MTFWP surveys resident deer hunters

It’s been over a decade since Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MTFWP) asked hunters to weigh in on the state’s mule deer. MTFWP conducted the first mule deer hunter survey in 12 years to “judge the hunting public’s feeling of the western wildlife icon,” according to KTVH News.

And guess what? Hunters really like hunting them.

Out of the 5,000 randomly selected resident deer license holders, MTFWP’s mail-back survey had a 41% response rate. Out of the respondents, 62% said that mule deer hunting was “one of my most important” or “my most important” activities in the Treasure State. 85% of hunters think mule deer are better than average in Montana and the opportunity to hunt big bucks “better than average.” Antlerless mule deer hunting was down, but 38% of respondents noted they were “interested” or “very interested” in the opportunity. 

The general takeaway: 75% of those who responded to the survey found that mule deer were being satisfactorily managed, which was a new question this year.

Check out the survey results here