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Mule Deer Numbers Declining in Montana

By Beacon Staff

GREAT FALLS – Officials with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department say mule deer numbers are on the decline.

Biologists say a decade or more of drought and winter-like storms that occurred last spring took a toll on mule deer fawns. The decline is cyclical, however, and game managers expect the deer herds to rebound in the next three or four years.

Still, the department says hunters will likely face heavy restrictions on mule deer harvest for the next two years. The restrictions could include limiting some hunts to whitetail or antlered mule deer only.

The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is expected to adopt final hunting regulations next month.