Compton notes that mule deer herds throughout southwest units are on an upward trend in terms of quantity and quality, and a new whitetail-only tag is available for a late-season hunt. Also new for the 2005 season is a single deer-season opener--set for Oct. 10--in effect for all units not in a wilderness area.

Nevada
A high fawn survival rate looks good for herd numbers.
By all indications, deer hunters will enjoy one of their best seasons in years. Statewide, fawn recruitment levels remain below long-term historic averages, but biologists note they showed a slight increase during the spring 2005 survey.

Especially encouraging was the fawn survival rate in northwestern units, which have been hardest hit by drought in recent years. Northeastern units received significant amounts of precipitation throughout the past year, and their population increases should reflect that.

Utah
Mild winters, wet weather help deer numbers climb.
Game managers are encouraged by the size of the deer populations. "Wetter weather the past couple of years has improved habitat for deer, and the numbers of fawns that are making it to adulthood has increased during that time," says the state's Jim Karpowitz. "Also, with the exception of parts of Cache and Rich counties, this past winter was ideal for deer across the state."

Karpowitz notes that last fall's deer totals increased almost 20,000 over 2003 figures. However, 475 fewer antlerless deer tags will be allotted this year, and 20 percent of them have been set aside for hunters 18 years of age or younger.

Wyoming
New four-point minimum antlers restrictions applied.
Wyoming's deer herds have held up surprisingly well. The state's Jay Lawson says greater amounts of spring moisture have promoted forage production and brought some drought relief. Platte Valley and Carbon County in southcentral Wyoming should again produce more than their share of trophy deer.

A few four-point-minimum restrictions have been applied to units in which buck/doe ratios have fallen below objectives, but Lawson says they would prefer not to leave the restrictions in place for too long.

Efforts to recruit younger bucks into the population are underway in Cody and Wind River units, but Lawson cautions that a preference point system for deer, elk and antelope will take effect in 2006 and urges hunters to apply and get in on the ground floor.

On the whitetail front, Region A's population is up considerably.

Oregon
A wet fall and mild winter help boost blacktail and mulie numbers.
A warm, wet fall left plenty of forage for the mild winter and rainy spring that followed. As a result, mule deer in the east and blacktails in the west should be plentiful this season, reports the state's Tom Thornton.

The 66,000 mulie tags allotted this year reflect a slight increase over past years. And western Oregon's blacktails "are consistently there," says Thornton. In fact, last year hunters recorded about a 6 percent jump in the success rate--the first in years.

A new opportunity is being opened in the Roseburg area, where 20 tags have been allotted for a Columbian whitetail hunt.

Other Highlights
A relatively mild winter in Alaska bodes well for deer populations, especially on Kodiak Island, where mortality rates dropped below average. Arizona also appear to be riding an upswing in deer numbers and has allotted 1,920 more tags for 2005-'06. Judging by the balance between fawn crops and harvest, Hawaii's deer population is holding stable, according to the state's Ed Johnson. Hunters on Kauai may now take three blacktails--one with each weapon. Back-to-back years of plentiful rain and high fawn survival mean New Mexico hunters should find something to shoot at this year. "We don't have official stats from the past winter, but we're seeing a lot more fawns in the crop," said the state's Barry Hale. The best spots will be in the northeast and northcentral units.