By Nick Simonson

While the numbers of mule deer are down in North Dakota, with the western third of the state representing the edge of the species’ northeastern boundary, the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) has been hard at work to help improve habitat conditions and increase access for hunters in the Peace Garden State over the past year, according to David Stockdill, MDF Regional Representative for ND and MN. 

“Locally, the biggest thing we’ve got going on right now is the execution of an Outdoor Heritage Fund grant that we were awarded last year, and that’s a big game connectivity grant. Really what that means for us, is it has to do with fencing and in places where we can take out fencing we do and it’s a deal where replacement fencing has to go in, we mandate it’s wildlife friendly,” Stockdill explains of MDF’s efforts, adding, “it helps reduce habitat fragmentation, it helps reduce loss of animals that get caught up in those fences, and it’s big game as a whole, and so not only does it help our mule deer, but also our antelope, our elk and the handful of bighorns we have out there.”

Uniquely positioned in North Dakota to help support more access through the state’s Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program, MDF has an expanded focus which helps incentivize landowners and operators to provide more acres for hunters to explore in the western reaches of the state where mule deer are more common.  This coupled with projects that improve working lands for wildlife has helped provide better access to improved habitat through the organization’s efforts.

“In North Dakota the biggest thing we’re doing is our involvement with North Dakota’s PLOTS program.  We currently support over 43,000 acres with topper payments to keep those private landowners enrolled in the program and allowing walk-in access on their properties. So that’s probably the biggest program nationwide as far as access-focused. Most of our projects have to do more so with habitat, and so in North Dakota we’re lucky to be involved on the access side of the house as well,” Stockdill explains.

Currently, mule deer herds are fair to below average in number in western North Dakota as a result of lower habitat and a challenging winter in 2022-23 which saw increased mortality in the animals and a spring that produced a record low number of fawns according to North Dakota Game & Fish Department surveys.  However, populations remain huntable throughout the region and hunters who drew a tag for this year’s firearms season, which wraps on Sun. Nov. 23, are finding success in the field with a bit of work.

“Our biggest indicator coming into the season was spring surveys. Most surveys, as most people were probably tracking, were down from the prior year; down about 12 percent.  But there’s definitely still some deer out there on the landscape. Maybe not so much what you would see in the traditional badlands units, but once you get outside those units, people are still seeing some deer with good size structure,” Stockdill details of populations of mule deer as they came into November.

More information on the Mule Deer Foundation, articles on mule deer hunting, and information about the organization’s work on habitat and access throughout the animals’ range can be found at muledeer.org.

Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.

Featured Photo: Taking a Peek.  A mule deer doe pauses behind some cover to inspect the situation. Currently populations of these deer in the western third are doing slightly better outside of the badlands areas normally associated with the species. Simonson Photo.