The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) completed 133 habitat projects during fiscal year 2025 specifically designed to benefit mule deer populations in Utah. From July 2024 to June 2025, $55 million in funding was utilized for these deer-related projects, resulting in the restoration or preservation of more than 114,277 acres across the state with support from 49 partners.
Utah's statewide deer population estimate is currently approximately 324,000. Over the last decade, these numbers have fluctuated between a low of 278,000 and a high of 374,000. To address these fluctuations, the DWR has prioritized habitat restoration to help grow deer populations.
DWR Habitat Restoration Coordinator Daniel Eddington stated that while significant progress was made in restoring winter ranges over the last 15 years, the division is now increasing efforts to restore summer and transition ranges. Eddington noted that many ecosystems providing food for deer face challenges from drought or contain older vegetation with limited nutritional value. He explained that extensive treatments are necessary to revert sagebrush habitat back to young, shrub-dominated plant communities and to restore aspen communities.
Many of these projects were managed through the DWR Habitat Council and Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative, which coordinate efforts to improve habitats for deer and other wildlife.
The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan aims to improve vegetation quality and quantity on at least 600,000 acres of crucial range between December 2024 and December 2030. Recent completed projects include:
In 2025, the DWR acquired 4,488 acres for wildlife, including 1,600 acres for the new Cook Wildlife Management Area in Daggett County and additional land for the East Canyon WMA in Morgan County.
In Uintah County, the Willow Watershed improvements project focused on the Book Cliffs area to provide additional feed and improve streambeds. Crews removed crowding trees, reseeded the area, and maintained beaver dam analog structures to reduce erosion.
The Twelve-Mile Watershed restoration project in Sanpete County addressed areas impacted by mudslides. The project stabilized soil, reduced wildfire risks, and installed 100 beaver dam analog structures along Twelve Mile Creek to improve water quality and quantity.
Near Salina, the Gooseberry habitat restoration project improved winter range through tree thinning and aerial reseeding. This project also included building a fence to protect a wetland and spring, as well as installing a solar pump and trough for water access.
The 133 completed projects represent an increase from the previous fiscal year, which saw 115 projects specifically benefiting mule deer.
