In an effort to protect declining populations, Oregon officials have approved the biggest changes to the state's mule deer hunting in decades.
As the Baker City Herald reported, mule deer boundary maps will change in Eastern and Central Oregon in 2026, and the number of mule deer tags will drop by about 9%. No changes are occurring for 2025's hunting season.
The state offers online maps to show what the new boundaries will look like.
"Change can be hard," Mike Totey of the Oregon Hunters Association told the Herald. "We're wondering what the impacts are going to be. It's a big adjustment for hunters."
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the changes for several reasons, including a decline in the mule deer population that has been attributed, at least in part, to habitat loss.
This is a problem plaguing wildlife around the world, and it's largely due to human activity.
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Urban sprawl and development have forced wildlife out of their native habitats and into unfamiliar environments. On top of that, warming temperatures — caused by pollution trapping heat in our atmosphere — have dramatically changed habitats.
Some animals have moved out of the areas they've called home for generations, as they are now too warm and dry. Meanwhile, many animals now thrive in locations that were previously too cold, but have now become warm enough to provide them with a good home.
Officials also believe the current number of allocated mule deer tags was based on faulty numbers. The agency conducts a winter population count each year, which has been used as the basis for allocating tags. However, mule deer tend to move to different locations throughout the year, so the populations during hunting season may differ from those in winter.
The ODFW plans to monitor these changes during 2026 and 2027 and refine tag numbers in time for the 2028 season. If the changes prove successful, officials said they could possibly consider similar changes for elk hunting.
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"This is going to take several years for this to shake out," Totey told the Herald.
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