Want to help increase Utah's deer population? Bring your ideas to upcoming DWR meetings

Salt Lake City — In certain parts of the state, Utah's deer populations have struggled to grow. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is holding several public meetings to better partner with the public and gather feedback and ideas about ways to help increase deer populations.

Over the past few decades, Utah has seen periods of growth and decline in deer numbers. The 2024 post-hunting season population estimate was approximately 295,200 deer — 73% of the long-term management objective of 404,900 deer.

Several factors can reduce production and survival rates of fawns and doe deer, which negatively impacts deer populations. Some of those factors include:

• Extreme weather and precipitation (ongoing drought or really heavy snowfall during the winter — both of which have occurred in the Utah in the last five years)
• Predator balance
• The quality and quantity of available habitat (which can be affected by weather as well)
• Vehicle collisions
• Fences and other deer migration disruptions

"It should be noted that harvesting buck deer does not drive deer populations," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Dax Mangus said. "That is a common misconception we hear when we make permit number recommendations each year. The most important factors that drive the number of deer are the survival rates of doe deer (since bucks don't have babies), fawn production and fawn survival over the winter. The way we hunt bucks in Utah doesn't drive deer population numbers, but what happens with deer populations drives how we hunt bucks. The purpose of these meetings is to focus more on how we grow deer, not how we hunt them."

In order to gather additional ideas and build more partnerships with organizations and communities, the DWR is holding several upcoming meetings to gather public feedback and input regarding ways to increase deer populations throughout the state. The meetings will be held on the following days and at the following locations:

• July 31 from 6-8 p.m. at Willard City Multi-Purpose Building at 80 W. 50 South in Willard
• Aug. 12 from 6-8 p.m. at the Price DWR Office at 319 N. Carbonville Road in Price
• Aug. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at The Hideout Community Center at 648 S. Hideout Way in Monticello
• Aug. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the Amber Room of the Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point at 2929 Thanksgiving Way in Lehi
• Aug. 14 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Charles R. Hunter room of the Hunter Conference Center at Southern Utah University at 351 W. University Blvd. in Cedar City
• Aug. 18 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Sevier County Administration Building, room B46, at 250 N. Main Street, Suite 101 in Richfield
• Aug. 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Ruby's Inn at 26 S. Main Street in Bryce Canyon
• Aug. 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the Roosevelt Library at 50 N. 200 West in Roosevelt
• Aug. 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the Uintah Conference Center at 313 E. 200 South in Vernal

Because hunting permits have already been allocated for this fall's hunts — and because deer hunting strategies and management are already determined by the Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan — the meeting topics will not include deer hunting strategies. Topics will include:

• Restoring deer habitat
• Focused predator control
• Water abundance and distribution
• Impacts of highways and fencing on deer
• Social tolerance of deer on private lands

"Growing more deer in Utah is one of our agency's top priorities," DWR Director Riley Peck said. "Although we have put forth a lot of effort into growing mule deer and have conducted a lot of research on what is causing declines in deer populations, this is not something we can do alone. Increasing deer populations will require strong partnerships with Utah's hunters, conservation groups, communities and more, and we are excited to work with people who want to help grow mule deer in our wonderful state. We hope you'll join us in this effort."