28/10/2023
I’ve taken lots of photos of lots of mule deer…but I’ll never forget this buck or the rainy November day I encountered him.
Every year it gets harder and harder to find mature bucks, especially with any consistency. Winter ranges that used to be riddled with massive herds are now almost vacant in comparison. It’s sad to see…I don’t feel like I’m old enough to admit that it’s a stark contrast to the mule deer encounters I used to enjoy even a mere ten years ago. I’m not a biologist nor am I a cervid specialist of any sort…that said, I’ve tried to spend as much time in their presence as possible. Through hunting and photography, the current landscape of what I’m seeing for our mule deer is a grim one.
Mule deer are special. They can call almost any landscape home, be it at 10,000 feet elevation or living easy in an alfalfa field. Their numbers are in decline across the west, with loss of habitat being a huge factor. Historical migration routes that once led the herds to good feed and safe living conditions during the winter months, are being infiltrated by urban sprawl in nearly every western state. Roadkill is a huge problem as well, with massive amounts of animals being lost to vehicle collisions during the fall and winter. In addition to the hand-of-man impacts on mule deer, predators are largely mismanaged and having a field day on our ungulates. Luckily, we’re still at a point where we can make decisions for the betterment of mule deer and have huge impacts on the trajectory of our herds over the next 10 years. That said, the time to act is now; get involved and make your voice heard. Mule deer are incredibly resilient and as nature has proven time and time again, fully capable of restoring itself…we just have to give them a chance.
