Mule Deer Fanatic

Combination Hunting & Fishing ……………………………..$199.75
Hunting ………………………………………………………………….. $141.50
Archery Permit …………………………………………………………..$18.25
Muzzleloader Permit ………………………………………………….$18.25
Deer (Regular or White-tailed) ……………………………… $258.50
Southeast Deer Tag …………………………………………………$258.50
Controlled Hunt Application …………………………………………$6.25
Controlled Hunt Permit ………………………………………………..$7.75

Deer Tag (controlled hunt)………………………………………..$266.25

Click these links for maps:

Southwest

Magic Valley

Southeast

Upper Snake

Salmon

Dates:
• Deer, elk, pronghorn, and fall black bear: May 1—June 5.

Nonresident Permit Limitations:
In controlled hunts with ten or fewer permits, not more than one nonresident
permit may be issued. In controlled hunts with more than 10
permits, EXCEPT unlimited controlled hunts, not more than
10 percent (not a guaranteed 10 percent) of the permits may
be issued to nonresidents. NOTE: If a resident applies for a
controlled hunt on a group application with a nonresident, and
the 10 percent nonresident limitation is met, rejection of the
nonresident on the application will also result in rejection of any
residents on that application.

You may apply for a Regular Controlled Hunt and send
in a second Controlled Hunt application for an X hunt.
Hunters also may buy a general deer and elk tag, and
apply for an X hunt. If you draw a permit for an X hunt,
you could harvest a deer or elk during the general
season and then harvest a second deer or elk in the
extra Controlled Hunt.

Drawing Results:
It is your responsibility to find out
if you were successful in drawing a controlled hunt permit.
Results will be available July 10 on the IDFG Internet site,
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.

Drawing Results:
All successful applicants, except
those applying for spring black bear hunts and turkey, will be
notified by mail at their mailing address listed on their hunting
license by July 10. Results will also be available at that time
on the IDFG Internet site, http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.
Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified.

UNCLAIMED PERMITS
Successful applicants for deer, elk, fall black bear, or
pronghorn controlled hunts must pick up their controlled hunt
permit and tag not later than August 1, 2007. All deer, elk, or
pronghorn controlled hunt permits and tags not picked up by
August 1, 2007 will be entered into a second controlled hunt
drawing (see page 21).

Why do we need the Mule Deer Initiative?
Mule deer are an important wildlife resource to
Idaho’s hunters and citizens. Southern and eastern Idaho
have traditionally been well known for abundant mule
deer populations providing plenty of hunting opportunity
and big bucks. Since 1992, mule deer populations in
portions of eastern, southeastern, and south-central
Idaho are lower than desired by both Department
biologists and hunters. The Department plans to
intensively manage deer to increase the number of mule
deer and increase the proportion of mature bucks.
is no single solution. The Mule Deer Initiative includes
habitat improvement projects, population management,
stepped up enforcement efforts, predator control, access
management, and public involvement – all in an effort to
increase mule deer recruitment and survival, increase
hunter satisfaction, and protect and improve habitat.

What is being done?
Habitat loss, predators, drought, changes in
hunting technique, and access are just some of the
factors influencing mule deer populations and the
hunting experience. Deer managers have no control
over weather, climate, and human population growth.
However, there is opportunity for deer managers to
improve existing habitat, reduce the impact of predators,
reduce elk occupation of important deer habitats, and
implement hunting season and rule changes to improve
mule deer hunter experience. Just as there is no single
reason for the decline in mule deer across the west, there
deer in Idaho.

Where can I find out more?
Visit the Idaho Fish and Game website at
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/mdi for more information

NONRESIDENT DEER TAG – USE FOR
BLACK BEAR OR MOUNTAIN LION

Nonresident deer tags, EXCLUDING Nonresident
Junior Mentored deer tags, are valid to take a black bear
or mountain lion instead of a deer where and when the
deer tag is valid, and there is an open deer season in
that unit; and there is also an open bear season if taking
a bear or open mountain lion season if taking a lion in
that same unit. Hunters may buy other bear or lion tags,
but after the deer tag is used to harvest a deer, black
bear, or mountain lion, a second deer tag may not be
purchased, except to hunt in an area where the harvest
of two deer is allowed, or by purchasing a leftover
nonresident deer tag when available.

WYOMING’S POPULAR MULE DEER

10/27/2006

– This fall, Wyoming’s estimated 480,000 mule deer will attract around 63,000 hunters from places as local and colorful as Point of Rocks to as international and historic as Munich, and a multitude of places in between.

This large-eared symbol of the West lures hunters in all sizes, many nationalities and both genders. Mule deer accommodate hunters in open country and rugged mountains and with better than every other hunter bringing one home, the mule deer is truly an equal opportunity big game animal.

Not as large or prone to seek thick timber as elk, but then not as visible as antelope, the mule deer over the years has been the state’s most popular game animal. But in his book, “The Mule Deer of Wyoming,” Neal Blair wrote from studying the diaries of Wyoming’s early trappers and explorers that mule deer were an infrequent sight in the 1800s and the men subsisted mainly on antelope, bison and bear with deer a rare camp meat entry.

Although the trickle of early travelers reported few deer, the herd now attracts a legion of repeat customers that rank Wyoming’s mule deer hunting as some of the nation’s best.

Nonresidents migrate here by all modes of transportation from private plane to buses or motor homes customized expressly for hunting. Because their home territory usually either offers only whitetails or limited mule deer opportunity, they come to hunt in the stirring setting of forested peaks, sagebrush canyons and rocky outcrops. For others, the $273 nonresident license and the expense to get here are bargains for an opportunity to hunt good habitat, compared to the cost of buying a private lease in their home state.

Here at home, some school districts traditionally close their doors the first couple days of deer season to allow the kids to follow their elders into the golden aspen in search of some winter meat.

To locals and migrants alike, the quest for delicious venison or an exalted rack and the abundance of animals in a variety of settings induces hunters to inject over $28 million into the state’s economy in pursuit of a mulie.

In September, mule deer swap their brown summer coat for the gray of winter and the bucks polish the last velvet off their antlers. After most seasons end, the bucks’ necks swell for the rut as thoughts turn to propagating the species. Unlike elk, buck mule deer don’t establish a harem but rather “play the field” with their polygamous breeding activity hitting a peak in late November. Although up to 28,000 bucks were harvested prior to then, enough remain that any barren does are likely the result of physiological problems.

Rut is a stressful period for bucks. They fight between themselves, nearly quit eating and about the time they’ve recovered it’s time to contend with winter.

Deer spend the spring and summer gorging themselves to accumulate energy reserves in preparation for the ominous season. To cope, deer migrate to lower elevations where sagebrush, mountain mahogany and bitterbrush extend above the snowpack to provide winter browse.

The availability of good winter range can make or break a mule deer herd. A herd is better off entering winter with slightly fewer members than the winter range can support so the habitat is not severely abused. In the event of a severe winter like 1983-84 or 1992-93, deer on good winter range make it through in better condition and their fawn crop is not severely diminished.

Bucks begin dropping antlers in January and the whole herd is bald by April. Mule deer have forked branches on their antlers contrasting with whitetails where all points come off the main beams.

The does’ seven-month gestation period generally ends the first two weeks of June. The first pregnancy typically produces a single fawn with twins the norm in following years.

With white spots their first 5-10 weeks, fawns are a thrilling sight for summer tourists. A doe with trailing fawns strolling naively along has been the highlight of many a family camping trip.

Deer and other big game in Wyoming are managed on the “herd,” or population, concept. A herd is a distinct population of deer, which keeps to itself, engaging in very little breeding or interchange with neighboring deer herds. Individual herds tend to remain in certain geographic regions (although the regions can be quite large) and use traditional fawning, summer and winter habitat from year to year. The populations of Wyoming’s 39 herds range from 500 in the Chain Lakes or Shoshone River herds to 58,000 in the Powder River Herd.

“Across the West and in Wyoming, mule deer numbers have declined since the ‘good old days’ of the ‘50s and ‘60s for a variety of reasons,” said Daryl Lutz, chairman of the Game and Fish’s Mule Deer Working Group. “The most recent decline took place during the early 1990s due primarily to the combined effects of drought and severe winters. Unlike declines and recoveries in the past fawn productivity and survival have remained at depressed levels. These, relatively low recruitment levels in concert with the harder winters ’92-93 and 2001-02 and several dry summers have resulted in mule deer populations remaining lower than the department and public desire.”

Of the continent’s 11 mule deer sub-species, the Rocky Mountain mule deer which inhabits Wyoming has the widest geographical distribution and a population larger than all of the other subspecies combined.

(contact: Daryl Lutz (307) 473-3400 or Jeff Obrecht)

-WGFD-

ANTLER PICK-UP PROTOCOL CLARIFIED BY G&F

1/27/2007

CODY – In the Cody area alone, wildlife officials know that at least two bull elk and three mule deer were poached last winter and one deer this winter – not because someone needed the meat – but because someone wanted their antlers.

These incidents have prompted the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to reconsider how they enforce the laws in issuing an Interstate Game Tag, the tag required to possess certain wildlife parts.

“When someone finds a dead buck deer or bull elk in the field, they have stumbled upon a potential crime scene,” said the Game and Fish’s Cody Region Wildlife Supervisor Gary Brown. “If that same individual cuts the head off of the carcass before notifying us of their discovery, the crime scene is compromised and our chance of apprehending the poacher or poachers is lessened.”

According to Brown, protecting wildlife is a high priority. “Our job is to enforce the laws and regulations that protect our wildlife resource and we have a responsibility to investigate the illegal killing of our game animals,” he said. “Of course, not every dead buck or bull found in the field has been poached. Predation, disease, weather and old age also kill animals.”

When someone finds a skull with attached antlers they must contact a Wyoming Game and Fish Department law enforcement officer as soon as possible and arrangements must be made to game tag the antlers. This same procedure applies to road-killed animals.

According to Brown, the “soon as possible” reference means just that. “With the advent of cell phones, soon as possible will be immediate in some cases and in others, contact should be made as soon as a public telephone or cell phone service is available,” Brown said. “Failing to notify us is a violation we will strictly enforce.

“Once we have been contacted and obtain detailed information regarding the dead animal and its location, it is possible that the person who found the skull will be allowed to bring it in and have it properly tagged. If we feel it may have been poached, we will investigate.”

If illegal activity is suspected the Game and Fish will likely retain the antlers.

Naturally shed antlers and antelope horns do not require Wyoming Interstate Game Tags nor does the department need to be notified when they are found. All bighorn sheep horns picked up must be reported to the Game and Fish within 15 days for registration, plugging and interstate game tagging.

There are no antler hunting seasons in Wyoming however, the Game and Fish urges all antler hunters to avoid moving elk and deer while they are on their winter ranges, especially when deep snows or cold temperatures persist. Some Game and Fish and U.S. Forest Service winter range areas are closed to all human activity during the winter period.

For more information about winter range areas or the proper procedure for tagging or plugging pick-up skulls contact your local game warden or nearest Game and Fish regional office.

-WGFD-

Sorry, the NDOW no longer publishes the records

Click Here

This map will give you a good start if you are looking to hunt Mule Deer in Colorado.

CLICK: COLORADO MAP