Five years of comprehensive research into why mule deer populations have declined dramatically over the past few decades is nearing the finish line.
(Little Mountain Fawn photo above from the Monteith Shop website)
About the D.E.E.R. project, from the Monteith Shop website:
https://wyocoopunit.org/projects/deer-elk-ecology-research-project
The Rock Springs area in southwest Wyoming “harbors some of the most sought after mule deer and elk hunting in the state of Wyoming. While elk have been above desired levels during most of the last 2 decades, the mule deer population remains about half of the desired population level.
In an effort to address the underlying reasons for failed growth of this and other mule deer populations in the West, a non-profit organization (Muley Fanatic Foundation), a management agency (Wyoming Game and Fish Department), and a research entity (Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) have formed a key partnership to conceive and execute the Deer-Elk Ecology Research (DEER) Project.
The goal of the project is to identify the factors regulating growth and distribution of mule deer in this high-desert ecosystem, while simultaneously developing a better understanding of the ecology of elk and their interactions with mule deer.”