North Dakota Mule Deer Survey 2022

Mule Deer

In May 2022, the North Dakota Game and Fish  Department (NDGFD) completed its annual spring mule deer survey.

Results of the survey indicate western North Dakota’s mule deer population is 13% higher than last year and 34% above the long-term average.

Biologists counted 2,923 mule deer in 298.8 square miles during this year’s survey. The overall mule deer density in the badlands was 9.8 deer per square mile.

According to big game management supervisor Bruce Stillings, the 2022 spring survey was the longest on record due to two April blizzards. The blizzards produced approximately 40 inches of snow with high winds and low temperatures.

The spring mule deer survey is used to assess mule deer abundance in the badlands. It is conducted after the snow has melted and before trees begin to leaf out, providing the best conditions for aerial observation of deer. Biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 study areas since the 1950s.

Mule Deer Facts

Mule average about 39 inches at the shoulder.

Bucks weigh from 125 to 330 pounds.

Does weigh 110 to 210 pounds.

Mule deer are reddish-brown in summer and blue-gray in winter, with white throat, belly and rump patch. Their tails are slender and white, with a black tip.

Mule deer bucks have antlers. Main beams divide into nearly equal branches, and may divide again to form four or more tines on each side.

Mule deer tracks are slightly larger in front with a walking stride of 15 to 25 inches.

Preferred habitats include brush plains, shortgrass prairie; they are often associated with buttes, badlands, and rough terrain.

Mule deer feed on a variety of trees, shrubs, and forbs including green ash, aspen, sweetclover, and sagebrush. When available, they also eat grass species, alfalfa, and other agricultural crops.

Their primarily range includes the badlands adjacent to the Little Missouri River. Secondary range extending north and east to the breaks along the Missouri River.

Breeding peaks in mid-November, with bucks tending one doe at a time. No permanent pair bonds.

The gestation period of mule deer is around 204 days.

One to three fawns are born late May to late June and weigh about 8 pounds. Fawns have a reddish-brown coat with white spots on back.

Mule deer are most active at dawn and dusk. Does often socialize in small groups with related females from several generations. Outside of the breeding season, bucks usually alone or in small bachelor groups.

When alarmed, mule deer often flee with a bouncing gait called “stotting.” 

Mule deer got their name because of their large ears.

source: North Dakota Game and Fish Department

Colorado Big Game Hunting Opportunities

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has released statistics from the 2010 big game hunting seasons in the state.

"Hunters will continue to see great chances to get in the field in Colorado and access our world-renowned herds," said Tom Remington, Director of the Division of Wildlife.

The 2010 season was highlighted by a record-setting harvest of pronghorn. With recent expansion of access to licenses and lands, hunters statewide harvested a record 12,301 pronghorn during the 2010 seasons. The season beat the previous record of 10,941, set in 2009.

Colorado's most important attraction for big game hunters continues to be elk hunting with more than 214,000 elk hunters in the field last fall. Elk hunters experienced a 22 percent success rate, harvesting 48,018 elk.

Bull elk harvest continues to be available in both the limited seasons and the over-the-counter seasons with the harvest split almost equally between the two license types. Colorado is the only state to offer an unlimited, over-the-counter bull elk tag during the second and third rifle seasons.

Now the elk hunting capital of the world, long-time hunters in Colorado will remember the days when the state was renowned for mule deer hunting and those opportunities appear to be returning. The 2010 harvest of 34,768 was up slightly from the previous year total of 33,922.

Colorado has an estimated 460,650 deer, 287,270 elk and 76,710 pronghorn, making it a top hunting destination. With more than 23 million acres of public land, the state draws hundreds of thousands of hunters every fall, contributing more than $300 million direct dollars into the Colorado economy.

Because of the large number of big game hunters in the state, the Division of Wildlife does not require hunters to report harvest on most species instead the agency utilizes phone and on-line surveys to establish harvest estimates. The statistics are extensively validated and audits have shown that the process is quite accurate.

Harvest stats from 2010 can be found at the Division of Wildlife webpage at: http://wildlife.state.co.us/hunting/biggame/statistics/.

source: Colorado Division of Wildlife