With mule deer populations at lower numbers than before “Snow-magedon “ , I don’t understand why you have any doe seasons until the population can get their numbers up. No rancher trying to build his herd up would be sending his cows to slaughter.
Great question. We manage antlerless opportunities throughout the state based on how the mule deer populations are doing. The Fish and Game Commission has the flexibility to change doe hunting opportunities annually, and Fish and Game’s wildlife managers recommend adjusting those doe opportunities for upcoming seasons following extreme winters. Those antlerless opportunities are usually eliminated, or drastically reduced in those situations, including controlled hunts and youth hunts. In those areas where deer populations have rebounded, or are showing population-level signs of exceeding their available habitat (such as when biologists start seeing low December fawn weights), we establish antlerless hunting in an effort to help the overall deer population health by slowing its growth.