6 of 7 Wyoming Big Game Species Below Objective

[highfastflyer]

A review of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department 2020 Job Completion Reports found that while Elk numbers overall are strong in the state, Mountain Goat, Moose, Mule Deer, Antelope, Bison and Bighorn Sheep numbers are all below the department's statewide population objectives:

• Elk - 27.1% above objective
• Mountain Goat - 37.7% below objective
• Moose- 34.4% below objective
• Mule Deer -29.8% below objective
• Pronghorn Antelope - 13.3% below objective
• Bison -11.4 below objective
• Bighorn Sheep - 4.6% below objective

Below Map of 2020 Wyoming Mule Deer populations by hunt area. Red, below and green, above G&F population objective. Purple = no population data provided. Mule Deer are below population objective in 118 of the 125 hunt areas in Wyoming. Moose and Mule Deer numbers are alarming, and even Antelope - Wyoming's most populous big game animal - are in trouble.

6 of 7 Wyoming Big Game Species Currently Below Statewide Population Objective. Low Moose and Mule Deer Populations Are Alarming. Antelope are in Trouble. — 307Hunter.com

A review of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department 2020 Job Completion Reports found that while Elk numbers overall are strong in the state, Mountain Goat, Moose, Mule Deer, Antelope, Bison and Bighorn Sheep numbers are all below the department's statewide population objectives: E

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[HiMtnHntr]

From what I have seen, antelope numbers are a lot worse than what the above percentage indicates.

 

[elks96]

I am calling BS on 100 and &2 being above objective. Especially in 100. The deer numbers in 100 are currently worse than I have seen them in the last 20 years…

eother they changed the objective numbers or years ago the herds in 100 were 3-4 times the objective…

 

[highfastflyer]

I am calling BS on 100 and &2 being above objective. Especially in 100. The deer numbers in 100 are currently worse than I have seen them in the last 20 years…

eother they changed the objective numbers or years ago the herds in 100 were 3-4 times the objective…

Just reviewing the JCR it shows the herd basically right at objective not really above it but right at the stated objective. The 2 bad winters in the past 5 years didn’t affect 82 deer as much as other areas of the state and fawn recruitment was a whopping 74 fawns per 100 does so super high fawn recruitment in 2020 will result in lots of yearling bucks this year but it now has the APR in place. Area 100 is probably greatly reduced due to the drought but gets lumped in with 82, 84 and 100 all in the Baggs herd. You are probably correct in that herd like many others has had the objective lowered over the years as the elk herds grow and drought persists.

 

[nfh]

Mnt goats below???????. Area 3 is loaded. Heck didnt they try to gun some down in 4a/4b area..

That 37 percent below suproses me

 

[highfastflyer]

Mnt goats below???????. Area 3 is loaded. Heck didnt they try to gun some down in 4a/4b area..

That 37 percent below suproses me

Yes area 3 is the only herd doing well. Area 1 and 2 are suffering from low kid survival. Area 4 is an eradication hunt and with another year of hunting announced inside GTNP should just about annihilate that herd. The interesting thing in the slide below from the JCR shows the large growth in the Yellowstone NP goats. I can see with the success of the GTNP hunt will translate into a YNP hunt soon as the Park has stated numerous times they do not like those exotic goats.

 

[elks96]

Just reviewing the JCR it shows the herd basically right at objective not really above it but right at the stated objective. The 2 bad winters in the past 5 years didn’t affect 82 deer as much as other areas of the state and fawn recruitment was a whopping 74 fawns per 100 does so super high fawn recruitment in 2020 will result in lots of yearling bucks this year but it now has the APR in place. Area 100 is probably greatly reduced due to the drought but gets lumped in with 82, 84 and 100 all in the Baggs herd. You are probably correct in that herd like many others has had the objective lowered over the years as the elk herds grow and drought persists.

Yeah, that makes more sense. 100 deer are like most of the Desert units. It had a strong population for a bit but the double whammy of the hard winters and the drought really hammered them, In 100 the horses the last 20 years have exploded in population.

It is a shame when they group such units together when their data clearly shows that the deer are in totally separate herds and they rarely over lap. 100 deer are a different animal than 82.

 

[BPKHunter]

Have they cut back on all the resident Doe and Cow tags across the state. Always see some people bragging about how many flat-tops they get to kill each year.

 

[travishunter3006]

Have they cut back on all the resident Doe and Cow tags across the state. Always see some people bragging about how many flat-tops they get to kill each year.

Cool story

 

[Bookhead]

Have they cut back on all the resident Doe and Cow tags across the state. Always see some people bragging about how many flat-tops they get to kill each year.

Well this is hard to even comprehend as you are so ignorant to how our licensing works. There are very few if any areas where you can kill a doe mule deer as an adult, elk numbers are sky high so theres a good reason for being able to get extra cow tags and antelope doe tags were cut dramatically this year. And also as a nr you can get the same amount of tags

 

[WapitiBob]

There are very few if any areas where you can kill a doe mule deer as an adult,

yea, you might dbl check that

 

[Bookhead]

yea, you might dbl check that

Double checked. Outside of private land there are very few as stated