Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department will be hosting a meeting welcoming hunters, landowners and wildlife enthusiasts to come and share their thoughts on the issue of managing mule deer with local Game & Fish representatives. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Washakie County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
This meeting is part of a series called Mule Deer Community Conversations that are being held in response to a 2023 hunter attitude survey conducted by the Game & Fish, which indicated that many Wyomingites wished to have more of a voice in ongoing management efforts regarding Wyoming’s mule deer populations.
According to a page on the Wyoming Game & Fish website dedicated to mule deer, populations of the species have declined across western states due to “habitat loss and degradation along with changing weather patterns.” The 2023 population data shows about 216,000 mule deer in Wyoming, and indicates a sharp decline in the population from a peak of nearly 400,000 in 2015.
Visitors on Tuesday can expect an informal meeting format where they can have an open conversation about the issue of mule deer management. Game & Fish Information and Education Specialist Tara Hodges said, “The meetings will not have formal presentations, but will instead offer participants the opportunity to ask questions and visit with wildlife biologists and game wardens about the conservation and management of local herds.”
The Game & Fish will be using feedback from this meeting and others to inform their future management decisions. Hodges said, “These conversations, in addition to other outreach efforts such as spring season-setting meetings and hunter field checks, help Game and Fish connect with people less frequently reached. Comments and sentiments gathered at the ongoing mule deer community conversations will be compiled and compared to additional data, including the results of the 2023 Mule Deer Hunter Attitude Survey. Game and Fish will use all available information to determine the next steps in the management of Wyoming’s mule deer populations.”
An earlier meeting was held in Ten Sleep in October to coincide with Hunter Fest on Oct. 14, but the rest in the area will follow the Worland meeting in December. The remainder of the meeting schedule is as follows: Thermopolis, Dec. 6 at Hot Springs County Fire Hall from 6 to 8 p.m .; Lovell, Dec. 11 at Lovell Fire Hall from 5 to 7 p.m., Greybull, Dec. 12 at Greybull Town Hall from 5 to 7 p.m .; Powell, Dec. 13 at WyOld West Brewing Company from 4 to 5:30 p.m .; and Cody, Dec. 14 at Millstone Pizza Company & Brewing from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Additional information can be found at the Wyoming Game and Fish website, https://wgfd.wyo.gov/.