CHEYENNE, Wyo. — After an online comment period and a series of public meetings to discuss the future of Wyoming’s mule deer, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) released its Mule Deer Community Conversations Public Meeting Analysis outlining key concerns for mule deer management.
The WGFD held 37 Mule Deer Community Conversations from August 2024 through December 2024 across the state. On Dec. 2, the Jackson community had the opportunity to address factors affecting mule deer populations during a WGFD public meeting at Teton County Library.
“These community conversations provided an excellent opportunity for the public to discuss the challenges facing Wyoming’s mule deer,” WGFD Deputy Wildlife Chief Justin Binfet said via press release. “Mule deer face significant issues, from habitat loss to chronic wasting disease. Given the unfortunate declines observed in mule deer statewide, and in the West, we also wanted to check in with the public to gauge their preferences for how to set mule deer hunting seasons going forward.”
The report states that at the Jackson meeting, there was a “strong emphasis on doing ‘whatever it takes’ to help mule deer recover quickly, both in the short and long term.”
Jackson residents shared suggestions for deer feeding, hunting, habitat management and chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing, per the community report. The Jackson meeting highlighted the importance of habitat and reproduction for mule deer survival, calling on projects to aid in fattening mule deer in summer and surviving winters.
According to the meeting analysis, Jackson attendees expressed concerns about hunting pressure and also proposed limiting quotas and changes to season opening and closing dates during difficult winters. There was notable interest in learning from other states’ hunting regulations to potentially apply similar measures for conservation benefits. Jackson community members also focused on increasing predator hunting quotes to reduce predation impacts on deer.
The WGFD wrote in the meeting analysis that the Jackson discussion included the removal of antler point restrictions exemptions for youth, mandatory harvest reporting, choosing weapon types to possibly reduce hunting efficiency and ending long-range shooting to promote fair chase ethics.
The WGFD wrote that there was also a significant discussion on CWD, with demands for updated statistics, mandatory testing and education on carcass disposal to manage the disease.
Elsewhere in the state, residents expressed concerns over issues including cheatgrass, overgrazing by livestock, forest management, fencing and more.
A full summary of each region’s key concerns and feedback can be found in the Mule Deer Community Conversations Public Meeting Analysis.
