Mule Deer Declines Spark New Program

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is implementing a number of new research projects, including one aimed at examining the affects of habitat restoration on mule deer within forested ecosystems.  

During the past 20 years, mule deer numbers and mule deer hunt permit tags have declined across Arizona. In fact, mule deer numbers have declined throughout the West.   The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) have established a committee to examine the mule deer decline phenomenon in the West.  The committee has identified long and short-term habitat changes, along with changes in climate, differences in nutrition, predation, competition, and herd health are factors that affect mule deer populations.

  Because climate and weather influences habitat, and habitat in turn influences nutrition, predation and herd health, the Arizona Game and Fish proposed examining the effects that habitat restoration efforts have on mule deer populations within forested ecosystems in northern Arizona. 

  The Game and Fish Commission has approved the department implementing the mule deer research effort, along with a number of other new research projects as well. The department is also initiating research projects on Gould’s turkeys, scaled quail, Apache trout, walleye and crappie.