Mule Deer Fanatic

Hal Sawyer of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department claims this is the largest mule deer herd anywhere. Do you believe it?

The largest herd of mule deer in the U.S. is at the Green River Valley in Wyoming. There are some 30,000 deer there.

Using GPS collars, biologist Hall Sawyer has tracked the movements of the deer herd. He’s examined how the population has performed for the past five years. His research showed that much of the herd migrates more than 50 miles between winter and summer ranges, and that drought and severe winters have claimed an estimated 20 percent of the herd.

Preserving migratory bottlenecks, minimizing habitat loss, and building wildlife-friendly fences are some ways that Sawyer said might help conserve Wyoming mule deer.