowmobile clubs, counties oppose DEC plan to extend deer hunting season October 16, 2020 Wyoming, The Daily News Online ... The resolution cites the economic impact of the proposal and requests that the DEC delay the the proposal to allow for alternative proposals that would result in “minimal disruption to businesses, landowners, hunters and the snowmobile community.” ... Which habitat treatments help mule deer on the Wyoming Range? October 9, 2020 Daily Rocket Miner ...Along with sagebrush, aspen trees are particularly important to mule deer. Prescribed fire, conifer removal and harrowing disturbs old aspen stands and increases the amount of nutritional forage. Overall, managing plant communities by mimicking natural disturbance Game and Fish is helping habitat for better resources for mule deer and all wildlife... 2 Wyoming cow elk test positive for chronic wasting disease October 6, 2020 Wyoming, Billings Gazette ... in the Cody and Laramie regions ... CWD was confirmed in Elk Hunt Areas 45 and 114 with positive tests from two hunter-harvested adult cow elk... CWD found in new deer and elk hunt areas in northeast Wyoming September 18, 2020 Buckrail ... CWD was confirmed in Deer Hunt Area 25 in the Bighorn Mountains with a positive test from an adult doe mule deer that died during a Game and Fish capture operation. Deer Hunt Area 25 is surrounded on three sides by four known CWD positive deer hunt areas... CWD Samples Focused on Specific Hunt Areas This Year September 8, 2020 Wyoming, laramielive.com ... The Laramie Region’s goal is to collect samples from at least 200 adult mule deer bucks harvested in Hunt Areas 15, 61, and 74-77... International study gets at the root of what makes deer migrate September 8, 2020 Wyoming, Phys.org ... researchers found that the dynamics of springtime plant growth, specifically whether green-up progresses like a wave or not, explains where migration occurs in many ecosystems ... Migratory behavior emerges as a means for animals to track food in landscapes where pulses of the best forage actually move across the landscape as the spring season unfolds... Fall Creek Elk Herd a ‘focus’ of CWD surveillance September 6, 2020 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News & Guide ... Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, has been detected in mule deer in the region, but not yet in elk... just south of Jackson ... approximately 5,000-animal herd ... Laramie Game and Fish releases SE region hunting forecast for elk, deer, grouse and more August 28, 2020 Wyoming, Oil City News ... Mule deer populations in the Sheep Mountain, Platte Valley and Shirley Mountain herds are stable or slightly increasing ... Buck ratios remain high across the Platte Valley... Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and poor fawn production have suppressed populations in the Goshen Rim and Laramie Mountains herds ... Elk populations remain above objective .., Leasing impacts wildlife migrations August 23, 2020 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online ... the federal government will offer more than 180,000 acres across the state to the oil and gas industry – and 18,000 of those acres are within an important wildlife migration corridor ... mule deer that migrate from the sage brush steppe of the Red Desert to the mountain meadows of the Hoback Basin undertake the longest land migration in the Lower 48... Wyoming 2020 Deer Season Forecast August 18, 2020 Game and Fish Department ... Casper Region: ... The outlook for mule deer is mixed, with many areas now supporting more mule deer than in much of the past 10 years. Other areas continue to harbor lower than desired mule deer densities, especially in the Laramie Range (hunt areas 65 and 66). Buck ratios remain high in most mule deer herds, and hunter success should be good for those hunters hunting on private lands and in limited quota areas..., [more at link above] Governor Gordon launches first local area working group for Platte Valley Mule Deer Corridor August 17, Wyoming, Cheyenne-Scottsbluff KGWN-TV ... the Migration Corridor Executive Order 2020-1... supports conservation of mule deer and pronghorn ... plowed new ground for the nation’s efforts to develop an approach for managing corridors and protecting our economy ... Dry Piney Wildlife Crossing Project Receives $20,500 Donation From Muley Fanatic Foundation August 13, 2020 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW.com ... The Dry Piney area is ranked third out of 42 hot spots for wildlife crashes identified in the state of Wyoming... Mule deer being captured in Bighorns August 11, 2020 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... The goals of the study are to identify mule deer seasonal range and habitat use and document fawn production and three-to-six month fawn survival rates. On March 5, 25 does were captured ... and fitted with radio collars ... Report of poached deer leads to surprising suspect August 6, 2020 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... Lentsch noted bobcat tracks near the partially cached carcass and determined a bobcat was responsible for killing the deer, rather than illegal human activity... he captured video footage of the bobcat coming back to feed on its prize ... Collaborative effort to reduce costly collisions July 29, 2020 Wyoming, Buffalo Bulletin ... In any given year, vehicle collisions can kill up to 4% of Wyoming’s total mule deer population. Local mulies are already struggling... commissioners expressed support for work on all three of the wildlife crossing projects presented ... Mule deer captures to begin in northern Bighorns July 29, 2020 Wyoming, WGFD News ... The goals of the study are to identify mule deer seasonal range and habitat use and document fawn production and three-to-six month fawn survival rates. On March 5, 2020, 25 does were captured on winter range on the eastern and western foothills of the Bighorns and fitted with radio collars by a professional wildlife capture crew.., Wildlife Managers Have New Tools to Contain Chronic Wasting Disease July 28, 2020 Wyoming, Public News Service ... Some areas might see expanded hunting harvests, for example, to cull infected animals... In other areas, controversial winter feed lots, viewed as hot spots for the infectious disease, could be limited... More residents applying for hunting licenses in 2020 July 26, 2020 Wyoming, County10 ...The number of licenses available for deer and elk remained steady. Resident applications for buck deer rose by 10.6% and 20.41% for doe/fawn deer. Nonresidents applications only rose by a half of a percent for bucks and 4.6% for doe/fawn. For elk, residents submitted 8.3% more applications for bull licenses and 10.3% more for cow/calf... New study finds surface disturbance can limit mule deer migration July 21, 2020 Wyoming, Jill Lopez ... surface disturbance from energy development can hinder mule deer migrations when it exceeds 3 percent. Researchers from the University of Wyoming and Western Ecosystems Technology used 15 years of movement data collected from GPS-collared mule deer in western Wyoming ... WGFD Super Tag Raffle raised $1.3 M for Wildlife July 22, 2020 Wyoming, KTAK ... Created by Gov. Matt Mead and the Wyoming Legislature in 2013, the Super Tag raffle provides hunters opportunity and raises money for wildlife management in Wyoming. This year, 102,495 tickets were sold, a 15% increase from last year... ... The Commission voted to put $500,000 on-the-ground to fund the 1-25 Buffalo to Kaycee fence modification project to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions... The Commission challenged community and conservation groups to raise additional dollars ... .... Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approved the Wyoming Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan ... CWD is widely distributed across the state... ... While deer becoming entangled isn’t too unusual a call for Game and Fish, this incident was no accident. The deer had been deliberately roped ... Donations to state agencies will help Wyoming wildlife avoid traffic collisions July 13, 2020 Oil City News ... New donation options to help fund overpasses, underpasses, fencing and signage to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions went into effect July 1... nearly 6,000 big game animals like deer ... die each year from collisions with vehicles ... Sublette County rejects Bondurant resort proposal July 10, 2020 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... The proposed resort would have intersected with the state of Wyoming’s first protected migration route, a path used by mule deer that spend winter in the Red Desert but venture north each summer into the Bridger-Teton National Forest... Wolves are moving Gros Ventre elk, but not so much killing them June 28, 2020 Wyoming, Wyoming News ... Preliminarily, wolf numbers appear to be a major environmental influence that causes the elk herd to abandon the Gros Ventre in favor of the National Elk Refuge... Wyoming Game and Fish officials said it’s undesirable to have wolves push most of the elk out of the Gros Ventre... Global Warming Shortens Spring Feeding Season for Mule Deer in Wyoming June 24, 2020 Wyoming, InsideClimate News ... "Climate change is drastically affecting their food supply during migration," said University of Wyoming researcher Ellen Aikens, who analyzed 19 years of drought records going back to 2001 ... "In dry years, they get only 50 percent of the benefit that they get in an average year," ... Game and Fish looks to approve Chronic Wasting Disease draft plan in July June 22, 2020 Wyoming, Oil City News Project gains new insights into mule deer declines June 14, 2020 Wyoming, Planet Jackson Hole ... to determine why mule deer populations have declined by 40% even in relatively pristine habitats. Researchers have honed in on key contributing factors—including drought, predation, and food competition ... UW Study Reveals Impacts of Climate Change on Migrating Mule Deer June 11, 2020 Wyoming, University of Wyoming ... the benefits of migration are likely to decrease for mule deer and other migratory herbivores as drought becomes more common due to ongoing climate change ... the best migration routes that produced the most abundant forage and the longest duration of green-up in wet years also were the most severely impacted by drought... How Does Energy Development Affect Wildlife Migration Patterns? June 8, 2020 Wyoming, The Pew Charitable Trusts ... in Wyoming, where mule deer populations have been in decline since the 1990s despite significant interventions to stabilize their numbers... Our study showed that migratory use by deer steeply declined when surface disturbance from energy development, such as access roads and well pads, exceeded 3% of the migration route... ... prescribed fires are part of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Project which was developed as part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative that was completed in 2011. The purpose of the project is to improve vegetation conditions in crucial mule deer winter range, transition range, and fawning ranges... Wyoming Territory slowly protects big game animals: Decline in population leads to regulations May 10, 2020 Laramie Boomerang From 1883: ... ... the Laramie Boomerang noted three market hunters killed “three ton” of elk in the northern Laramie Range and two others killed an additional “5,000 pounds” in the Medicine Bow Mountain... the Laramie Boomerang issued another call for better game protection laws ... “It will be but a short time until the bear, the deer and the antelope will disappear .., Wyoming Conserves Habitat Where the Deer and the Antelope (Still) Play May 5, 2020 The Pew Charitable Trusts Wyoming Acquires Another Large Piece Of Public Land May 4, 2020 Wyoming Public Media ... A 4,350-acre parcel of land on the Wyoming-South Dakota border ... will protect critical winter range for elk, whitetail and mule deer ... Game and Fish Department adjusts rules on antler hunting April 29, 2020 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... The updated regulation expands the seasonal closure area to include expanded critical wintering habitat and enact a new opening time of 12 noon on public lands. The annual closure is to protect wintering big game... Elk feedground litigation rolls on April 28, 2020 Wyoming Gillette News Record ... The complaint, like others recently challenging elk feeding, charges that managers are violating environmental laws by continuing to feed elk while chronic wasting disease spreads throughout western Wyoming and further into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem... ... Monique was two elk, both of whom were outfitted with satellite collars in early 1970 ... belonged to a migratory herd of 7,000 animals that wintered on the National Elk Refuge just south of Yellowstone ... The collar cost $25,000, weighed 23 pounds ... John and Frank Craighead, twin brothers and legendary wildlife researchers ... Upper Powder River mule deer herd remains low, survey finds April 10, 2020 Wyoming, Billings Gazette ... Based on surveys this winter the estimated population of the Upper Powder River mule deer herd is 8,500, significantly lower than the herd objective of 18,000. “We are working really hard to understand the population dynamics of this herd ...” said Cheyenne Stewart, Buffalo wildlife biologist. “Our buck harvest is not impacting our ability to increase the population... Wyoming launches mule deer study in northern Bighorn Mountains April 8, 2020 Billings Gazette ... The study is designed to identify mule deer movements in the northern Bighorns, evaluate seasonal range and habitat use and document fawn production and three-to-six month fawn survival rates. Mule deer populations in much of Wyoming and the West have been declining for decades... New Film Tells Story of Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier, Potential Solutions March 27, 2020 Wyoming, University of Wyoming ... shows that Interstate 80 is an almost impenetrable obstacle to movement of pronghorn, mule deer and elk. The highway has severed or truncated migration corridors originating as much as 150 miles away... Wyoming Mule Deer Herds To Benefit From Increased Funding March 26, 2020 Wyoming Public Media ... Mule deer have seen a decline in total numbers throughout the West ... A majority of the funding will be used to support habitat improvement efforts around the state, like fighting cheatgrass spread to support native plant productivity and reducing the encroachment of conifers into aspen stands, which provide coverage and forage for mule deer... Mule Deer Migration: One Woman Follows in Its Footsteps March 26, 2020 Wyoming, GearJunkie ... The film opens with one researcher’s mission to track tagged doe No. 139. The lead researcher, Sam Dwinnell, decides her team will trace the doe’s 6-week, 85-mile migration in just 9 days... [link to video] ... “In the winter, big game animals such as mule deer and elk use most of their energy just to survive,” said Rick King, chief game warden. “Limiting disturbance during this critical time of the year may help them hold on to more of their valuable reserves.” ... Managing chronic wasting disease in the Greater Yellowstone March 21, 2020 Wyoming, Explore Big Sky ... The disease infects as many as 50 percent of the animals in some herds, while in others, it stays around 30, 10 or even 5 percent. “I think every herd responds to CWD differently,” Edwards said. “We [don’t yet] understand why some herds are more resilient.” What we do know is that CWD can remain in the environment for years at a time... ... Every year, around 5,000 mule deer die from vehicle collisions in Wyoming... The Wyoming Game and Fish has determined a need for 240 wildlife crossing projects in the state ... about 90% effective at reducing mortality ... Migratory Disturbance Thresholds with Mule Deer and Energy Development H Sawyer, MS Lambert, JA Merkle - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2020 Wyoming ... We used global positioning system data from 56 deer across 15 years to evaluate how surface disturbance from natural gas well pads and access roads in western Wyoming, USA, affected habitat selection of mule deer during migration ... migratory use by mule deer declined as surface disturbance increased... migratory use sharply declined when surface disturbance from energy development exceeded 3%... ... the Jackson elk herd is near its population objective of 11,000 animals... After a devastating winter in 2016-17 ... Mule deer counts strong in Sheridan region February 28, 2020 Wyoming, Billings Gazette ... fawn ratios increased about 15% from 2018, which is attributed to improved precipitation and the extended spring green-up associated with abundant rain. High buck ratios were found ... yearling buck ratio decreased due in part to the lower 2018 fawn count... ... There are an estimated 6,000 big game animals killed by vehicle collisions each year in the state... Wildlife Crossings: Keeping Wildlife and Drivers on the Go... legislators two years ago that allow you to purchase a license plate where the majority of the funds go to this initiative and go to future projects that will benefit wildlife and roadways... ... Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order last week ... establishes how corridors are managed, starting with key routes in southwestern Wyoming, and how other routes should be designated in the future... ... “The total number of deer observed in the city limits from 2011 to 2019 overall has been showing a decreasing trend,” ... Deer fawn:doe ratios were 64:100 in the city limits. Total buck ratios were 38:100 in the city limits, with yearling buck ratios of 13:100 and 25:100 for adult bucks in the city limits... Harsh winter impacting Wyoming wildlife, increased mortality rates expected in some areas February 3, 2020 Oil City News ... Winter conditions in the Lander Region ... early onset and continued presence of severe, harsh conditions, increased mortality of fawns and older-age adults is expected for deer ... Can the National Elk Refuge Survive CWD? January 29, 2020 Wyoming, Outdoor Life Magazine ... For more than 100 years, wildlife authorities have tried to shore up the elk population close to Yellowstone National Park with supplemental feeding ... they aim to reduce the number of elk on the refuge ... by shortening the feeding season ... eventually phasing it out ... Helms worries elk will starve without the supplemental feed, and that fears of CWD are overblown... Gov. Gordon to launch migration corridor listening tour across Wyoming January 27, 2020 KPVI News 6 ... Gov. Mark Gordon will travel Saturday to four communities across Wyoming to collect feedback on his proposed migration corridor executive order, now in its draft phase ... protections for three existing mule deer corridors ... Upper Powder River Mule Deer study January 26, 2020 Wyoming, Casper-Riverton KCWY-DT ... In the first year of the study, 18 deer died; causes range from Chronic Wasting Disease, pneumonia, predation, one even falling from a cliff. Researchers also learned a few deer migrated over 30 miles. Nutritional condition of the deer has been less than expected, despite precipitation being above average over the last two years... CWD spreads slow in parts of Wyoming, fast in others January 22, 2020 Jackson Hole News & Guide ... Deer hunt zone 157 ... is the case in point... Some 70-plus mule deer samples and another 50-plus whitetail deer samples arrived at Edwards’ lab. Unfortunately, over half the animals hunters harvested were coming up positive for CWD — and in a unit that was first confirmed positive as recently as 2012.., North Fork deer herds are threatened January 15, 2020 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise ... decline of the mule deer and white-tailed deer herds on the North Fork of the Shoshone River... attributed to, the harsh winters of 2016-17, and very healthy wolf, grizzly bear and mountain lion populations... The wolves more than any other predator follow the deer to the Central Plateau ... On migration corridors, governor attempts to strike balance between energy, environment January 12, 2020 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online ... Scientists have come to consider these ancient routes as critical habitat warranting state protection. With mule deer population numbers hovering near historic lows, the state has been debating how to avoid losing this animal ... Wyoming is home to roughly 400,000 mule deer and about half the world’s pronghorn population... Drivers, wildlife benefit from safer roadways January 4, 2020 Wyoming, Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... By partnering with private landowners and public land managers, and working alongside volunteers, we removed or modified dozens of miles of fences that previously blocked the animals from reaching winter habitat and other herds in the region... in Teton County, residents recently voted overwhelmingly to fund wildlife crossings to the tune of $10 million ... Pronghorn Routes Improved December 30, 2019 Wyoming, KSGT ... Pronghorn and deer in Western Wyoming will soon be able to cross fences along their winter migration routes more easily thanks to improved fencing along Wyoming Highway 28... ... A draft executive order issued Monday by Gov. Mark Gordon would establish protections for three existing migration corridors and develop guidelines for identifying additional routes, all while attempting to protect vital energy development ... Deer Test Positive for CWD December 25, 2019 Wyoming, Sheridan Media ... recent big batch of test results from animals harvested during the Montana hunting season have turned up 16 new positives for Chronic Wasting Disease... More than 7,000 animals have been sampled statewide and 131 tested positive.., Deer surveyed in city limits of Cody December 19, 2019 Wyoming Game and Fish - State of Wyoming ... Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel conducted a classification/trend survey of deer within the city limits of Cody. This annual survey has been conducted since 2011 for the purpose of providing city managers with information related to town deer numbers... The city was broken out into 10 count blocks and all deer encountered by observers were classified into sex/age categories (adult buck, yearling buck, doe, fawn). Surveys were initiated at approximately 2 p.m. and continued until dark.., Wyoming officials to use hay trail to lure elk to new ground December 19, 2019 WRAL... Elk are being moved as a result of recent litigation meant to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease... Flaking off pieces of a hay bale every 50 to 100 feet to move elk is “standard operating procedure” ... Following the herd December 18, 2019 Wyoming, Buffalo Bulletin ... health of the Upper Powder River mule deer herd and the unit’s birthing, feeding and migrating conditions. ... chronic wasting disease and emaciation is the leading cause of death for radio-collared deer, with eight confirmed positives. Two more died from CWD causing emaciation and were killed by predation. Three of the deer were killed from emaciation not attributed to CWD, and predation. Two deer were likely killed by mountain lions. Two of the deer died from pneumonia. One deer fell off a short, steep cliff and died from trauma and one cause of death is unknown... Cody to cull 50 more deer in 2020 December 18, 2019 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise ... police chief Chuck Baker told the Cody City Council he intends to continue the program developed to cull 50 deer per year under a Game and Fish Chapter 56 Permit – a special urban deer harvesting license issued to government entities... ... introduced America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act... helps conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. It addresses the threats of emerging wildlife diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), protects livestock from predators, and combats invasive species... Wildlife crossing to be improved along southwest Wyoming migration route December 16, 2019 Wyoming, Billings Gazette ... Improvements to Highway 28 for wildlife are a collaborative effort. Sweetwater County Commission Chairman Wally Johnson proposed a meeting to discuss the need for crossing structures or fence modifications... Federal government collects $10.8 million for lease sales in Wyoming December 12, 2019 Wyoming, Billings Gazette ... Thirteen conservation groups filed six separate protests opposing much of the sale. The groups expressed particular concerns over the expansion of oil and gas activities in critical sage grouse habitats and mule deer migration corridors. Population declines in sage grouse and mule deer populations have sparked a heated effort from conservation groups to uphold wildlife protections... Game And Fish Begins New Mule Deer Research In Northeast Wyoming December 6, 2019 Wyoming Public Media ... recently collared 35 mule deer does in the Rochelle Hills area ... to study Deer Area 10 to better understand why the mule deer population has been low for several years... CWD plan targets mule deer bucks, eyes sharpshooters December 4, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... With fatal chronic wasting disease infecting 84% of Wyoming’s mule deer herds, wildlife managers propose to thin buck populations, among other actions, to limit the disease’s spread... the Wyoming Game and Fish draft CWD Management Plan ... Chronic Wasting Disease, Wyo. Game & Fish Dir. Appears Before U.S. Senate Committee In Wake of CWD Plan Release December 5, 2019 Wyoming, KGAB ... Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian R. Nesvik told members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works that chronic wasting disease is a national problem... The number of animals tested for CWD nationwide is expected to expand by 32% over the next fiscal year... Unprecedented sagebrush die-off, recovery reveals threat of weather swings November 28, 2019 Wyoming, Helena Independent Record ... The cause, ironically for a plant known for growing in an arid climate, was a combination of severe drought and then excessive water... with those plants go the iconic species that depend on them, from trophy mule deer to songbirds to sage grouse... WYDOT Receives $14 Million Grant For Dry Piney Wildlife Crossing November 26, 2019 Wyoming Public Media ... will go towards constructing wildlife crossing on 19 miles of US 189 between Big Piney and La Barge in southwest Wyoming... "Underpasses, coupled with fencing, can reduce crashes by 80-90% ... Chronic Wasting Disease, Wyoming's winter elk feeding could spread 'zombie deer disease,' experts fear November 27, 2019 UPI.com... The concentration of large numbers of elk over the winter may accelerate the spread of the incurable and fatal "zombie deer" disease to catastrophic levels near the Yellowstone ecosystem and could eventually destroy Wyoming's multimillion-dollar big-game hunting industry... Money approved for Wyoming mule deer projects November 20, 2019 Billings Gazette ... The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approved $560,000 to support mule deer populations across Wyoming through 10 habitat and migration projects... Ask Game and Fish: What is the outlook for deer hunting in the Black Hills this year? November 15, 2019 Wyoming, Daily Rocket Miner ... both mule deer and white-tailed deer populations have declined. We conduct our annual Black Hills deer surveys during the last two weeks of October. To date, these efforts suggest about a 15% drop in deer numbers.., WYDOT receives $14.5 million federal grant for wildlife crossing project November 14, 2019 Wyoming, Northern Wyoming Daily News Worland Wyoming ... will be used for underpasses, fencing and related improvements along a 19-mile stretch of US 189 between La Barge and Big Piney. “Wyoming has demonstrated leadership in protecting wildlife as they migrate,” Governor Mark Gordon said... Hunting limited in Colorado, Western US states after tough winter November 11, 2019 Wyoming, Stock Daily Dish ... unusually cold weather and heavy snowfall that blanketed much of the Western U.S. last winter killed off many young deer... In one remote part of Wyoming‘s backcountry where peaks soar to 11,000 feet (3,300 meters), state wildlife managers documented the loss of all fawns they had been monitoring in a mule deer herd... Deer near Clark, Wyoming, test positive for CWD November 11, 2019 Billings Gazette ... Several deer killed north and northeast of Clark, Wyoming, in the Badger Basin and Big Sand Coulee areas south of the Montana border have tested positive for chronic wasting disease... CWD, Searching for fatal disease, Game and Fish pleads for deer samples November 7, 2019 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... The department is prioritizing 2-year-old or older mule deer bucks. They still want samples from does, and even white-tailed deer are on their sample list ... for the area’s mule deer herds. “We feel like were seeing quite a few fawns this year... If we can get a mild winter, we might get a population increase for the first time in five years.”.., G&F takes steps toward new CWD policy November 7, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... among the recommendations, for example, was a consensus that the Wyoming Game and Fish Department “takes action to reduce artificial points of concentration,” ... other recommendations address topics relating to: disposal of big game carcasses; education and communication ... ... the project will benefit the Wyoming Range mule deer herd as well as pronghorn and moose. ... “’This area of Wyoming has one of the highest rates of mule deer vehicle collisions,’ ... new conservation license plates established during the 2018 Legislative session generate funds for wildlife conservation... Let professionals, not politicians, manage wildlife migrations October 29, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... in a move that can only be described as a power grab, the select legislative committee has been crafting a bill to minimize the state’s wildlife professionals’ authority to designate migration corridors and give more of that discretion to energy developers, other state agencies and county commissioners... Number of moose killed in Teton County collisions rises October 29, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... between May 2018 and this past April ... 33 of the long-legged ungulates died in vehicle collisions... “We can’t hit 28 moose every year and expect the population to do well,” he said. “It’s not a big population to begin with.”... ... From 1985 to 2018, biologists have seen a decreasing trend of mule deer populations ... Of the 70 adult, female mule deer who were initially collared as part of the initiative in 2018, 12% tested positive for CWD... Mule Deer Tests Positive for Wasting Disease October 24, 2019 Wyoming, Sheridan Media ... a buck mule deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Deer Hunt Area 50 in the Bighorn Mountains... has been previously documented in deer in three adjacent hunt areas ... With over 6000 Wyoming wildlife collisions annually, drivers urged caution October 21, 2019 Oil City News ... Vehicles are involved in over 6,000 wildlife collisions in Wyoming each year and 80-85% of those cases involve mule deer. There are likely more incidents since drivers tend to report collisions only when there is damage to vehicles ... Wyoming man sentenced for poaching more than 100 deer October 19, 2019 KTVQ Billings News ... 62-year-old Sheridan County man was will spend nine months in jail for killing more than 100 deer and leaving them to waste on his property... $254,000 in fines ... Rawlins, Shooting deer in city limits called into question October 19, 2019 Wyoming, Rawlins Times.com ... have police officers equipped with night vision goggles and bolt-action rifles shoot them dead within city limits was called into question ... “You’re live firing in town ... All it needs is one accident.” ... when some does are exterminated, “the remaining female deer will often respond to greater food abundance by giving birth to twins or triplets... Elk rescues start off month for Wyoming warden, biologist October 18, 2019 Billings Gazette ... two elk with their antlers locked together north of Rock Springs ... were able to get the elk separated. Unfortunately, one of the elk was already dead ... a few hours later dragged an elk calf stuck in deep mud ... One deer's journey: An epic migration is revealed in new maps October 16, 2019 Wyoming, Phys.org ... In the spring of 2016 ... Deer 255 ... She traveled a whopping 242 miles from southwest Wyoming to eastern Idaho in the greatest migration in recorded mule deer history... [map below from University of Oregon] BLM Wyoming releases notice for December oil and gas lease sale October 12, 2019 Wyoming Tribune ... On the recommendation of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the BLM is deferring two whole parcels and portions of another that cross a state-designated mule deer migration corridor. The BLM will include a special lease notice on the one remaining parcel that intersects a designated big game migration corridor... Game and Fish to eliminate elk feedground October 8, 2019 Wyoming,Gillette News Record ... Wyoming Game and Fish Department will eliminate the legally embattled Alkali Creek elk feedground in coming years as the threat of chronic wasting disease looms... will allow emergency elk feeding at Alkali for five years ... plan is now being “scoped” and is open for public comment... Local deer cull fills freezers, divides community October 5, 2019 Wyoming, Rawlins Times.com ... Before the plan was implemented, Game and Fish conducted a population assessment, then issued the governing authority a Chapter 56 permit, allowing Rawlins to cull a set number of animals from the herd... residents are still divided about whether it’s needed... Diseased deer found near elk winter feeding grounds October 2, 2019 Wyoming, Oil City News ... “’Seeing a deer test positive for CWD west of the continental divide again is concerning,’ ... The disease has not previously been detected in elk winter feeding grounds or the National Elk Refuge... Wanted: Backcountry elk lymph nodes October 2, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... The Pinedale and Afton elk herds are western Wyoming’s two first “priority herds” that will be exhaustively tested for chronic wasting disease, and wildlife managers want a little help from hunters... ... The environmental assessment goes through the process of reducing elk reliance on supplemental feeding... public comment period will close on October 30 ... ... Wyoming Game and Fish Department will host trainings throughout the Bighorn Basin to teach hunters how to collect samples from mule deer for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing... Elk hunting outlook good, deer hunting 'mixed bag,' says G&F report September 13, 2019 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily ... Although a successful hunting season is expected for the Big Horn Basin, most deer populations in Wyoming are down due to the severe winter of 2016-17. However, the Pinedale and Cody regions are seeing large populations and high quality hunting opportunities, with Cody herds expanding into new areas and habitats.., Wyoming DNR Deer Hunting Forecast September, 2019 WGFD News ... Throughout the Casper Region, mule deer populations have rebounded some over the past four years following long term gradual decline since the 1990s... White-tailed deer numbers have improved in many areas of the Bighorn Basin ... mule deer in the Green River Region ... Winter losses were very high in the Uinta and Wyoming Range Herd units ... ... the Migration Corridor Advisory Group announced Monday it had reached some consensus. In a set of recommendations offered to the governor, the team called for changes in state-led management of migration corridors that stretch like veins across Wyoming. If accepted, the ideas could be enshrined into a new executive order... Mule deer hunting near Cody expected to be 'not as good' September 6, 2019 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... herds have undergone severe population declines due to tough winters and poor fawn production and recruitment over the last five years... Game and Fish began implementing changes to the seasons last year by reducing doe harvest opportunity to maximize the ability of the herd to rebound and implementing four-point antler restrictions to reduce buck harvest.., Fire will help butte's wildlife September 4, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... mule deer and elk ... stand to benefit from the flames ... “Usually if you have a fire come through, you end up with a bunch of new green vegetation that has a pretty high protein content — higher than the older vegetation,” ... Prescribed burn project to start this fall in west Wyoming August 27, 2019 Wyoming, WRAL ...a mix of fuels-reduction work designed to prevent wildfire ... mimic wildfire's natural role of invigorating browse for elk and mule deer... Migrating mule deer don't need directions, study finds August 23, 2019 Wyoming, Science Daily ... research from the University of Wyoming has found that memory explains much of deer behavior during migration: Mule deer navigate in spring and fall mostly by using their knowledge of past migration routes and seasonal ranges... Scientists had long presumed that migratory behavior was dictated by availability of food resources ... New Research Details Impact of Energy Development on Deer Habitat Use August 21, 2019 Wyoming, UWyo.edu ... For every acre of mule deer habitat taken by roads, well pads and other oil and gas development infrastructure in Wyoming’s Green River Basin, an average of 4.6 other acres of available forage is lost ... because deer avoid areas close to such human disturbance, even when there’s quality forage in those areas, says the research published in the journal Ecological Applications...Proposed bike trail moved out of migration bottleneck August 16, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... Plans that originated with a cycling group were considered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, but the project didn’t pass muster when it was being vetted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others... Scientists continue uncovering unusual, epic deer migrations in western Wyoming August 16, 2019 Casper Star-Tribune Ungulate migration group asks Gov. Gordon for protective executive order August 14, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... A diverse committee charged with shaping Wyoming’s policies for safeguarding ungulate migration is asking Gov. Mark Gordon for an executive order that will keep designated routes largely unscathed... Wyoming contests 2020 plan to wean refuge elk from artificial feed August 14, 2019 Jackson Hole News&Guide ... last winter the environmental advocacy law-firm Earthjustice sued, asking a federal judge to compel the refuge to release a feeding-reduction plan... In the Wyoming Game and Fish director’s view, a fatal flaw of the plan is a lack of flexibility... Weaning Jackson elk off refuge feed may start this winter August 12, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... In a worst-case scenario, the refuge’s prized winter range will become an infected area where wildlife congregate, leading to the long-term decline of a diseased Jackson Elk Herd. But the fate of the refuge still remains uncertain since CWD and wild, fed elk have never before mixed... Interior plan sells out sagebrush habitat August 2, 2019 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online ... changes proposed to the plans will imperil this iconic western bird and other wild game that depend upon undisturbed sagebrush habitat... the plan also protected mule deer, antelope, elk and the 350 wildlife species that rely on undisturbed sagebrush habitat ... Winter predation patterns of wolves in northwestern wyoming SP Woodruff, MD Jimenez - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2019 ... remains of 289 wolf kills on 3 state‐managed feedgrounds and adjacent winter range near Jackson, Wyoming... Thirty‐seven percent (n = 106) of kills were located on elk feedgrounds where elk composition included 49% calves, 42% adult females, 5% adult males, and 5% unknown. Sixty‐three percent (n = 183) of kills were located on winter range adjacent to feedgrounds and prey species consisted of 90% elk (38% calves, 35% adult females, 24% adult males, 2% unknown), 9% moose (Alces alces; 13% calves, 69% adult females, 6% adult males, 1% unknown), 1% mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; 1 fawn, 1 adult female), and 0.5% adult female bison (Bison bison)... ... The past two winters, the decision was made to contract with Owhyee Air, LLC to conduct the surveys using infrared technology from an aircraft. Benefits to using the infrared technology include increased safety, less disturbance to wildlife (flights are conducted at approximately 2,000 feet and it is far less expensive ... ... local, state, federal and tribal governments, along with non-governmental organizations, came together for the first Montana Wildlife and Transportation Summit in an effort to better understand challenges and opportunities for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions... the report Game and Fish Commission Investing to Prevent Wildlife Collisions Near LaBarge July 22, 2019 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW.com ... The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approved $1.25 million for underpasses to reduce mule deer-vehicle collisions along Highway 189, north of LaBarge ...one of the highest wildlife collision rates in Wyoming... Game and Fish Department Changing Fences to Assist Wildlife Migration July 19, 2019 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW.com ... install several miles of wildlife-friendly fence within a key big game migration corridor near Pinedale... old, traditional barbed-wire fences, that can often entangle big game animals, are being converted to pipe fence thanks to significant donations ... Poll: Wyoming voters ‘overwhelmingly’ support wildlife and migration corridors July 14, 2019 Casper Star-Tribune Researching diverse migration strategies July 11, 2019 Wyoming, Post Register ... Over the course of the eight years of the study, the researchers found that this herd of 20,000 deer exhibits three distinct migration patterns ... short-distance migrants that migrate only a few miles... mid-range migrants that might travel up to 50 miles. The long-distance migrants travel much further... New research shows not all Western big game migration routes are created equal July 5, 2019 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online ... published in late June in the Journal of Applied Ecology might eventually help with those decisions. In a paper titled “All routes are not created equal: an ungulate’s choice of migration route can influence its survival,” wildlife biologists explain that mortality rates on some routes can, in fact, be as much as three times higher than on others... WY Game and Fish Hears Public Concerns Regarding CWD July 1, 2019 Wyoming, laramielive.com ... “Right now, the big concern is whether or not CWD will get into the feed grounds and what the dynamics of the disease will be when that happens... we have CWD endemically in deer and elk in southeastern Wyoming, and the populations do grow a little less robustly because of the Chronic Wasting Disease, but there are still viable populations ... Wildlife corridor talks begin June 30, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... Game and Fish is working with Research Biologist Hall Sawyer to evaluate the migration ecology and potential impacts of energy on mule deer, elk and pronghorn. He is expected to come back with findings in a few weeks. In the meantime, Game and Fish wants to limit surface disturbance in the corridor until it conducts more research... With new group, governor hopes to address migration corridor issue in Wyoming June 18, 2019 Casper Star-Tribune Killing Coyotes Is Not As Effective As Once Thought, Researchers Say June 14, 2019 Wyoming, NPR CWD panel won't consider closing elk feedgrounds June 11, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... Instead, Game and Fish is considering forming a separate, more localized group that would address elk feedgrounds. That would occur “after this [statewide] process,”... The agency recognizes feedgrounds “will likely exacerbate the disease problem,” because they concentrate animals artificially to the point diseases can be transmitted more easily... Park County highways among the worst for wildlife collisions June 6, 2019 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... Every year, more than 6,000 deer, pronghorn, elk and moose are reportedly hit by vehicles on Wyoming’s roads... The best solution is over- and underpasses, Riginos said. They are more than 80 percent effective in reducing collisions,” ... more than a dozen underpasses and two overpasses already built in the state ... CWD Working Group Hopes to Find Solutions Before It's Too Late June 5, 2019 Wyoming, laramielive.com ... There are places in the state that have up to 60 percent prevalence in deer herds... CWD is predominantly here in the southeast corner of Wyoming. It’s starting to move up toward the Big Horn Basin, the Black Hills, and only a few confirmed cases in western Wyoming ... G&F approves reduced deer tags May 20, 2019 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise ... Upper Shoshone mule deer herd in areas 110-115 and the Clarks Fork mule deer herd in areas 105, 106 and 109, will see seasons close a week earlier ... herd populations have been declining... Changes made to 2019 deer hunting season near Cody May 14, 2019 Wyoming, Buckrail ... deer in the North Fork, South Fork and Sunlight areas ... have undergone severe population declines due to tough winters and poor fawn production and recruitment... reducing doe harvest ... and four-point antler restrictions to reduce buck harvest.., Study Examines Role Of Coyotes In Declining Mule Deer Numbers May 10, 2019 Wyoming, Wyoming Public Media ... Statewide, mule deer have declined by 31 percent since 1991. As part of the project, researchers put tracking collars on 30 coyotes and have been watching their behavior to see if their behavior changes during peak times when fawns are born.., Gordon forms migration group Map May 8, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... “As the NGO community, we want some regulatory certainty that our deer herds are going to keep going, because we like to hunt and fish and enjoy the outdoors. I think that’s where we’re all at ... ... The research is clear, wildlife crossings help reduce vehicle accidents and save countless animals. In addition to safety, the long-term positive impact on migratory patterns is extremely encouraging. The number of species benefiting is also impressive. Mule deer, pronghorn, moose and elk along with a variety of small mammals and carnivores utilize the crossings ... National debate erupts over wildlife migration routes May 7, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... An influential cattlemen’s group is trying to rescind a U.S. Interior Department big game migration route protection ... Secretarial Order 3362... Governor Gordon launches advisory group to discuss future of big game migration routes May 7, 2019 Governor Mark Gordon - State of Wyoming ... Gov. Gordon prefers small groups that work over short time periods so he is asking for a representative of oil, gas mining; agriculture; county commissioners; conservation groups; and sportsmen groups ... Nominations are due by May 20... Feds Give Millions For Wildlife Corridors May 6, 2019 Wyoming, KSGT .... U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced the award of $2.1 million in grants to state and local partners in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming for habitat conservation activities in migration corridors and winter range for elk, mule deer ... Game And Fish Commits Over $1 Million To Wildlife Crossings April 29, 2019, Wyoming Public Media ... highways can interrupt migration corridors. Game and Fish estimates there are over 6,000 wildlife collisions each year... Members of Wyoming CWD Working Group Announced April 26, 2019 laramielive.com ... the Chronic Wasting Disease working group, composed of 32 people from a diverse range of backgrounds, professions, and interests from across Wyoming. This group will develop recommendations to revise Game and Fish’s CWD management plan... Rock Springs backs management plan for Greater Little Mountain April 22, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... “Hunting, fishing, hiking and other recreational activities depend on abundant, healthy populations of elk, mule deer, antelope, moose, trout and numerous other species that need intact ecosystems to thrive ... the GLMA can continue to nourish a sustainable outdoor economy with diverse recreation opportunities. Recreation creates jobs, fills freezers, pays salaries ... [letter from Rock Springs] More than 23000 apply for elk licenses April 23, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record ... Nonresidents submitted 23,750 applications, a 2.9 percent increase from 2018 ... Nonresident hunters take a chance at 7,250 licenses in the draw... WILD Act will spark wildlife conservation innovation April 17, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act — or WILD Act... will promote technological innovation to protect threatened wildlife and control invasive species... Find dead deer for science April 17, 2019 Wyoming, Ecowatch ... Wyoming wildlife managers are inviting the public to participate in the annual deer mortality surveys of the Wyoming Range and Uinta mule deer herds... Wyoming Range survey is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 4 in Cokeville ... Lead kills 1st Yellowstone golden eagle fitted with tracker April 15, 2019 Wyoming, Washington Post ... likely after consuming bullet fragments while scavenging ... Wearing a GPS unit like a backpack, the adult, female eagle had flown outside Yellowstone into areas where hunters pursue game such as elk and deer... ... She concluded this version of the disease was not the same as the one circulating in North America. And upon closer inspection, the disease in reindeer was different, too. Then last year, a moose in neighboring Finland tested positive as well, way over by the Russian border, and in March 2019, the illness showed up in Sweden... The Torrington Telegram ... Dube called to increase the budget for testing for the disease by 50 percent, from $100,000 to $150,000. He didn’t get any argument from his fellow commissioners, with the motion passing by a unanimous vote... Chronic wasting disease April 3, 2019 Wyoming, Aitkin Independent Age ... Less than four decades after Wyoming’s first case, CWD’s effects are widespread and devastating in the state. Rothstein quoted a recent study that took place in Wyoming where researchers found that 20 percent of the wild mule deer population now had CWD. Over the five-year study period, their population declined by 21 percent annually... Application Deadline for CWD Group Membership is Friday April 2, 2019 Wyoming, laramielive.com ... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is addressing increased concerns about Chronic Wasting Disease through a new public working group and is asking for membership applications... the CWD working group website ... Deer and Elk Research Project Meetings on Wind River Reservation April 8-9 April 1, 2019 Wyoming, University of Wyoming News ... The finding shows that the Wind River Indian Reservation is connected to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem through big-game migration corridors. ... The finding shows that the Wind River Indian Reservation is connected to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem through big-game migration corridors... Lasting winter challenges wildlife March 29, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... snow depth at the National Weather Service monitoring plot in Jackson on Thursday was still 18 inches — deeper than all but four other March 28 dates documented during the last century. .. In some places, death rates are climbing... watched a struggling, mangy cow moose suffer an excruciatingly slow death.., Wildlife across portions of Wyoming begin dying from cold, record snowfall March 16, 2019 Casper Star-Tribune Online ... with storms dropping record snowfall across the state and ushering in frigid temperatures, the state’s wild herds are beginning to struggle ... The harsh weather is doubling down on the 2016 and 2017 summers, which both registered drought conditions near the Black Hills. Poor food in the summer means skinnier females going into winter .., Big Blizzards Tough On Mule Deer March 15, 2019 Wyoming Public Media ..."Down south . . . probably three-quarters of the fawns that entered winter have died, and the leading cause of death has been starvation or malnutrition," ... LaSharr said the herd in southwestern Wyoming close to Idaho and Utah was hit especially hard.., Shorter, more limited mule deer hunts proposed March 14, 2019 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... Seeking to protect migrating mule deer herds, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is proposing some new restrictions for the 2019 hunting season in Upper Shoshone and Clark’s Fork areas... The reduced number of tags represents a large drop in revenue for the department ... Kemmerer – Cokeville Area March, 2019 Wyoming Game and Fish Elk, horses shack up together March 13, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... An on-again, off-again unofficial elk feedground in Buffalo Valley has been decommissioned for now. The result: dozens of elk scrapping for hay amid 80 horses... From the 1930s until 1973 a permanent Game and Fish feedground occupied the valley, and in its earliest days “deer, elk and moose” used it ... ... Particularly in cooler portions of the study region, climate change appeared unlikely to harm big sagebrush directly ... “Managing Big Sagebrush in a Changing Climate,” ... sagebrush made up 78 percent of the annual diet for antelope in Wyoming and 59 percent of the winter diet of deer and elk near Gardiner, Montana ... Wyoming's Wildlife License Plates Strong Sellers March 6, 2019 KSGT ... The new plate features a mule deer design as a way to raise awareness about wildlife conservation and to help protect wildlife migration routes... Game and Fish proposes new migration corridor protections March 5, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... The department is assembling public comment from a series of meetings at which it presented its case for the Sublette Pronghorn and Wyoming Range Mule Deer paths. The goal, according to department personnel, is to add the corridors to the department’s catalog of designated vital habitat ... State should ask BLM to delay leasing in migration corridors March 1, 2019 Wyoming, WyoFile ... The mule deer population in Wyoming has dropped 31 percent since 1991... Now the BLM is considering and granting leases for oil and gas wells in mule deer migration corridors including the Red Desert to Hoback.., Wildlife is low and visible, but so far OK February 27, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide ... There are “severe” conditions on winter ranges throughout the Pinedale Region, Regional Supervisor John Lund said in a statement. “We will likely see above-average mortality in some areas,” Lund said, “mostly among mule deer and pronghorn fawns if conditions do not improve quickly.” ... Scoping meeting targets shrinking mule deer herds February 26, 2019 Wyoming, Powell Tribune ... Mule deer population trends in the area are down, with no immediate hope of a rebound... n the Upper Shoshone and Clark’s Fork herds ... For the past few years, harsh winter weather — particularly hard on fawns — has been the largest factor in population declines ... Winter conditions in the Casper Region February 21, 2019 Wyoming Game and Fish - State of Wyoming ... big game were observed on winter ranges much earlier than normal due to significant snowfall and cold temperatures during the late fall... This could result in above average winter mortality for mule deer and pronghorn in some areas if late winter and early spring conditions become harsher than normal.. ... the second time the Bureau of Land Management will lease public land parcels for oil and gas development inside the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor... | Wyoming data: The estimated population of 416,200 in 2019 and estimates for 2015 through 2018 are based on the two tables below. The estimates for the mule deer are taken from the state of Wyoming's populations estimates to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The data source is available for each year in the table. The white-tail deer population estimate is based on harvest data and a base population estimate of 70,000 in 2015. 2020 Forecast. 2019 Forecast. A hard 2018-19 late winter with three-quarters of the fawns dying from starvation in the southwest. In 2019 populations hadn't recovered from the 2016-17 winter. An estimated 353,000 mule deer and about 70,000 white-tails in 2015, total population of 423,000. A mild winter and wet spring is allowing the deer herd to recover into 2018 after the severe winter of 2016-17 west of the continental divide reduced deer populations, mortality rates close to 25 percent in the Wyoming Range. Good deer survival in other areas, but an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Applications for deer hunting far exceeded available licenses in 2018. From about 1988 to 2019 the mule deer population fell by 31 percent. An estimated 353,000 mule deer and about 70,000 white-tails in 2015, total population of 423,000. About 340,000 mule deer and 60,000 white-tails in 2014, total population of 400,000. The 2016 Hunting Forecast provides details. Deer populations were generally somewhat up in 2015 and 2016 after three mild winters that resulted in good fawn survival. Good rainfall in 2016. Low fawn survival going into 2017 from a harsh winter. Deer populations are in fair shape in the north. Mule deer populations are up in the central part of the state but down in the west. White-tails numbers are up in the Black Hills, but still down in some other areas from the 2014 EHD outbreak. Mule deer antler restrictions were lifted in many regions. Mule deer populations are up in the Green River area and the northern Big Horn. Populations down in the southern Bighorn Basin from habitat decline, weather, and disease. Follow the Wyoming Migration Study In 2013 the state had an estimated 63,000 white-tails and 374,000 mule deer, 369,000 mule deer in 2012. The harsh winter of 2013-14 reduced the herd. A total population of about 578,000 in 1991. Mule deer populations in Wyoming have been on the decline since the late 1980s. According to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies mule deer populations "declined by an estimated 168,000 (31 percent) since 2000. After the 2011 hunting seasons, it was estimated there were 376,000 mule deer in the state." About 544,000 mule deer in the year 2000. Harsh winters in 1978-79, 1983-84 (resulting in a population crash), and 1992-93, reduced populations, also a severe outbreak of EHD in 2012 reduced white-tail populations. Few fawns survived harsh winters in 2010 and 2011. A study as part of the Mule Deer Initiative has explored why mule deer are not reaching their population goals. Reasons include drought, development, chronic wasting disease, and poor fawn production which has declined by about 20 percent in the last 25 years. To sustain hunting the herd needs about 66 fawns per 100 does, but the ratio has been below that since 1990. In 2012 it was at 63. The state is about 35 percent below objective. Reduced stands of mahogany, a crucial winter food supply, has contributed to the mule deer population decline. Some deer migrate 170 miles in the Wyoming range. Over hunting on public land, habitat loss and fragmentation, and energy development are all thought to be contributing causes of the decline. Mule deer populations are generally in better shape on private land. Antelope populations have been on a steady decline over the last few years. Hunting statistics Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first identified in 1978 in deer at the Wyoming Fish and Game Department’s Sybille wildlife research facility. In 2016 CWD was moving west toward Yellowstone. A recent study concludes that "diseased whitetail east of Casper are declining 10 percent a year, and face extinction within half a century." In 2019 there were 16 new positives for Chronic Wasting Disease and 131 testing positive out of 7,000. History: Deer and elk were abundant in Wyoming but excessive, unregulated hunting dramatically reduced their numbers as well as those of other big game. The mule deer population was about 50,000 in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but a series of bad winters and hunting pressure reduced the population to about 30,000. Elk Supplemental feeding by the state began in 1910. Wolves At least 544 in 2015. The last wolves in Yellowstone were killed in the 1920's then reintroduced starting in 1995. Moose populations are generally in decline with an exception of the Snowy Range herd. - Wyoming Mule Deer Plan - 2014 Mule Deer Migration on Pinedale Anticline - MuleyFanatic.com Mule deer organization in southwestern Wyoming - Platte Valley Habitat Partnership's (PVHP) Mule Deer Habitat Plan April, 2013 - Citizens for the Wyoming Range - BLM Mule Deer Habitat Program - Wyoming Game and Fish Department - Facebook page - Wyoming Migration Initiative. Advancing the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming's migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach. |