Mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) populations across the west have fluctuated greatly, and many have experienced declines since the 1990S, including those on UTE mountain UTE tribal lands

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe received a $199,968 Project Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Tribal Wildlife Grants program (CFDA 15.639) beginning October 1, 2025, and concluding October 1, 2027. The grant funds a two-year mule deer population study employing multiple methodologies including aerial surveys, camera trap monitoring, pedestrian surveys, and analysis of long-term hunting permit data. The tribe will deliver annual monitoring reports to the Tribal Council and Hunting Commission to inform decisions on hunting season dates and permit allocations. Additionally, the grant supports capacity building through professional memberships and training events for tribal wildlife staff, enhancing the tribe's technical expertise in wildlife management.

Upon completion of the two-year study, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe will synthesize survey results with findings from its chronic wasting disease program, interviews with traditional ecologists, and stakeholder input into a comprehensive five-year mule deer herd management plan. This comprehensive deliverable will integrate traditional ecological knowledge with scientific data to enable tribal self-sufficiency in managing wildlife resources on tribal lands in Colorado. The project directly addresses documented population fluctuations and declines in mule deer herds since the 1990s while supporting the tribe's cultural conservation objectives for this traditionally important species.

Mule deer are a culturally valued wildlife resource to the UTE mountain UTE people, and tribal members would like to see their populations stabilize or increase. Lacking resources, UTE mountain UTE wildlife managers have been unable to perform population assessments or track their seasonal movements on tribal lands. The tribe is proposing to study deer populations through aerial, camera trap, and pedestrian surveys, as well as analysis of long-term hunting permit data. Annual monitoring reports will be presented at public meetings with tribal council and hunting commission as they make important decisions on hunting season dates and permit numbers. The results of the two-year study will be combined with results from the tribes ongoing chronic wasting disease program, interviews with traditional ecologists and comments from stakeholders into a five-year mule deer herd management plan. This project will also build capacity through professional memberships and training events for tribal staff. The objective of this project is to create self-sufficiency for the tribe to manage its wildlife resources through the lenses of traditional ecological knowledge and science.