Wyoming is home to some of the greatest deer habitat anywhere in North America. From the western mountains that hold the Wyoming Range deer herds across the high deserts in the central portion of the state, to the rolling grasslands of Eastern Wyoming, the diversity is unmatched. Wyoming’s deer herd, once vast and thriving, has seen a dramatic decline in the past few decades. Statewide population estimates in 1990 were 578,000 deer, and 35 years later, that number is 276,000, according to the 2023 State Status Update. That’s more than a 50% loss of deer numbers in a 35-year span. The winter of 2022/23 was devastating to deer, especially mule deer in multiple areas across the state, but deer numbers were rapidly declining well before that monster year set things back even further.

The reasons behind this massive decline in deer numbers are several, and include drought conditions from harsh winters to severe drought, an increase in predators, disease, loss of habitat, road kills, and even over hunting/lack of management in some areas. Regardless of the exact reason for the slip in numbers, deer and especially mule deer are in bad shape in all corners of the state. However, even with all the negativity surrounding deer, there is still some good hunting opportunity for hunters to take advantage of and get out in the field. Not to mention, there are still some great bucks being harvested every year in Wyoming.

The mule deer population on the eastern side of Wyoming is in rough shape, to say the least. Between the tough winters and the stretches of drought, the deer habitat has suffered nearly as bad as the deer themselves. There were years WGFD allotted way too many tags in regions for both bucks and does that helped lead to the low populations we see now. The drought conditions on the east side of the state really affected fawn recruitment. The majority of units have a fawn to doe ratio of 52/100 or lower going into the winter months, which is way too low for the does to winter if low or enough fawns to survive to help rebuild a herd. Then add on to these numbers of EHD and CWD and you can see why mule deer populations are struggling. The controlled hunts in this part of the state are taking almost right along with the general regions. Nearly all the units, like 10, 11, 34, 87, and 89, are all still suffering and their numbers are still declining. However, there are still some good bucks being harvested in these units each year, even though they are getting fewer and farther between. A little silver lining in these difficult quota units is the lack of hunters you will have to deal with if you draw a tag. If you are looking at this part of the state for a hunt, do your research from the amount of accessible public land to tag quotas as many units have seen reductions recently, especially if you are going to go self-guided. There are plenty of opportunities for hunters wanting to go guided on this side of the state with a plethora of private ranches and outfitters available.

Western Wyoming mule deer populations have been up and down since the early 1990s. The biggest determining factor for the deer herds over the last 30+ years has always been winter range and habitat maintenance on the ranges deer inhabit during the winter months. Overgrazing, wild horses, invasive weeds, and poor maintenance of bitterbrush have all played a role in difficult for animals to find quality food in the winter. Another problem with these areas and the western side is the fact that WGFD has done nothing to limit the general hunters. Resident Wyoming can hunt all the general units for both archery and rifle seasons, putting a lot of pressure on mule deer bucks. Regions G, H, and X are doing a little better than the other regions in the west as they did not see the die-off in 2022/23. They are far from their best, but they do have more deer on the landscape now than two years ago and are hopefully keeping in numbers.

On a more positive note, Wyoming has seen two mild winters back to back now and has received some much-needed rain and green-up in recent years. If Mother Nature will keep trend up and give this country some good moisture, we will see some minor recovery in the next 3-5 years most likely, but it will take 5-10+ years with good snow and moisture to even get halfway back to numbers of 2021 deer. Hunters who are willing to work a little harder, hike a little further, and spend more time glassing will be the ones that are going to be successful this year and probably the next few years. The state has a few units that are all their prime right now, and 2023/24 did see a bunch of good bucks harvested. Some of the most impressive bucks taken this past year were in units 102, 128, and 130. As because of all the general pressure hammering all the wild units, many of the private permit deer did another five plus years to get a healthy age of mature bucks back on the landscape in many of the western regions.

Wyoming has many issues when it comes to managing mule deer in the state. The number one issue is unlimited general deer tags and no restrictions on residents. Many of the general units in the state have hit their max population when it comes to elk herds, so now the deer numbers are the significant focus. It is a real problem. Resident rifle hunters dominate the number of harvest throughout the season, and they are out hunting the resource. While many resident mule deer hunters live in every region, we see a huge rise in mule deer numbers being killed by resident hunters. Every year, resident hunters run rampant and unchecked throughout all the general areas. By state statute, the WYGF Commission cannot limit or cap the number of tags sold to residents in the general units and do not seem to want to change that anytime soon. In 2024, there were 17,451 resident hunters that killed 9,186 deer, which is about 2,500 from the 2023 season which was an all-time low. The most concerning statistic is that in 2020, Wyoming had a studied deer harvest of 41,274, and now just four years later, the estimated harvest numbers are only 26,637. It basically boils down to the fact that WGFD is more concerned about resident hunter opportunity and not upsetting the greedy residents than they are about managing and trying to bring back a once iconic deer herd. We will see what the future brings in Wyoming with a new director, but for now, the best days for those in the non-resident mirror are just a tiny speck in the rearview mirror.

To sum things up, mule deer in The Cowboy State are struggling, to say the least. With populations way below objective, poor fawn recruitment, and low buck-to-doe ratio, it can’t be considered anything but a disaster statewide at this point. WGFD has yet to devise any real solutions or plan to address the declining mule deer numbers and throw out excuses left and right whenever confronted about the problem. Mother Nature is going to have the ultimate say if mule deer bounce back to the state or not. If she can give us a few mild winters along with solid rains throughout spring and summer months, then we might, just might, have a fighting chance to restore their numbers somewhat across Wyoming. The best advice we can offer hunters applying in Wyoming for mule deer is to get out and hunt sooner than later because if the trend the last 25 years continues, you may be staring at a handful of points and no deer licenses to cash in on.

Wyoming has a fair amount of whitetail in the central and eastern portions of the state. While the majority of them reside on private land, a few can be found on public land from time to time. Hunters who are interested in hunting whitetail in Wyoming will need to do their research or secure permission on private land before obtaining their permit. We work with some great outfitters that have good whitetail leases. If you are interested in booking one of these hunts, contact us and we will put you in touch with the best in Wyoming.

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