Carmichel examines a mule deer’s rack, presumably his own. The deer had disappeared over the crest of the hill. They hadn’t been alarmed, and I guessed they would stop on the other side. All I could ...

“Mule deer and whitetail deer in particular are really adaptable. If they can find their three basic life requirements, which is food, water and shelter, they can survive most places,” he said.

A herd of mule deer followed, towing a yearling fawn, and then dawn broke, and the watering hole fell to daytime visitors: quail, ravens, vultures, doves and the occasional lizard.

There are approximately 280,000 Rocky Mountain Elk and about 400,000 mule deer in Colorado, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. East of I-25, shed hunting is allowed year-round on public lands.

Roger Phillips/Idaho Fish and Game Mule deer herd By News Team April 9, 2024 10:19 AM Published April 9, 2024 10:00 AM ...

Mule deer populations briefly rose during the 1990s to almost 275,000 but then declined again after 2000. In 2022 the population estimate was 162,600 animals.