Wyoming spends record $4.2 million to kill coyotes, other predators June 1, 2023, WyoFile

... In the wake of this year’s especially deadly winter for pronghorn and mule deer, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is separately planning to provide yet more funding for coyote killing. Following the hard winter of 2016-’17, the agency spent $100,000 on aerial gunning over deer fawning grounds. That effort claimed 177 coyotes..,

Wyoming gray wolf population remains stable at objective May 15, 2023 Wyoming Fish and Game News

... Wyoming’s gray wolf population continues to meet all management goals, according to the 2022 Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management annual report by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and partnering agencies... As of Dec. 31, 2022, at least 163 wolves and 12 breeding pairs reside within the wolf trophy game management area (WTGMA), where Game and Fish focuses management. The wolf population for Yellowstone National Park and Wind River Reservation is at least 108 wolves and 18 breeding pairs, respectively. An additional 49 wolves were documented in the seasonal WTGMA and predatory animal areas outside Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation, bringing the total minimum population in Wyoming to at least 338 wolves...

Grants help fund wildlife migration corridor work in Montana, Wyoming May 13, 2023 Independent Record

... “The conservation projects funded this year by the Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund will make great strides toward protecting species including pronghorn, mule deer and elk during their annual migrations and enhancing the rangeland habitats they need to survive and thrive,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ...

1,500 Big Game Carcasses At Sublette County Landfill Could Be Just The Beginning Of Gruesome Winterkill Tally May 10, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... This year, winter’s withdraw is uncovering the sheer magnitude of suffering and death the vicious season brought upon big game herds, like a murder’s obscene secrets finally laid bare..,

BLM to Conduct Prescribed Fires in Sublette and Lincoln Counties May 10, 2023 Wyoming News Now

... This prescribed fire is 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 in 2011. The project will reduce hazardous fuels and improve vegetation conditions in crucial mule deer winter range, transition range, and fawning ranges...

Wyoming Hunters Sitting Out Deer Season To Support Herds Devastated By Winterkill May 5, 2023 Cowboy State Daily

... the “Let a Deer Walk” program ... Hunters who buy or draw a deer tags for the fall 2023 seasons can skip the hunt. Instead, they can mail in their tags by Aug. 1 as “entry tickets” for an Aug. 15 prize drawing... more than $100,000 in prizes donated so far ...

Habitat is critical for wildlife to survive harsh winters like the one we just had April 30, 2023 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

... As their space dwindles, though, their numbers fall... Roughly 20% of adult female pronghorn and mule deer die during an ordinary winter, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. As of April, closer to half of adult female pronghorn and one-third of adult female mule deer collared by the agency had succumbed this year ...

In winter's wake, lions, bears and coyotes could be in the crosshairs April 28, 2023 Wyoming, WyoFile

... Wyoming wildlife officials are considering slashing populations of three native predators in an area where a hard winter has cratered mule deer survival rates... After the big winter of 2016-’17, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department spent about $100,000 of hunting and fishing license funds on shooting coyotes from aircraft on mule deer fawning grounds ..,

Shed antler and horn collecting postponed on designated lands until 6 a.m May 15 April 25, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... A map of the affected land is online and the boundaries are detailed within the emergency regulation... “Big game animals have experienced a tough winter and are highly vulnerable to human-caused disturbances, such as being moved around by people on the landscape gathering antlers,” ...

Thriving elk, struggling deer: Coincidence? New research suggests not April 24, 2023 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

...  “In this situation, with deer and elk ... We may not be able to have robust, large populations of elk and robust, large populations of deer.” ... University of Wyoming ecology professor Kevin Monteith ... data out of this lab that show a distinct inverse correlation between the amount of body fat female muleys gain during the summertime and their proximity to elk ...

Wyoming Range mule deer deaths rising April 20, 2023  Pinedale Roundup

... About 30 percent of the does in the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Herd had died by late March ... In the two weeks that followed, another 20 percent of the adult female deer in the Wyoming Range succumbed to starvation and other winter stressors ...

Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approves 2023 hunting season April 20 2023, Wyoming Game and Fish News

... As a result of severe winter impacts, Game and Fish wildlife managers made significant adjustments to hunting season proposals in many areas of the state and proposed an overall decrease of 10,290 antelope licenses and 4,410 mule deer licenses. The finalized season information will be available on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website and Hunt Planner in May..,

After Massive Wyoming Big Game Winterkill, Some Hunters Worry Predators Will Decimate Herds April 18, 2023 Cowboy State Daily

... The commission on Tuesday afternoon voted unanimously to consider raising kill quotas for predator hunting seasons in the areas suffering the worst big game winterkill, mostly in central and southcentral Wyoming...

Almost 200,000 Antelope And Deer Dead From Winter Kill. Can We Foresee Such a Headline? April 15, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

...  Our outdoors reporter Mark Heinz is not ready to write such a number. It is not an official estimate, but a number I’ve speculated ... Recent estimates pegged the number of pronghorn antelope in Wyoming to be about 450,000 and deer at about 380,000 (70,000 whitetail and 310,000 mule deer), prior to this die-off..,

Rare 'inverted' snowpack magnified winter's heavy toll on wildlife April 13, 2023 Wyoming, WyoFile

... Bottom-heavy snowpack lingering long into spring was widespread in Wyoming. And so were consequences for wildlife like mule deer and pronghorn, which starved to death by the thousands... Gary Fralick, who manages the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Herd, said there’s no doubt in his mind that winter 2022-’23 has been the harshest for wintering deer of his 30-year tenure..,

Migrating mule deer compensate en route for phenological mismatches - Nature Communications, 2023

... we study a population of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in Wyoming that lack reliable cues on their desert winter range, causing them to start migration 70 days ahead to 52 days behind the wave of spring green-up. We show that individual deer arrive at their summer range within an average 6-day window by adjusting movement speed and stopover use ...

Nature is cruel; we shouldn't be April 13, 2023 Wyoming, Pinedale Roundup

... Fifty percent of adult mule deer between Pinedale and Rock Springs died this winter, along with 90 percent of fawns, according to Game and Fish director Brian Nesvick... The Wyoming Range mule deer herd consisted of some 30,000 animals when the snow started to fly. At least 35 percent of the 128 collared Wyoming Range does are now dead, along with 90 percent of the herd’s 92 collared fawns..,

'Huge Mortality': Winterkill Hitting Wildlife In Northern Rockies Hard April 7, 2023 Wyoming,  Mountain Journal

...  deep snow, combined with thawing and freezing cycles, has created a layer of ice that prevents weakened and nutrition-challenged animals from reaching natural ground forage. Not only is the number of winterkilled wildlife high already in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho but it is expected for keep rising ..,

Black Hills wildlife fared better than in much of Wyoming this winter April 6, 2023  Sundance Times

... Game & Fish's Casper region, unlike many others, has experienced normal winter survival. Snowpack and temperatures have been moderate in the northeastern portion of Thunder Basin and the Black Hills, according to a Game & Fish statement.  The same is not true for the rest of the region ...,

Husky shot, killed Sunday for mauling mule deer in Teton County April 4, 2023 Wyoming,  Casper Star-Tribune

... A Teton County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed a dog that was chasing and mauling deer ... Wyoming statute allows law enforcement officers to kill dogs when they injure or threaten big game animals “with immediate injury,” ...

Governor Convenes Pinedale Town Hall to Discuss Wildlife Losses April 2, 2023 Wyoming, thecheyennepost.com

... This winter has been one of the hardest winters Wyoming has experienced in recent history ... Governor Gordon and Director Nesvik heard many suggestions, including limiting hunting quotas and seasons this year...

Dying By The Thousands: Miles Of Death As Wyoming Antelope, Deer And Elk Die From Winter Starvation March 30, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... The wildlife winter kill in southcentral Wyoming is the worst anybody there can remember ... “Our mule deer are probably going to have 50% mortality,” ... When I fly over, they don’t even look up because they’re so weak..,

Gordon Calls Emergency Meeting To Discuss Wildlife Starvation March 30, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... The Wyoming Range herd still hadn’t recovered from previous bad winters – such as those in 2011 and 2017 – when this one hit ...  “We’re going to drop below 20,000 on a herd that used to have 80,000 deer,” ..,

Very tough winter for Wyoming Range mule deer March 23, 2023  Pinedale Roundup

... Wyoming Range mule deer “have had a tough go of it the last six years with bad winter losses,” ... “As of yesterday (March 21) morning, 87 percent of the fawns had died,” Fralick reported, or 58 of the 65 collared. Of the 65 does, 27 percent or 15 of the 65 does had died..,

State biologists warn of high CWD prevalence in Park County March 23, 2023 Wyoming, Buffalo Bulletin

... In 2022, a total of 6,701 Wyoming deer, elk, and moose samples were analyzed by the Wildlife Health Lab, with 826 of those samples testing positive for CWD [12.3%]. This includes all hunter harvested, targeted and roadkill animals..,

State biologists warn of high CWD prevalence in Park County March 23, 2023 Wyoming, Gillette News-Record

... Hunt Area 113 in the Upper Shoshone River herd is currently running almost as high as those near Powell.  “If you look across the areas, we see that 113 is currently testing at a prevalence rate of about 43%. The rest of the areas have prevalence rates between 5% to 15%,” ..,

Sundance is implementing a year-round deer cull to curb chronic wasting disease March 14, 2023 Wyoming Public Media

... “Sundance was the first town in Wyoming where we started authorizing what we call a Chapter 56 permit. It's essentially a kill permit,”  ... there is increasing concern about higher positive test rates. This region previously experienced positive rates of around two to three percent...

Weather, disease whacks wildlife March 10, 2023 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide

... This winter is killing mule deer fawns in Wyoming’s largest herd ... mule deer in the roughly 30,000-animal Wyoming Range herd are falling victim to malnutrition ..,

Wyoming Mule Deer Group Hosting Two-Day Event To Focus On Predators, Habitat Loss, Disease March 9, 2023 Cowboy State Daily

... Wyoming’s mule deer are facing threats from all sides: predators, habitat loss, shrinking food sources, disease ... “Mule deer eat less than two dozen forbs and forms of forage, whereas elk have more than 200 food sources to chose from,” ...

Wyoming Game and Fish begins implementation of 2023 legislative changes March 9, 2023 Wyomng Game and Fish News

... Hunters will be allowed to hunt predatory animals on public or state land at night with the use of artificial light, including thermal and infrared imaging... Wyoming residents may be allowed to participate in a pursuit-only season for mountain lions with dogs in areas where mountain lion hunting is permitted...

In Jackson Hole, Good News About CWD—For Now March 5, 2023 Wyoming, Mountain Journal

... On December 16, 2020, wildlife officials in Grand Teton National Park ... confirmation that an elk taken by a hunter in the park had tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease... “Despite the detection of a CWD positive elk in Grand Teton National Park in December 2020,  CWD has not been detected in any other elk within the Jackson Elk Herd since that time,” [Eric Cole, senior wildlife biologist stationed at the Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole] ..,

Cold temperatures, deep snow taking a toll on Wyoming wildlife March 6, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish

... the Casper Region still expects somewhat higher than normal deer and pronghorn losses in some areas, this will heavily depend on weather conditions throughout March and early April... GPS-collared animals, which are currently showing greater than 50 percent mortality of collared mule deer fawns in the Wyoming Range herd, and currently average mortality of collared adults in the Sublette and Wyoming Range deer herds. Juvenile mortality typically averages about 25 percent in these herds...

Urban deer numbers continue to increase  March 1, 2023 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise

... In 2020, Cody stopped culling deer within city limits. Although the numbers of deer have since increased, Cody Police Chief Chuck Baker recommended that culling be halted for a third year due to concerns about discharging a firearm within city limits.  “The city is being developed, and it’s becoming more and more of a liability to discharge firearms within the city of Cody,” ...

Game and Fish Director invites wildlife enthusiasts to Mule Deer Days February 27, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish

... The Mule Deer Days event is a result of a partnership between the Muley Fanatic Foundation and Game and Fish. The two-day event will feature informative seminars and interactive activities as part of the Inspire A Kid initiative.  “Events such as this allow youth to learn from local wildlife professionals and conservation volunteers who dedicate their lives to Wyoming’s wildlife...

Experts weigh costs, benefits of wildlife crossings at Bozeman talk February 24, 2023 Wyoming, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

... Ten years of crash data indicate that parts of Highway 191, U.S. Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 89 through the Paradise Valley are hotspots for such collisions, and there’s an economic case for investing in infrastructure that can minimize the crashes, according to Ament... The structures are expensive, but the bipartisan infrastructure law has created a new pool of federal funding for the work...

Emergency Feeding Underway For Starving Wyoming Elk Herds February 23, 2023 Cowboy State Daily

... Deep snow in several areas of the state has cut elk off from winter forage ... In some places, that’s prompted the agency to implement “emergency” feeding of elk, Game and Fish spokeswoman Breanna Ball told Cowboy State Daily. That’s because the hungry ungulates have been moving onto ranches, raiding haystacks, damaging fences and causing other problems...

Moose, Calf Set Up Home Outside Of Day Care In Thayne, Wyoming February 22, 2023 Cowboy State Daily 

...  “This winter has been extraordinary in a lot of ways. Steady cold temperatures and persistent deep snow. It feels a lot like 2017, which was the worst we’ve seen around here since the winter of 1983-84.” ... Momma moose was shot with a tranquillizer gun first... off to the elk feedground ... 

Whopper winter wallops wildlife February 21, 2023 Wyoming News

... Managers do not systematically feed mule deer and pronghorn, even during big winters, due to differences in the way they process food.  “They’re so highly specialized and selective in what they forage on that if you switch their diet abruptly, you can actually do more harm than good,” ..,

Bill Allowing Hounds To Chase Mountain Lions Gets OK From Wyoming House February 17, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily 

... "Mountain lions are prolific throughout Wyoming, and they’ve taken a toll on livestock and big game animals, particularly mule deer,"  [ Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland]

Super Tag raises $1.87 million for wildlife conservation, Game and Fish says February 16, 2023 Wyoming, Oil City News

... the Super Tag raffle provides hunters the opportunity for hunting licenses and raises money for wildlife management in Wyoming...

Game and Fish initiates emergency elk feeding due to increase of damage, co-mingling with livestock February 13, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... Much of Wyoming is under a blanket of deeper-than-normal snow and experiencing severe, cold temperatures, causing elk to raid haystacks and livestock feedlines ... “The deep snow and harsh winter conditions have pushed elk to lower elevations and habitats they don’t typically spend time at during the winter.” ...

More than 500 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing converted in Sublette County February 6, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish Department

... Much of the area with the converted fencing is within migratory habitat for mule deer and pronghorn in Sublette County. This supports Game and Fish’s ongoing efforts to prioritize conservation work in these important habitats in the Sublette mule deer and pronghorn herds as well as the Wyoming Range mule deer herd...

Shed hunting head start proposed for Wyo residents January 27, 2023 Wyoming, WyoFile

...House Bill 123 – Collection of antler or horns by residents and nonresidents ... residents would enjoy a three-day head start before non-residents are allowed to hunt for horns. Multiple representatives suggested in committee there would still be a “second wave” of non-residents come May 4. ...

New Immersive Story Map Shows World's Longest Mule Deer Migration January 25, 2023 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW

... For the first time, researchers have published a geonarrative revealing the record-breaking journey of Deer 255, whose story illustrates the challenges and opportunities for conserving migratory mule deer herds across the changing American West.  Users can scroll through the online narrative to peruse maps, videos ..,

Study: Deer’s lifelong fate is affected by mother’s health at birth January 24, 2023 Wyoming, WyoFile

... a paper published recently in the journal Ecology... one of the first examples in the wild of how much the health of the mother at time of birth can determine the entire future of her fawn, said LaSharr, the paper’s lead author...  findings have been bolstered by additional captive deer studies ...

Game and Fish Commission invests more dollars for wildlife crossings, mule deer projects January 17, 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... The Commission once again invested in wildlife crossings to help prevent vehicle collisions with big game, voting to approve an additional $750,000 toward the Kemmerer wildlife crossing project on U.S. Highway 189. The project — consisting of underpasses, an overpass and game fencing — will help prevent collisions with mule deer and pronghorn ...

Bighorn Mountains mule deer capture begins in January for WGFD study January 10, 2023 Wyoming, Billings Gazette

... The goal is to place GPS collars on 80 does, 30 bucks and 100 juveniles. The collars will collect and store a location every two hours ... The Mule Deer Monitoring Project is separate from, but will build on, the current study of the North Bighorns herd that began in March 2020 ...

Yellowstone Revealed: Call of the Wildlife January 9, 2022 Wyoming, KRTV

... Center of the West historian Jeremy Johnston says General Philip Sheridan sent a military exploration party into Yellowstone in 1875. They found the bison, elk, deer, and pronghorn had been hunted nearly to extinction..,

Bill Would Hike Some Wyoming Nonresident Hunting Tags More Than 200% January 6, 2023 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... Prices for nonresident elk, deer and antelope tags should be split into two tiers, according to Senate File 60. The split would be 60-40. The 40% would be reserved for “special draw,” or for hunters willing to pay more to have better odds of drawing the tags they want...

New USGS wildlife migration maps may ease pressures from human development  December 26, 2022 Wyoming, KNKX

... They want to see where deer, elk and pronghorn highways run throughout America’s Western states. And those wandering lines on the map representing individual animal trails ... USGS recently published an analysis of those intersections new report...

Sublette mule deer trigger PAPO wildlife matrix December 22, 2022 Wyoming, Pinedale Roundup

... The Sublette Mule Deer Herd’s population in the Anticline’s winter range is an annual concern magnified this year, when comparing the 2008 baseline of 2,856 to February infrared flights showing only 1,787 animals present ... The Sublette Mule Deer Herd has an estimated total population of 21,802 animals, down 10 percent from the 2008 baseline of 24,165 animals ...

Predator control funding in supplemental budget proposal December 22, 2022 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

... Gov. Mark Gordon is putting an additional $2.25 million toward predator control in this year's supplemental budget  ... “As part of our Commission policy, if wildlife managers document a herd unit with fawn deer or pronghorn ratios below a 65:100 ratio, we share that information with the local predator management board,” ...

CWD detected in new Wyoming elk hunt area December 19, 2022 Wyoming, Game and Fish News

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 127. The disease was detected in a cow elk in November. This marks the fifth elk hunt area where CWD has been detected this year.  Elk Hunt Area 127 is in the Lander Region ...

New Program Aims to Ensure Wyoming Wildlife Here Forever December 17, 2022 Cowboy State Daily

...  a new program, Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, that aims to ensure wildlife remains a sustainable commodity for the future ... Moose and deer wander into the space as well, and it’s a tourist magnet ...

Three men convicted of numerous charges in one of the largest poaching cases in Wyoming history December 12, 2022 Woming FWP News

... one of the largest poaching cases in Wyoming history. The felony and misdemeanor charges were the result of a seven-year, multi-agency investigation spanning four states ... Russell Vick of Alabama, Robert Underwood of Oklahoma and David Underwood of South Dakota were convicted of numerous wildlife offenses and cumulatively fined $171,230 and $131,550 in restitution...

Untangling the problem of inaccessible public lands December 11, 2022 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

... For the Bureau of Land Management, the interspersion of private and public lands, often without fences (a benefit to wildlife, of course), means that the agency cannot realistically manage any of the uses occurring on public lands in the checkerboard ... migration corridors and crucial wildlife ranges like the Red Desert to Hoback Mule Deer migration corridor cannot get their full measure of conservation ...

Video Below.  Meet Deer 665. A one-year-old mule deer that migrated 166 miles! Part of her migration goes right past Grand Teton National Park.  In spring 2022, Deer 665 migrated from the Red Desert, following the famous Red Desert to Hoback Migration Corridor, to the top of Snow King Resort for an awesome view of Grand Teton National Park, before making her way to summer range near Wilson, Wyoming - around 166 miles. But instead of hanging out there all summer, she jutted west over Teton Pass into Idaho, moved past Victor, booked it toward Ririe, and then pulled a U-turn, heading back over Teton Pass into Wyoming. This exploratory movement from her Wyoming summer range into Idaho and back is what researchers refer to as a “walkabout.” 

Throughout her spring migration and including  exploratory movements, she traveled 223 miles. This feat shows us, once again, just how incredible these migrations are! And importantly, it's made us aware of how many diverse land ownerships and jurisdictions they cross. Such long movements make conservation of mule deer herds challenging for wildlife managers and require collaborations between state and federal agencies. - November 28, 2022

CWD detected in new Wyoming elk hunt area November 28, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish Department  

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 59. The disease was detected in a cow elk in early November.  Elk Hunt Area 59 is in the Cody Region and overlaps Deer Hunt Areas 112 and 113, where CWD was detected in 2015 and 2016, respectively...

Wildlife task force prepares for final report November 25, 2022 Wyoming, Powell Tribune

... The task force has already proposed wording for a draft bill that would significantly increase nonresident hunting fees.  The draft bill calls for an increase for nonresident elk licenses from $576 to $1,258, nonresident deer license from $288 to $826 and nonresident antelope licenses from $288 to $874...

Game and Fish launches 5-year mule deer monitoring project November 21, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

...  Biologists at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ... are well aware weather, habitat and chronic wasting disease affect Wyoming’s mule deer populations. These environmental factors play a significant role in the population fluctuation of mule deer. But in the last 30 years, mule deer populations have declined to a point that is worrisome to wildlife managers and the public.

F-Bombs, Cut Fences, Trespassing: Animosity At Boiling Point Between Landowners & Hunters November 18, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... “We have had gates torn down, fences cut and people trespassing to come kill deer,” ... The Wildlife Task Force includes a mix of hunters, outfitters, legislators and landowners... “I think you can put in public comment without using the F-word,” ...

Game and Fish Plans Helicopter Captures to Collar Mule Deer November 17, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish Department - State of Wyoming

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is planning to capture and collar 130 animals in the Wyoming Range deer herd Dec. 1-2, 2022. As with past research, animals will be netted from a helicopter by a professional wildlife capture crew, fitted with a GPS collar at the capture site and released...

Evanston, Reduction of city's deer population hot topic at council work session November 11, 2022 Wyoming, Uinta County Herald

... Biologist Short said, “Actually, the deer population in Evanston is pretty insignificant but that changes with the weather. Feeding the deer by some people causes issues for all concerned. We have major issues with people feeding the deer and luring them into town...

Governor's Leadership on Wildlife Migration results in Partnership with USDAand Funds for Private Landowners Supporting Conservation November 10, 2022 Wyoming, Saratoga Sun

... Under the MOU, Wyoming and the USDA agree to invest "technical capacity and resources in the conservation, restoration, management, and long-term stewardship of multiple-use public and private lands that support migratory big game." ...

Not A Good Year For Deer Hunting In Wyoming; Warm Weather, Drought And Disease To Blame November 7, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... A blue tongue outbreak among whitetail deer in the Black Hills region of Wyoming prompted an emergency ruling to cut doe-fawn hunting ... It’s still too early to determine whether or how the combined effects of disease and drought might change the 2023 deer hunting seasons ...

CWD detected in new Wyoming elk hunt area November 7, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish Department 

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 33. The disease was detected in a hunter-harvest bull elk in October.  Elk Hunt Area 33 is in the Sheridan Region and is bordered by four areas previously detected CWD in elk ...

Vehicle accidents involving wildlife trending up November 3, 2022 Wyoming, Powell Tribune

... A new report by The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming ... “At this rate, we are losing about 1.5% of Wyoming’s mule deer population per year in wildlife–vehicle collisions. Since the reported numbers are a substantial under-count, we may really be losing 3% or more of Wyoming’s mule deer population per year in these collisions,” the report noted...

CWD detected in new Wyoming elk hunt areas October 31,2022 October 31, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Areas 47 and 49. The disease was detected in two hunter-harvest bull elk Oct. 12 and Oct. 15.

Elk Hunt Areas 47 and 49 are located in the Cody Region and are bordered by areas that previously detected CWD in elk...

Grand Teton elk reduction program starts Nov. 5; 475 hunting permits authorized for 2022 October 28, 2022 Wyoming, Oil City News

... The need for the program is determined on an annual basis depending on how the Jackson Elk Herd is doing in terms of total population and other characteristics, including how many elk have been relying on supplemental feed on the National Elk Refuge ...

CWD sampling for mule deer in the Black Hills October 25, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish Department

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department needs help from mule deer hunters this fall collecting lymph node samples for chronic wasting disease testing (CWD). Samples are requested from any mule deer harvested in the Black Hills (Hunt Areas 1-6)...

Millions of federal dollars to go to ranchers willing to support wildlife migration October 19, 2022 Wyoming Public Media

... The state of Wyoming and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are officially working together to conserve big game migration ... In order to help preserve the land and avoid things like subdivisions, which can prevent wildlife migration, the partnership will provide $16 million in funding for ranchers starting in fiscal year 2023...

Mule Deer Sneaks Into Bison Herd To Escape Attacking Coyote At Yellowstone National Park October 19, 2022 Wyoming, Whiskey Riff

...In a desperate attempt, the deer runs to the group of stampeding bison, and quickly gets lost in the large number of the creatures.  You can see the coyote trying to figure out where the deer disappeared to ... 

Can Wildlife and Clean Energy Coexist in the West October 14, 2022 Wyoming, Outdoor Life

...  drilling in the Pinedale Anticline natural gas field was being proposed for 198,000 acres of sagebrush habitat in western Wyoming in the 1990s. The mule deer herds in the area took a massive hit in the years that followed the project...

State leads on migration research  October 14, 2022, Wyoming, Gillette News Record

... Roads, private lands and energy projects rank among the top culprits responsible for impeding animals’ movement between summer range and winter range. But Wyoming, he noted, is working to address all three, often with the federal government’s support...

Study: Energy Development Holds Up Deer During Spring Migration. 2022, University of Wyoming

... the new study shows how development disrupts deer movements, resulting in deer losing their ability to match their foraging with the wave of the most-nutritious springtime plants. ... The paper “Industrial energy development decouples ungulate migration from the green wave” appears today (Thursday) in the leading science journal Nature Ecology & Evolution... 

Here's Why Casper's Bull Moose Visitor Is Now Antlerless October 5, 2022 Wyoming, K2 Radio

... Because Wonka decided to move into the city and because it's rut season, WGFD decided it was best to move him ... required Wonka to be tranquilized, have his antlers removed (so he isn't injured ...

The Dreadful Toll of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions — and What We Can Do About It October 4, 2022 Wyoming, governing.com

...In Wyoming, for example, the mule deer population, which supports more than $300 million in annual hunting-related spending in the state, has decreased by 40 percent since 2000, due in large part to habitat fragmentation caused by roads and development ...

BLM High Desert District plans to conduct prescribed burns October 4, 2022, Wyo4News

... The current treatment would use prescribed fire to treat mixed mountain shrubs, aspen stands, and encroaching limber pine and juniper to improve habitat for bighorn sheep, elk, and mule deer, and to manage hazardous fuels associated structures and industrial infrastructure located within the mountain range...

CWD detected in new Wyoming deer hunt area October 3, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Wyoming’s Deer Hunt Area 155. The disease was detected in a hunter-harvest buck mule deer in September.  Deer Hunt Area 155 is in the Jackson Region and is bordered by two areas that previously detected CWD in deer...

UW's Monteith Shop Produces Film on the Struggles of Collared Mule Deer September 28, 2022 Wyoming, University of Wyoming News

... The film “The Road Less Traveled” chronicles the struggle of mule deer F014 as she raises offspring. The 10.5-minute short film also features the researchers who study her and the conservation organizations working to make F014’s world safer for her and the public.  The film is available on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/748122219...

Wyoming Wildlife Crossings: How Wildlife Officials Got Animals To Use Them September 21, 2022 Cowboy State Daily

... John Hyde was a game warden trainee ... “I baited the underpasses with all kinds of stuff ... We found that apple pulp worked the best... they’d just bunch up inside the underpasses to gorge themselves on the pulp ... We’d hop out of the truck ... and start waving our arms and yelling at them to move..."

New UW Research Predicts Migratory Pathways of Mule Deer September 19, 2022 Wyoming, University of Wyoming News

... “We were surprised at how well we were able to predict most deer movements, which suggests that, instead of moving randomly, migrating mule deer appear to follow rules that do a good job of balancing the costs of moving with the benefits of forage access,” ... a study published this week in the scientific journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution...

Experimental Vaccine Tests In Wyoming Elk Offer Hope In Wasting Disease Fight Septembere 14, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... Seven of eight captive elk injected with an experimental vaccine showed “some immune response” to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) ... The vaccine trial was done in conjunction with the University of Alberta ...

Mandatory CWD sampling for Laramie Mountains mule deer September 14, 2022 Wyoming,  Wyoming Game and Fish Department

... The Laramie Mountains herd unit is composed of Hunt Areas 59, 60, 64 and the South Converse herd is composed of Hunt Area 65, and both have some of the highest prevalence rates of CWD in the state, between 20-40 percent...

Game and Fish Commission invests more dollars for wildlife crossings September 14, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

   The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission met this week in Buffalo for its  September meeting. The Commission once again invested in wildlife crossings to help prevent vehicle collisions with big game, voting to put $500,000 toward the Kemmerer wildlife crossing project on U.S. Highway 189. The project — consisting of underpasses, an overpass and game fencing — will help prevent collisions with mule deer and pronghorn and create a safer road for drivers..,

Wyoming Legislators Working To Make Sure Hunting With Drones Is Illegal & Strengthening Trespass Laws September 12, 2022 Cowboy State Daily

... Aerial scouting and the use of aircraft to hunt or harass game animals is already illegal in Wyoming; a draft Wyoming House bill would add a paragraph of clarifying language. The paragraph includes the wording “unmanned aerial vehicles”...

CWD prevalence high in Powell hunt areas September 6, 2022 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

... in the Greybull River Valley... The prevalence of the disease in the two hunt areas is about 45%, according to department officials...

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department forecasts good conditions for hunters this season August 29, 2022 Wyoming Public Media

" ... Mule deer hunting should be averaged this year, but populations were influenced by the drought and harsh winters throughout the state.   Most populations have remained stable or decreased... " [Sara DiRienzo, a spokeswoman for the Game and Fish] ..,

Elk Refuge gets crematory for CWD-infected animals August 26, 2022 Wyoming, The Sheridan Press

...  plans to incinerate the carcasses of elk possibly infected with chronic wasting disease... the CWD infecting agent — malformed proteins called prions. Incineration is one of the few known methods of eliminating the prions ...

Mule Deer Palooza Planned In Wyoming To Raise Money For Mule Deer Conservation Projects August 22, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... Habitat fragmentation and disruption of mule deer migration routes between summer and winter ranges have been among the biggest challenges facing mule deer in Wyoming and across the West. Disease, particularly chronic wasting disease, has also been a factor in mule deer decline ...

Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Mandatory In Four More Wyoming Deer Hunt Areas August 22, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... Hunters who kill mule deer in four popular hunt areas in the Laramie Mountains of southeast Wyoming must submit samples to be tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) ...

2022 Wyoming hunt forecast available August 16, 2022 Wyoming Fish and Game News

... Mule deer:  Portions of the Sublette and Wyoming Range herds are managed in the region, including Hunt Areas 150-152, 155-156 and 144-146. Both herds include large populations with special management strategies designed to provide high-quality hunting opportunities for older age-class bucks. While harsh winters have complicated herd recovery ..,

Dry Piney wildlife-crossing project construction well underway August 8, 2022 Wyoming, EIN News

... Construction continues on the first of nine highway underpasses in western Wyoming that will reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in an important wintering area for one of the more premiere mule deer herds in the west... Highway 189 has one of the highest wildlife-vehicle collision rates in Wyoming ...

Wildlife crossings, fencing likely slash roadkill by 75% on S. Hwy 89 August 3, 2022 Wyoming,  JHNewsAndGuide.com

... numbers compiled by a researcher at the University of Montana show that a network of 8-foot-high fencing and wildlife underpasses could be cutting the number of smushed deer by as much as 75%...

Dedicated Licenses For Guides With Out-Of-State Hunters "Dead In The Water," Says Legislator July 28, 2022 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily

... the proposition came as a compromise offered by outfitters. This compromise was in response to a different proposal which would reduce non-resident tags...

Game and Fish Commission approves 10 regulations, FY 23 budget July 20, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... The Commission also approved $7.1 million for one-time projects that include a cutting-edge mule deer monitoring project ... also directed the department to draft a regulation to remove the 7,250 cap on nonresident elk licenses and create nonresident regions for general elk hunting ...

Wyoming Wildlife Task Force Enters Final Stretch After Controversial Hunting Recommendations July 13, 2022 Cowboy State Daily

... The Task Force also unanimously recommended the Game and Fish Department treat whitetail deer and mule deer as a separate biological species, a move that could lead to separate tag draws down the road for each. Coursey said the need for this delineation has occurred because of great growth in the whitetail population ...

Game and Fish begins drafting elk feedgrounds management plan July 11, 2022 Wyoming, WGFD News

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is beginning to draft a long-term elk feedgrounds management plan to help guide elk management in western Wyoming for the foreseeable future ... Anyone can visit the Elk Feedgrounds: A challenge we can take on webpage to learn more about the public collaborative effort...

Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce proposes changes to moose, bighorn sheep preference point system June 24, Wyoming Game and Fish Department

     Following multiple discussions over several meetings, the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce voted to recommend a substantial change to the manner in which bighorn sheep and moose licenses are issued for both residents and nonresidents specific to the use of preference points. Read about the recommendations.

Wildlife task force takes shaky aim at hunting license abuses  June 22, 2022 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

...  landowner tags are subtracted from an area’s total license quota and are awarded prior to the lotteries ... you have wealthy individuals subdividing pieces of property to gain highly sought after limited-quota elk, deer and antelope licenses...

Drought and disease impact deer, pronghorn quotas | News June 1, 2022 Wyoming, Buffalo Bulletin

...disease and persistent drought conditions prompted the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to significantly reduce the number of deer and pronghorn licenses it will issue this year. ... The estimate for mule deer [2021 post-hunt] was 291,700, roughly 61% of the statewide goal..,

Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management:  2021 Annual Report  Wyoming Game and Fish Department

... As of Dec. 31, 2021, at least 161 wolves and 14 breeding pairs reside within the wolf trophy game management area , where Game and Fish focuses management. The wolf population for Yellowstone National Park and Wind River Reservation is at least 97 and at least 17 respectively. An additional 39 wolves were documented in the seasonal WTGMA and predatory animal areas outside Yellowstone and the Wind River Reservation, bringing the total minimum population in Wyoming to at least 314 wolves..,

Wyoming Wildlife Task Force recommends splitting white-tailed, mule deer licenses  May 20, 2022 The Sheridan Press

... Commenters also expressed concern about how the change could put more hunting pressure on mule deer populations, which have been in decline statewide... As of the 2020 job completion report, mule deer population in the Powder River region in Sheridan County was estimated at 34,050, which was slightly below the previous five-year average of 36,533...

Wyoming DOT wins award for Snake River Bridge project May 20, 2022 Roads & Bridges

... The project will extend the Snake River Bridge to accommodate a wildlife underpass and will include three additional wildlife crossings that will facilitate safer wildlife movements, especially for large animals such as moose, elk, and deer...

Two Sweetwater Men Convicted on Multiple Poaching Violations May 18, 2022 Wyoming,  SweetwaterNOW

... illegally killed mature bull elk ...  ordered to pay fines close to $15,000 and have lost their hunting and fishing privileges in Wyoming...

New University of Wyoming-Led Report Maps More Big Game Migrations in West May 16, 2022 Wildlife Management Institute

... “Many ungulate herds have to migrate to thrive on the strongly seasonal landscapes of the American West. These corridor maps make it possible to manage those critical movements,” says Matthew Kauffman, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Wyoming, who is the report’s lead author.  The Report

Logging on: 2 years in, forest management plan making a positive impact May 15, 2022 Wyoming News

... “A lot of our projects are really focused on trying to look at habitat enhancements for wildlife, particularly in these mule deer herds. We have been very excited to participate in this.” ...

Work begins on wildlife crossing to cut collisions on stretch of Wyoming highway May 12, 2022 KPVI

... More than 6,000 big game animals, particularly mule deer and pronghorn, are killed in vehicle collisions in Wyoming each year ... an average of 117 mule deer are hit on the Dry Piney stretch of highway annually. Moose also often fall victim to collisions ...

 New Law Means 90% of Hunting Licenses For "Big Five" Animals Will Go To Wyoming Residents May 11, 2022 Cowboy State Daily

... The change is outlined in a new law that increased the number of big game licenses available for Wyoming residents from 80% of all licenses to 90%... The department estimated the 2021 post-hunt populations at 363,200 for pronghorns and 291,700 for mule deer...

Ticks suck. But how bad are they for Jackson Hole's moose?  May 11, 2022 Wyoming, JHNewsAndGuide.com

... Preliminary data from his research shows that, this winter, tick numbers on collared moose more than doubled. That comes after two years of mild springs and falls...

.

Shed Antlers were more scattered opening day of shed hunting season, likely due to a mild winter May 6, 2022  Wyoming Public Media

... "On mild winters mule deer and elk both seem to scatter out more and they're not concentrated in specific areas as much as they are during a severe winter ..." "When there's lots of snow, we know exactly where they're going to be," ...

Couple baits deer with corn for hunters, Wyoming officials say. They must pay $60,000  May 5, 2022 The Fresno Bee

... The couple are non-native landowners who operate Wind River Whitetail Ranch near a reservation, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said. “The game camera photos showed the defendants putting out large piles of corn during the fall hunting season,” ...

Drought Leads to Fewer Pronghorn and Mule Deer Tags April 29, 2022 Wyoming, Field & Stream

... The worsening drought comes on top of outbreaks of CWD and EHD in the state  ... Last year’s [2021] post-hunt ... estimate of 291,700 mule deer was 61 percent of the statewide goal..,

Drought, disease decrease antelope, deer hunts statewide April 27, 2022 Wyoming jhnewsandguide.com

... Drought is a complicating factor that affects both habitat and disease ... Dry weather elevates the risk of EHD ...  The estimate for mule deer numbers was 291,700, roughly 61% of the statewide goal... A count of 21 [elk] herds came in at 74,900 animals in 2021 ..,

Game and Fish lab tests nearly 7,000 CWD samples in 2021 April 25, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... testing was completed in early January, and samples were submitted from throughout the state. CWD was not detected in 6,045 samples and 831 samples were positive..,

Wyoming gray wolf population meets all recovery criteria April 25, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

...As of Dec. 31, 2021, at least 161 wolves and 14 breeding pairs reside within the wolf trophy game management area , where Game and Fish focuses management. The wolf population for Yellowstone National Park and Wind River Reservation is at least 97 and at least 17 respectively. An additional 39 wolves were documented in the seasonal WTGMA and predatory animal areas outside Yellowstone and the Wind River Reservation, bringing the total minimum population in Wyoming to at least 314 wolves..,

Elk hunters submitted 815 brucellosis samples in 2021 April 18, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... Hunters submitted 815 usable blood samples from their elk harvested during the 2021 hunting season to aid the Wyoming Game and Fish Department with monitoring brucellosis. The samples from bulls, cows and calves help Game and Fish monitor the disease. Brucellosis is only found in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, but the department regularly monitors the entire state for the disease...

New UW-Led Report Maps More Big-Game Migrations in West  April 7, 2022  University of Wyoming 

... “Many ungulate herds have to migrate to thrive on the strongly seasonal landscapes of the American West. These corridor maps make it possible to manage those critical movements,” ... see video below

Legislature Helps Fund Aspen Restoration on South Pass April 6, 2022 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW

... The work will help maintain habitats and seasonal movement opportunities for mule deer, elk, antelope and other species; reduce or eliminate the potential for catastrophic wildfire ...

Early wildflower blooms sign of a warming Wyoming April 6, 2022  WyoFile

... The study also highlights the need to maintain connectivity and corridors between seasonal habitats. Pronghorn, deer and other migrating wildlife must adapt to changing seasonal patterns to take advantage of vegetation as it “greens up” ...

Wyo to target elk, large carnivores to aid reeling mule deer  April 5, 2022 Wyoming, WyoFile

... 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 ... pilot projects will target elk, which have thrived and trended in the opposite direction as mule deer, growing from about 90,000 animals in the early 2000s to 110,000-plus today ..,

Memoirs of a Mule Deer Hunter March 28, 2022 Outdoor Life

... “A few dozen [new homes being built] in critical winter range may not make much of a difference but when you get hundreds or thousands of homes, there’s a big impact on wildlife. Former feeding areas are gone, and there are problems with dogs, fences, more vehicle collisions, and other factors.” Mong also cites weather as an important factor. “[Fawn survival is] tied to moisture levels ... it’s death by a thousand cuts." ...

Wolf-killing group makes a play for Wyoming March 26, 2022 Wyoming News

... Jessi Johnson works to conserve elk, moose and deer for hunters, but as advocacy coordinator for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation she thinks Wyoming is already taking the right approach to wolves and doesn’t think the addition of bounty-killing is necessary...

Game and Fish Commission supports innovative mule deer project  March 25, 2022 Wyoming, County 10™

... $2.5 million to support a state-of-the-art mule deer monitoring program... a collaboration between Game and Fish and the University of Wyoming to gather cutting-edge data to inform mule deer management decisions...

How one Wyoming mule deer won friends and influenced science March 24, 2022 High Country News

...  Jo’s journey from basin to high country took about four months and entailed crossing rivers, bounding through sagebrush, raising fawns, and avoiding highways, energy development and fences...  it’s hard to pinpoint a cause of death ... evidence of bear scavenging ...

Listeners can hear Episode 9: Upper Powder River Mule Deer Study on Spotify, iTunes and most other podcast platforms.

Video Below:  Wyoming Mule Deer Study - Upper Powder River.  February 28, 2022

     After four years of trapping mule deer in the Kaycee/Buffalo region of Wyoming, wildlife managers with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department  are now analyzing the data these GPS collars provided from the  119 mule deer does that wore them during the course of the study... This herd has been under the management objective of 18,000 for several years, and the massive amount of data will allow biologists to evaluate the condition of the herd, identify factors influencing animal survival, and learn about seasonal movements of the deer as well as the animals’ habitat preferences and what effect chronic wasting disease is having on the herd...

CWD still increasing in deer February 23, 2022 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise

...  CWD develops in a “slow and methodical” fashion across the landscape. He said when CWD prevalence rises over 20% in a herd it starts to drag down the population, a phenomenon proven in a few herds in the Big Horn Basin and south Converse County...

How Does The Mule Deer Foundation Help Wyoming's Deer Population? February 21, 2022  K2 Radio

... focusing on the movement and migration corridors. $1.9 Million has been raised since 2007 ...

$1.8 million toward habitat in work with over 40 miles of fence modification to standards and other habitat work...

Moose collaring study shows evidence of widespread wildlife feeding February 16, 2022 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News & Guide

... Moose are evolved to eat wood — willows, mostly — over the winter.  “Their digestive system is built for that,” Courtemanch said.  Introducing something new like grain or alfalfa can be hazardous. “If they eat enough of it fast enough, it could kill them right away,” ...

Super Tag raises $1.6 million for wildlife conservation February 16, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

      The Wyoming Super Tag raffle raised $1.6 million for conservation in 2022. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s program saw another record-breaking round of ticket sales, bolstered by hunters vying for 11 chances to get a license for the state’s premier big and trophy game...

G&F biologist: Mule deer populations improving in basin February 14, 2021 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise

... Big Horn Basin...  After the winter of 2016-2017, 60-80% of fawns were lost in the region. This led to significantly reduced populations for the next two years... In 2021, there was a 79/21 ratio of fawns to bucks, well exceeding the 5-year 60/40 average ...

CWD found in new Wyoming deer hunt area February 7, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish News

...  confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Wyoming’s Deer Hunt Area 143. The disease was detected in a buck mule deer found dead in emaciated condition in late January.  Deer Hunt Area 143 is the Pinedale Region ..,

Chronic Wasting Disease, Bighorn Basin has the chance to comment on CWD management near Worland and Greybull February 4, 2022 Wyoming Public Media

... Part of that plan is targeting local herds with different strategies to see what works ... [in Colorado]  they had seen with these increases in tags, and targeting male deer later into the season and doing this for many, many years, they were actually able to suppress prevalence, in some cases, taking it from 20 percent, down towards five percent ...

Game and Fish Commission directs dollars toward mule deer January 27, 2022 Wyoming Game and Fish

     The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission met this week in Cheyenne for their January meeting. The Commission approved $452,400 for ten Mule Deer Initiative projects to enhance habitat for mule deer and support the ungulate’s migrations. Commission dollars will be matched $3 to $1 by other sources, amounting to a total of $1.79 million going to on-the-ground projects. The projects are anticipated to enhance three million acres and benefit seven herd units that make up 25% of the state’s mule deer population. 

Green River Deer Population Appears Stable January 25, 2022 Wyoming, SweetwaterNOW

... The counts have been done each year with the help of volunteers, the local Game and Fish, and the Green River Police Department. Counts have been monitored to help determine if there is a need for a culling program similar to other communities. Jarvie said total deer numbers remain far below that of municipalities with culling programs but they will continue to monitor, count, and report...

Speeding cars and loose dogs put town's deer and elk in peril January 19, 2022 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News & Guide

... Two dogs being walked off-leash in the Cache Creek drainage chased an elk Jan. 4, and their owner was cited for harassing wildlife. The man had previously been issued a warning ... Under Wyoming law, peace officers are empowered to shoot dogs that are chasing wildlife...

New UW-Produced Film Explores Barriers to Big-Game Migration  January 18, 2022 Wyoming, University of Wyoming

... A new wildlife documentary puts the spotlight on obstacles that elk, mule deer and other hooved mammals face during their migrations, and how people are working together to help animals keep moving.  Produced by the Wyoming Migration Initiative (WMI) at the University of Wyoming ...

From Video below:  Mule deer, elk and other hooved mammals around the world depend on their ability to migrate between seasonal habitats. Sadly, human activities are impeding migrations and making them harder than ever. Many herds are struggling to migrate in the face of subdivisions, roads, fences, and all kinds of development. 

Study: Mule deer, other species struggle to adapt to altered habitats January 18, 2022 Wyoming, WyoFile

... migration paths are so precisely defined that animals often skirt the same bluff, travel the same ridgeline and cross the road at the same spot year after year.  The fidelity evidenced in these well-worn patterns may be causing deer more harm than good in the face of a landscape changed by humans, according to a new paper out of the University of Wyoming and several other universities...

Wildlife crossings, the Wyoming way January 18, 2022  Bozeman Daily Chronicle

... The Game and Fish Department’s wildlife crossing website promotes eye-catching stats: 4 percent of the state’s mule deer population is killed every year in vehicle collisions; deer need 30 seconds between vehicles to safely cross a road; 15 percent of all Wyoming vehicles crashes are with wildlife ...

UW Extension Releases Wildlife Migration Corridor Landowner Benefits Bulletin January 18, 2022 University of Wyoming

... University of Wyoming Extension has released a bulletin publication titled “RD2H Migration Corridor Landowner Benefits” that outlines the benefits of wildlife migration corridors to landowners and Wyoming...

Study gives valuable insight into mule deer behavior January 8, 2022 Wyoming, The Sheridan Press

... There has been a larger-than-expected segment of the herd that spends the entire year along the foothills of the Bighorns at lower elevations, Thomas said. Many of the deer on the east side of the Bighorns have been found to be residents rather than migratory...

Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce explores allocating more licenses to resident hunters January 7, 2022 Buffalo Bulletin

... increasing residents’ share of big game hunting licenses from 80% to 90%,  ... “One of the financial concerns is budgetary for Wyoming Game and Fish,” Teten said. “License fees and nonresident fees make up a good chunk of their annual budget, so that would have to be made up somewhere.” ...

Scientists to study walking-dead deer in Wyo's most CWD-infected herd January 4, 2022 Wyoming,  WyoFile

... The vast majority of mule deer in a herd north of Riverton are testing positive for the deadly disease... “We had 98% last year and this year,” Metzler said of the positivity rate... The hope is to glean some clarity about the factors contributing to the alarming disease prevalence...

$3.8 Million Wildlife Crossing Being Constructed Over I-25 Between Buffalo & Kaycee  January 4, 2022 Wyoming, Sheridan Media

... will use existing underpasses and high fencing on a 15-mile stretch of I-25 to funnel wildlife through to the other side of the interstate, reducing accidents with mule deer and white-tailed deer...

Game and Fish wraps up three-year mule deer study December 30, 2021 Wyoming, Gillette News Record

...  a declining Upper Powder River mule deer herd near Kaycee ... “Part of this study is to try to get to the bottom of why that is, what is taking these deer out of the population so quickly,” Malmberg said. “So far, we found a lot of chronic wasting disease, some winter kills, some starvation type of issues. And then this year, we also had viral hemorrhagic disease.”... 

Remedy ID’d for deadly drive through Dubois deer range December 28, 2021 Wyoming, WyoFile

... An average of 150 wildlife-vehicle collisions are known to occur every year along a 49-mile stretch of Highway 26 ... a plan to cobble together millions of dollars to fund an overpass, high exclusionary fencing and a network of underpasses intended to curb the collisions...

Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Mule Deer Foundation Completes Grant Projects December 23, 2021 K2 Radio

... The projects were implemented using over $900,000 in funding provided by the Bureau of Land Management in a grant administered through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s "Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big Game Winter Range and Migration Corridor Program." ...

COVID just latest disease to hit deer herds hard in area December 22, 2021 Wyoming, Cody Enterprise

... As if our deer herd doesn’t have enough problems surviving these days, what with CWD, EHD, Parasetic Asian mites, an over-abundance of mountain lions and government-sponsored wolves, now those dewy-eyed darlings have to deal with COVID...

Update on North Bighorns Mule Deer Movement Study December 8, 2021 Wyoming, EIN News

... The majority of deer collared in August 2020 on mountain summer ranges moved to the west side of the Bighorns during winter. Wildlife managers expected a more equitable distribution of deer moving to lower elevation winter ranges on the east and west side...

CWD found in new Wyoming elk hunt area November 22, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish News

    The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed a hunter-harvested cow elk has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 113. Elk Hunt Area 113 is located in the Sheridan Region and borders CWD-positive Elk Hunt Areas 123 to the north and 129 to the west, where CWD was detected in 2020 and 2021, respectively...

Game and Fish authorized to continue feeding elk at Dell Creek, November 12, 2021 Wyoming, WGF News

... “We’re grateful to the Bridger-Teton National Forest for their partnership to continue elk feedground operations at Dell Creek,” said Rick King, chief of wildlife. “This feedground location is crucial to mitigate brucellosis disease concerns and maintain elk populations.” The decision letter from the Bridger-Teton National Forest is available online...

Deer numbers could challenge hunters November 3, 2021 Wyoming, Sundance Times

... "White-tailed deer numbers are down about 25% area-wide from last year and the long-term average,...The biggest declines have been in the northern part of Crook County." ... mule deer numbers are also down around 30% from last year...

Game and Fish rebuffs Legislature's Teton development plan November 2, 2021 Wyoming, WyoFile

... 3,555 acres of school trust land ... in a letter that listed the sensitive lands. They “provide crucial habitats (either singly or in combination) for moose, elk, mule deer, or bighorn sheep ...

Chronic wasting disease confirmed in three more Wyoming elk hunt areas November 1, 2021 Oil City News

... The disease was confirmed in Elk Hunt Area 98 in the Pinedale Region...  overlays Deer Hunt Area 138, where chronic wasting disease was confirmed in January.  Chronic wasting disease was also confirmed in Elk Hunt Areas 36 and 129 in the Sheridan Region...

Supporting adaptive management with ecological forecasting: chronic wasting disease in the Jackson Elk Herd 2021 Ecosphere

... . Initial forecasts suggested CWD may reach a mean prevalence in the population of 12%, but uncertainty in this forecast is large and we cannot rule out a mean forecasted prevalence as high as 20%. Using recruitment rates observed during the last two

decades, the model predicted that a CWD prevalence of 7% in females would cause the population growth rate (λ) to drop below 1, resulting in population declines even when female harvest was zero...

Gift to UW supports mule deer research  October 29, 2021 Wyoming, wyomingnews.com

... A $250,000 gift from the Muley Fanatic Foundation to the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming will support sound science that advances the conservation of mule deer ...

Scientists optimistic about Mullen Fire recovery October 19, 2021 Wyoming, WyoFile

... the Mullen Fire consumed or damaged dozens of structures over more than 176,000 acres ... By late September, some aspens in the burn area measured three feet tall. Willows and wildflowers flourished... Not only did species like elk, deer and bighorn sheep survive into this year, they are thriving ...

CWD found in new Wyoming deer, elk hunt areas  October 11, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish Department News

... confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in two new deer hunt areas and one new elk hunt area ... near Deadman Creek and in Soda Lake Meadows ...

Game and Fish to continue elk feeding at Dell Creek  October 4, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish News

... The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has requested a permit from the U.S. Forest Service to maintain elk feeding operations at the Dell Creek Feedground for the 2021/2022 winter... “Not having the ability to feed at Dell Creek could have dire consequences in terms of dispersing elk that could spread brucellosis to cattle, cause damage to private land and result in elk frequenting the highway,” ...

Deer disease outbreak identified in county September 23, 2021 Sundance Times

... (EHD) in white-tailed deer and pronghorn has seen cases identified across the east of Wyoming, including in Crook County..,

Game and Fish now requires CWD sampling from some hunters September 15, 2021 Wyoming,  wyomingnews.com

... For the first time ever, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is requiring some hunters to collect samples ... The agency imposed the requirement for hunters in deer hunt areas 96 and 97 ...

Game and Fish tracking EHD in deer, pronghorn September 13, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish

...The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is tracking an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a virus that primarily impacts white-tailed deer and pronghorn. Multiple samples from dead deer and pronghorn confirmed the outbreak in the Arvada area as well as areas near Douglas, Laramie and Cheyenne..,

In Wyoming, fences are coming down to make way for wildlife  September 9, 2021  Boulder Weekly

... Fences can spell disaster for wildlife that need to migrate seasonally or simply move around for their basic needs. Mule deer can get their legs caught as they try to jump over fencing and can die there...

BLM bringing back deferred parcels for new lease sale September 7, 2021 Sublette Examiner, Wyoming

... Wyoming Game and Fish reported that all but one High Desert District herd unit have fallen below population objectives, with the Sublette mule deer herd negatively affected by harsh winters of 2016-2017 and 2010-2011.  The population goal is 32,000 for the Sublette herd, estimated in 2019 at 20,846 deer..,

A mixed bag for hunters this season in Wyoming  September 5, 2021 Casper Star-Tribune Online

...  Populations of mule deer remain stable at a generally decreased level across the state ... Elk are doing well almost universally, as they have been for years...

Habitat regeneration in Mullen Fire burn area benefits big game September 4, 2021 Wyoming, Wyoming News

... The largest recent impact on habitat was last fall’s Mullen Fire, which burned more than 176,000 acres in the Snowy Range. Habitat regeneration is happening within the burn scar, which will have long-term benefits for elk, mule deer, moose and bighorn sheep...

University Of Wyoming Researchers Find CWD Changes Mule Deer Genetics August 31, 2021 Wyoming Public Media

... new research ... researchers found a link between areas where CWD has been in mule deer herds the longest and how common a genetic mutation which slows down disease progression, known as the 225F allele ...

Game and Fish presents the 2021 fall hunting forecasts  August 30, 2021 Wyoming,  Wyoming Game and Fish News

... another year of drought, following several impactful wildfires... Mule deer populations have generally decreased or remained stable throughout the Casper Region over the past few years ... White-tailed deer populations continue to do well in most of the Casper Region...

State starts reassessment of Red Desert-to-Hoback migration  August 19, 2021 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News & Guide

... a process prescribed by a migration policy that was enacted by a 2020 Gordon executive order.  That policy calls for a local working group, representing different jurisdictions and interests ...

Wyoming Game and Fish To Host CWD Meetings in Bighorn Basin August 13, 2021 mybighornbasin

... “The goal from these meetings is to gauge the public’s interest and concern for CWD locally,” ... “We encourage anyone who is concerned about CWD to attend a meeting.”...

UW Researchers Lead Study of Chronic Wasting Disease in Mule Deer  August 11, 2021 Wyoming, University of Wyoming

... investigate the relationship between chronic wasting disease and a mutation at codon 225 of the mule deer prion protein gene that slows disease progression,” Ernest explains. “We found that individuals with the ‘slow’ 225F allele were less likely to test positive for chronic wasting disease, and the 225F allele was more common in herds exposed to chronic wasting disease longer. We also found that, in the past two decades, the 225F allele frequency increased more in herds with higher chronic wasting disease prevalence.”... [Read the research]

The Western Megadrought Is Killing Mule Deer August 5, 2021 Wyoming, Outdoor Life

... Deer in Wyoming have declined by more than 30 percent in the last several decades for all the same reasons as everywhere else, Monteith says. That means drought, diseases like chronic wasting disease, habitat loss through lack of fire and invasive species, and hard winters...

Super Tag raises $1.4 million for wildlife conservation in 2021 July 23, 2021 Wyoming, Sheridan Media

... another record-breaking year of ticket sales, bolstered by hunters vying for 11 chances to get a license for the state’s premier big and trophy game... the Super Tag raffle ...

WY Game and Fish Moving Ahead on Elk Feedground Planning July 19, 2021 Wyoming, Public News Service

...  "We detected our first case [of chronic wasting disease] this winter. It was the first case of an elk that is in proximity to elk feedgrounds. And so it is concerning."  Livestock producers want feedgrounds, which remove competition for their cattle grazing on public lands...

 $225K in donations to support wildlife crossing project along I-25 in Wyoming July 15, 2021 Oil City News

... an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Kaycee and Buffalo has the second highest rate of vehicle-deer collisions in Wyoming... a $100,000 donation from the Knobloch Family Foundation ...

How does mowing sagebrush help give mule deer more to eat? July 15, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish

... Mule deer rely on sagebrush as a food source, and it can make up a considerable amount of their diet, especially during the winter. Deer primarily eat the annual leaders of sagebrush plants —  that's the new part that grows each year. By mowing, we encourage sagebrush leader growth. It means plants grow back stronger and new sagebrush plants have a chance to emerge...

Mule deer study raises red flags July 1, 2021 Wyoming News

...   Statewide, mule deer populations have been on the decline ... the Upper Powder River mule deer herd is in decline ... Overall poor body condition... primary causes of deaths including chronic wasting disease and mountain lion mortality ...

Hunts proposed in National Elk Refuge June 15, 2021 Wyoming Tribune

... its first-ever white-tailed deer and pronghorn antelope hunts.  For much of its 109-year history, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-run refuge has authorized hunting of its namesake species, elk...

Wyoming governor announces 'Baggs Mule Deer Corridor Working Group's members June 3, 2021 Oil City News

... “The Baggs Working Group includes a wide range of perspectives from Wyomingites with a deep connection to the Baggs Mule Deer Migration Corridor area,” ...

Public invited to CWD meetings for Laramie Mountains mule deer herd May 30, 2021 Wyoming, EIN News

...This herd unit has one of the highest prevalence rates of CWD in the state and any management actions taken will be done with public buy-in and participation ...

Wyoming Mule Deer Stick Together-- In Three Distinct Genetic Groups May 22, 2021 Wyoming Public Media

...Scientists at the University of Wyoming have discovered that there are three distinct genetic groups of mule deer ... in the western, northern, and southern parts of the state ...

UW Study Reveals Environmental Characteristics for Three Genetic Groups of Wyoming Mule Deer May 11, 2021 University of Wyoming News

...  mule deer in Wyoming represent three different genetic groups  ... Mule deer populations have declined or fluctuated considerably over the past several decades because of a multitude of factors, including extreme weather, habitat loss and degradation, and predation...

Game and Fish moves to ‘Phase II’ of elk feedgrounds public process May 10, 2021 Wyoming Game and Fish Department

... Phase II involves additional opportunity for the public to share their thoughts on feedgrounds and contribute to shaping the elk feedgrounds management plan...  A summary report of Phase I is also available online... Elk have utilized feedgrounds in northwest Wyoming since the early 1900s. Approximately 12,000 elk are supplementally-fed during the winter months ...

Rough winter conditions mean reduction in Wyoming's pronghorn antelope hunting licenses April 27, 2021 The Center Square

... Also affected by the adverse environmental conditions is Wyoming’s mule deer population, although not as severely as the antelope. Brimeyer said to expect a reduction in mule deer licenses as well..,

New research shows entire life cycle of deer, from conception to birth and beyond, is tied to their migration route April 25, 2021 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune

...deer in the Wyoming Range time when they mate according to the length of their migration route to take advantage of the best food... If we can generate a discussion now with land owners and federal land management agencies on what we can do to not only facilitate these conditions but promote them as well ...

Research outlines strategies for conserving big-game migration corridors  April 21, 2021 Wyoming News

... The law review article provides detailed information about migration ecology and economic principles relevant to conserving migrations, before examining the successes and shortcomings of existing legal and policy efforts...

Hunting group files suit against Game and Fish Commission over complimentary licenses April 14, 2021 Wyoming Tribune

... The lawsuit filed by Mountain Pursuit argues the association was improperly given those licenses, stating it fails to meet the definition of a “nonprofit charitable organization” allowed to receive the licenses...

UW Study Looks At What Affects Mule Deer Births April 9, 2021 Wyoming, laramielive.com

... Among the study’s findings:  Most deer completed migration well before giving birth: Across the five-year period of the study, animals completed migration, on average, 23 days before giving birth.  Does that ended migration earlier gave birth earlier... [Read the article in Ecology] ...

Elk feedground bill won’t hamper Game and Fish power April 9, 2021 Wyoming, WyoFile

... I do not believe that the department or the commission will close a feedground in my lifetime. Feedgrounds are important to Wyoming. Without them, we would have far fewer elk. Elk’s ability to travel hundreds of miles for winter sustenance has been lost. There is really no choice but to provide supplemental feeding...

Wildlife officials say to not harass animals while shed hunting March 31, 2021 Wyoming, Clark Fork Valley Press

... Late winter and early spring are the hardest times for deer, elk, and moose because food is limited and disturbance by recreationists can stress and cause them to burn off their winter reserves even faster. During especially hard winters FWP often puts out reminders to shed hunters to try to avoid disturbing wintering big game..,

Legislature strips Game and Fish of elk feed ground closure power March 30, 2021 Wyoming, WyoFile

... the bill comes amid elevated worries about fatal incurable Chronic Wasting Disease infecting feedground elk and spreading more rapidly because of the artificial crowding on feedgrounds... But closing a feedground could also have negative effects, sending elk onto private lands ...

Wyoming Governor's Big Game License Coalition Raises Nearly $1.1 Million March 22, 2021 SweetwaterNOW.com

... generated through the sale of the Wyoming Governor’s complimentary big game licenses  ... five bighorn sheep, five moose, ten deer/elk/antelope and five wild bison  licenses... revenue is solely dedicated to wildlife conservation ...

Working to ensure the conservation of mule deer and their habitat March 12, 2021 Wyoming Tribune

... The Muley Fanatic Foundation (MFF) was established in 2012 by Wyoming natives ... nearly 4 million dollars allocated to date through various on-the-ground projects and research initiatives ...

Mule deer study offers new data for planning March 9, 2021 Wyoming, The Sheridan Press

... a number of agencies have partnered on the Northern Bighorns Mule Deer Movement Study, which will track the seasonal movements of mule deer in the northern Bighorn Mountains.   The study is led by Sheridan Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife biologist Tim Thomas and Carrie Kyle, a graduate student at the University of Wyoming’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit...

Wildlife Conservation license plate is one way to give to Wyoming March 6, 2021

Wyoming Tribune

... Wyoming came out with a special plate that supports wildlife conservation. It features a mule deer buck on the far left ...  it costs $180, with $150 going to state wildlife conservation ...

Muley Fanatics donates deer crossing signs to Green River February 24, 2021 Wyoming, Wyoming Tribune

... These 30”x30” signs are solar powered with LED lighting around the perimeter of the sign, with the lights continually flashing and providing for a highly visible reminder of possible deer crossing ...

Game managers eye testing soil, water for chronic wasting disease February 17, 2021 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online

... he’s banking soil from different parts of the refuge so that there’s the option of determining CWD’s spatial extent in the present and, as the years tick by, sometime down the road...“The big question is, ‘How likely are prions to enter groundwater?’” ...

Group formed to make fences more wildlife friendly in Cody area February 7, 2021 Wyoming, Billings Gazette

...  the Absaroka Fence Initiative. The AFI is a combination of local, state and federal groups, as well as ranchers and landowners. The group’s goal is to remove fence obstructions along migration routes that WGFD, the Wyoming Migration Initiative and Montana State University have identified...

Ex-Game and Fish Commissioner opposed Chronic Wasting Disease plan February 7, 2021 Wyoming, Oil City News

... one of the big problems we have is we never get any public input,” Schmid said. His concern was echoed at the meeting in July by Zachary Keen, who also opposed the plan overall and said he was usually the only member of the public attending Game and Fish meetings...

Game and Fish Commission selects Cody Office construction company February 7, 2021 Wyoming, EIN News

... The Commission approved $500,000 for fourteen Mule Deer Initiative projects to enhance habitat for mule deer and support the ugulate’s migrations. Commission dollars will be matched $6 to every one by other sources amounting to a total of $3.56 million on the ground...

Eight of 35 collared deer die as Wyoming Game and Fish track 'depressed' Cheyenne River herd February 5, 2021 Wyoming, Oil City News

... The research began because the area has experienced “poor fawn production and overall depressed deer numbers.”... Eight mortalities of collared deer have occurred with causes identified as predation, vehicle collisions and several unknown ...

CWD confirmed in hunting area near Cody February 3, 2021 Wyoming, Local News 8

... The deer was found dead and in poor condition... northwest of Cody ...

Wyoming looking at allowing road kill harvesting; state sees 6000 big game collisions annually February 2, 2021 Oil City News

... the state averages about 6,000 collisions between vehicles and big game each year... 85% of those collisions are with mule deer and Game and Fish says that this can result in the death of up to 4% of Wyoming’s entire mule deer population in a year...

Game and Fish Commission meeting highlights January 31, 2021 Wyoming, County 10

... The Commission approved $500,000 for fourteen Mule Deer Initiative projects to enhance habitat for mule deer and support the ungulate’s migrations. Commission dollars will be matched $6 to everyone by other sources amounting to a total of $3.56 million on the ground...

Mule deer North Platte River Migration Corridor still being researched January 30, 2021 Wyoming, Wyoming News

... The Platte Valley is home to 12,000 mule deer that winter in the valley and move to summer ranges ... The region was designated an official migration corridor in 2018 by Gov. Mark Gordon, and a group of Wyoming residents are currently considering how best to balance ecological needs and development opportunities in the area...

162 acres conserved in Sublette County, Wyoming January 29, 2021 High Plains Journal

... directly adjacent to other WSGLT conserved properties and will bring the total acres ... to over 18,000... Most of the property is within a stopover area within the Sublette Mule Deer Migration Corridor, the longest known mule deer migration corridor in the world...

How Wolves Are Driving Down Mountain Lion Populations January 21, 2021 Wyoming, Smithsonian Magazine

... 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...

CWD found in new Wyoming deer hunt area January 20, 2021 Wyoming, County 10

... 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 ...

State group offers guidance to Mule Deer working group January 16, 2021 Wyoming News

...  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.” ...

Wyoming initiates elk winter feedground planning process December 6, 2020 Billings Gazette

... “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

... “Seasonal closures are essential for minimizing stress-causing disturbances to wintering deer, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife,” ...

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...

Game and Fish offers informational sessions about elk feedgrounds, an issue that's divided Western Wyoming for Decades November 15, 2020 Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune Online

... 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...

Mixed bag expected for local hunting seasons October 29, 2020 Wyoming, Sundancetimes

... 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,” ...

3 new CWD-positive deer hunt areas identified October 26, 2020 Wyoming, County 10

... 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...