GREEN RIVER - Southwest Wyoming's energy boom has resulted in a lot of new workers and families moving into Lincoln County. It has brought a lot of new hunters to the community as well.

Too many hunters using general licenses has resulted in the overharvest of the southern portion of the approximately 30,000-animal Wyoming Range mule deer herd, particularly in hunt areas 134 and 135 near Kemmerer, a longtime area hunter is charging.

Jack Hone says it's time to institute a limited-quota hunting season for the two popular areas.

He and other local hunters are seeking signatures on a petition that asks the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to consider a limited-quota season for the 2005 hunting season.

"With the expected population increases in southwest Wyoming due to the energy boom, limited-quota licenses are essential in preventing the decimation of remaining mule deer herds," Hone said in a phone interview.

"The habitat in which these deer live is way too accessible now to allow general hunting permits any longer… This is a very serious situation," Hone said. "If we don't do this, I don't think there's any hope for those deer herds."

Game and Fish biologists agreed that deer numbers have been down the last few years in the two hunt areas, but said the current conservative hunting season - just eight days last year - should allow for herd growth.

Wildlife managers said many residents have objected to having a limited-quota season in the hunt areas because it would reduce opportunity for residents and younger hunters.

Hunt areas 134 and 135 comprise a good portion of the Wyoming Range mule deer herd unit. The two hunt areas are located north of Kemmerer and stretch north past Cokeville along the Wyoming Range.

Kemmerer is the county seat for Lincoln County, which is located in western Wyoming next to the Wyoming/Idaho border.

Limited-quota areas have been established for all big game species in Wyoming, but the state's most popular big game animals, deer and elk, have areas for both general and limited-quota license holders.

When an area goes limited quota, it is normally to preserve the quality of hunting within that area and to spread out the hunting pressure, officials said.

Most current elk and deer limited-quota areas are fairly easy to hunt and are located close to population centers.

Before any area can be converted from general to limited quota, public desires, habitat conditions and population objectives are considered, and the proposal is taken out for public meetings. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has the final season-setting authority.

Thirty bucks per hundred

Game and Fish has set a population objective of 50,000 animals for the Wyoming Range herd unit, but the agency estimated in 2004 the population at about 31,000 mule deer, according to department figures.

Last fall, the commission approved an eight-day, general-licenses hunting season for hunt areas 134 and 135.

Game and Fish wildlife biologist Ron Lockwood said in a phone interview the department is proposing a nine-day season this year. The agency is in the process of holding season-setting public meetings across the state and will forward its recommendations to the commission April 26 for final approval.

Hone, a lifelong hunter, said he's reluctant to hunt in the two areas because there are too many hunters and too few deer. He said energy development is putting increased pressure on the herds, even with a shortened season in the past couple of years.

"If we don't prevent this overhunting, there's no hope for the future," Hone said.

Lockwood said numbers in the herd are down, and "we're certainly sensitive to his concerns, but we don't know that it warrants limited quota right now."

He said the area around Cokeville experienced a severe winter, but the conservative hunting season should allow for herd growth.

Lockwood noted that limited quota is often proposed for areas that have severely reduced numbers of bucks or bulls.

"We're running over 30 bucks per hundred right now in those herds… I haven't really compared it to other areas in the state, but there have been some nice buck deer taken out of there," he said.

Lockwood said the Wyoming Range mule deer herd is extremely popular with hunters and would be an "extremely difficult draw" if the area ever went limited quota.

"We went to the Cokeville meeting the other night, and most folks there were very opposed to limited quota," he said. "It's always an option on the table … but I sure would hate to see us, for example, limit the opportunity for children to hunt in the area."

Kemmerer-area deer herds

The Wyoming Range mule deer herd unit includes hunt areas 134, 135, 143, 144, 145 and 147 in western Wyoming. The Game and Fish Commission has established a herd objective of 50,000 animals for the unit.

1998-02 average 2003 2004

Population 33,890 33,054 30,140

Harvest 2,732 2,585 2,460 (estimated)

Hunters 6,954 6,697 6,483 (estimated)

Success 39% 39% 38% (estimated)

Recreation days 38,893 36,962 37,302 (estimated)

Source: Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at (307) 875-5359 or at gearino@trib.com.