2020 Rangewide Status of Black-tailed and Mule Deer– Season 3 Episode 16 – August 17
Steve and Jodi visit with Jim Heffelfinger from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Miles Moretti, President/CEO of MDF, about the recently released 2020 Range-wide Status of Black-tailed and Mule Deer. This report produced by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (WAFWA) Mule Deer Working Group provides an overview of the current black-tailed and mule deer population status and general abundance trends. Intended for and compiled by deer experts for WAFWA’s 24 states, territorial, and provincial agencies, this report is the “state-of-the-state” update and provides important information and insight for management of deer populations. Jim and Miles explain some of the complexities and nuances of how biologists collect the information that goes into deer management decisions and how this information is meant to inform decisions and is often controversial and misunderstood. The discussion covers a few select states important for mule deer and also includes how MDF uses this information and the relationships with the state agencies to help focus our habitat work and to maximize MDF’s conservation impact for deer.