he Laramie Region Game and Fish wildlife staff encourages people to attend and provide comments or suggestions on this year’s proposed new herd objectives for select mule deer, pronghorn and bighorn sheep herds.
A public meeting will be held to discuss these proposals with the public. In Saratoga, the meeting begins at 6 p.m. on May 22 at Saratoga Town Hall, 110 E. Spring St.
Herd units are a grouping of hunt areas that the Game and Fish Department uses to manage big game species. Herd objectives are important to the overall management of these herds because they establish a goal that the department manages toward. Management actions are determined based on where the population is in respect to the herd objective. For example, a herd below objective will have a much more conservative season framework than one above its objective, which will have a more liberal season framework.
Herd objectives are created using biological data and public input obtained from meetings and submitted comments. Herd objectives are not populations estimates, but are population goals for the herds.
“Herd objectives are one of the most important things the public can be involved in since they dictate the future management of that herd,” says Corey Class, Laramie Regional Wildlife Coordinator.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has already solicited input from the public regarding these herd objective reviews through mail surveys and five public meetings. This public input considered in conjunction with biological data to develop the following local herd objective proposals for the eastern Carbon County area:
Platte Valley Mule Deer Herd Unit (Hunt Areas 78, 79, 80, 81, 83,161)
Proposal is to decrease the herd objective from 20,000 to 16,000 mule deer. The current population estimate for this herd is 8,700 deer.
Medicine Bow Antelope Herd Unit (Hunt Areas 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48)
Proposal is to decrease the herd objective of 60,000 to 40,000 antelope. The current population estimate for this herd is 23,000 antelope. A second proposal is to combine Hunt Areas 41 and 42 into one hunt area (Hunt Area 41).
Elk Mountain Antelope Herd Unit (Hunt Area 50)
Proposal is to maintain the herd objective of 5,000 antelope. The current population estimate for this herd is 3,900 antelope.
Big Creek Antelope Herd Unit (Hunt Area 51)
Proposal is to increase the herd objective from 600 to 800 antelope. The current population estimate for this herd is 930 antelope.
For those unable to attend the above meetings, please provide written comments no later than May 25 by mailing to the Laramie Region Office, 528 S. Adams, Laramie, WY 82070. Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected].
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