WY Deer numbers are up! 2025 Winter Range Update

[lukew]

Get an update on the current conditions of Wyoming's mule deer winter range in 2025. Eastmans' Journal Podcast host Ike Eastman sits down with Brandon Mason to discuss what Brandon witnessed during his recent visit to the famous Sublette mule deer herd's winter range. Overall, winter conditions so far are in the deer's favor. The fawn to doe ratio appears to be high which can mean population growth.

 

[manitou1]

Yay... up from an all-time low! Yay. So we now have 10% of our original herd.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Let’s hope it keeps moving in the right direction! I have lots of points to burn.

 

[Maxhunter]

I know the biologist over there and he’s been watching them since 1994. He sends me texts and emails. I still wouldn’t hunt it until maybe 27 or 28. They haven’t recovered enough imo. WY needs to make it a limited quota draw for residents imo.

 

[ScottR]

I know the biologist over there and he’s been watching them since 1994. He sends me texts and emails. I still wouldn’t hunt it until maybe 27 or 28. They haven’t recovered enough imo. WY needs to make it a limited quota draw for residents imo.

I tend to lean towards a limited draw as well, but the low hanging fruit we have to get first to make the case....is mandatory reporting. If we don't know how many deer are actually killed we will struggle to ever get there.

The other trick is a funny little thing called hunter satisfaction. Until people hunting there say they aren't satisfied things won't change either. A LOT of weight is put in that metric.

 

[jimss]

My guess is that deer browse in the winter , spring, and summer ranges are better than they have been for quite some time. Favorable moisture and some of the habitat improvement projects in that area also help the health of the herd. With fewer deer it has also offered browse the opportunity to recover.

Healthy does obviously contribute to healthy fawns that are more resilient to drought, winterkill, and disease.

 

[ScottR]

The drought monitor is king this time of year. I am looking at that thing all of the time, I am also getting excited to hear abour their spring counts for the herds in G and in H.

 

[manitou1]

I know the biologist over there and he’s been watching them since 1994. He sends me texts and emails. I still wouldn’t hunt it until maybe 27 or 28. They haven’t recovered enough imo. WY needs to make it a limited quota draw for residents imo.

They need to close it for non-residents.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

They need to close it for non-residents.

If they did close it for NR's, the residents would pay thru the nose to make up for the money they soak NR's.

 

[ScottR]

Here is a podcast that is certainly worth watching if you really like the mule deer numbers conversations: