On the low-elevation side of things, Wyoming mule deer are definitely feeling the effects of drought. However, with the exception of the Cokeville/Kemmerer area in the western part of the state, animals enjoyed what Obrecht describes as a "cakewalk winter." Although ranchers and game managers would love to see a heavy snow season to replenish ground moisture, the last several winters have been dry and open. Even though deer have entered the cold months in relatively poor shape, numbers have remained remarkably good thanks to the easy winters.

Nonetheless, hunters can expect to find fewer deer in the northeastern country around Gillette where Obrecht reports "numbers have declined." He's quick to point out that "it's still very productive country" and that the Game & Fish Department is actually looking to keep harvest levels in the area up to match the deer population to current habitat conditions. When moisture and forage bounce back, deer herds tend to rebound more quickly if they contain fewer numbers of healthy animals rather than higher numbers that are stressed.

Although not necessarily triggered by low overall numbers, mule deer antler-point restrictions will greet Cowboy State hunters in several units this year. Units that will enter the restricted ranks this year are areas 163 and 169 (southwest of Kaycee) and areas 91-97 in the Sweetwater River (Lander) area. Management officials don't see the restrictions as permanent changes motivated by trophy hunting, but are instead trying to increase buck-to-doe ratios in the areas to bolster reproduction.

Speaking of reproduction, no one in wildlife management questions the reproductive capacity of white-tailed deer. "Whitetails are faring well overall," says Obrecht, "but not everyone likes that. Most non-resident hunters want mule deer." Like them or not, whitetails seem to be everywhere on the east slope of the Bighorns around Sheridan and Buffalo where managers are hoping to increase the harvest on antlerless deer. Hunters seeking a change of pace from the mule deer scene or simply seeking to put up a supply of winter meat will find great hunting for whitetails this season in the Bighorn foothills and all across the eastern third of the state.

IDAHO
Is the glass half-full or half-empty? For Idaho mule deer hunters, it's largely a matter of how one interprets statistics.

If you'd like it half-empty, dwell on the fact that the long-term trend for mule deer populations continues to slide. If you'd like it half-full, consider that deer of the long-eared variety are actually more numerous in some places than they were a few years ago.

For the short-term at least, Brad Compton, Idaho's state big game manager, is optimistic about mule deer hunting. "Our 2004 harvest was up over 2003," he points out. "We took about 28,500 mule deer statewide in 2004. This season I wouldn't be surprised to see the harvest top 30,000."

What's the reason behind Compton's optimism? In large measure, it's due to the extremely mild winter that brought mule deer to the spring in great shape. "Although the 50 percent snowpack in most places isn't helping the moisture situation, it did allow us to set records for mule deer fawn survival in the '04-'05 winter." Come fall, those fawns will be bouncing the coulees as yearling bucks and does -- tender winter meat for the freezer and bountiful opportunities for youthful hunters to enjoy a first big-game kill.

Of course, not all Idaho mule deer are flourishing. Compton notes that drought has taken a toll on the extreme southeastern corner of the state (Bear Lake region). Hunters will likely find fewer deer in southeastern units this season, a phenomenon that will also occur in many of the more arid regions all across the southern third of the state.