9th International Deer Biology Congress

AUTHORS: WAFWA Mule Deer Working Group, WAFWA Headquarters, Boise, ID; presented by Orrin Duvuvuei, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, NM

ABSTRACT: The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) established the Mule Deer Working Group (MDWG) in 1997 to address common management issues facing black-tailed and mule deer (collectively called mule deer) and to optimize cooperative research and management. The MDWG consists of a representative from all 23 western mule deer states and provinces and it was designed to (1) develop strategies to assist in management of declining mule deer populations, (2) improve communication among mule deer biologists, and (3) provide a forum to respond to information needs from agency administrations. Additionally, the group attempts to bridge the communication gap between agencies, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and citizens interested in mule deer. The group’s range-wide approach to conservation better equips mule deer biologists to face new challenges with a wider body of knowledge, helps natural resource administrators make science-based decisions, and provides up-to-date and accurate information to stakeholders.

Since inception, the MDWG has been successfully addressing concerns about mule deer that are shared among wildlife agencies in western North America. The many accomplishments of the MDWG include: a book summarizing the current knowledge, challenges, and opportunities for the important issues identified by leading mule deer experts (Mule Deer Conservation: Issues and Management Strategies 2003), a popularized version of this book for easy reading by non-biologists (Mule Deer: Changing Landscapes, Changing Perspectives), the North American Mule Deer Conservation Plan, Mule Deer Habitat Guidelines for 7 North American ecoregions, Energy Development Guidelines for Mule Deer, Methods for Monitoring Mule Deer Populations, Range-wide Status of Black-tailed and Mule Deer, Mule Deer Movement and Barriers, and a growing collection of 22 Fact Sheets addressing the most important issues facing mule deer today. The MDWG also collaborated with the WAFWA Wildlife Health Committee to publish 2 documents that address mule deer management in the face of major health concerns (Consideration of Disease Risks in Translocation of Deer by Wildlife Management Agencies and Recommendations for Adaptive Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in the West). In addition to the many published documents, the group is currently coordinating workshops to teach western state biologists how to use advanced statistical methodology to analyze GPS movement and migration data for rangewide planning and conservation decisions.

This is an opportunity to learn what the MDWG has been up to and become familiar with the tools available to help you conserve the most important member of Cervidae. All of these products are available at: www.muledeerworkinggroup.com.