Winter losses of deer in Wyoming Range herd about normal-
By Ralph Maughan

The Wyoming Range deer herd, which is Wyoming's largest deer herd, had about normal losses this winter, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This compares to heavy deer losses in nearby southeast Idaho.

The Wyoming Range deer herd includes much of Western Wyoming, south of Jackson Hole. The current size of the herd is 45,000 to 47,000 deer. The Wyoming state goal is 50,000.

The fawn to doe ratio from 1996 through 2000 varied between 78 to 83 fawns per 100 doe, but the last year it dropped to 63 fawns per 100. Wyoming Game and Fish blamed the decline on the colder than normal winter that followed the second summer of drought.

Game and Fish said the future will be determined by precipitation this spring, but already strong dry winds have depleted much of the winter moisture.

Fawn to doe and calf to elk ratios are down throughout drought stricken Wyoming, but in areas where there are wolves, some hunter groups blame the wolves much as politicians blame forest fires in drought stricken areas on lack of logging.