The deadly winter that decimated the state's largest mule deer herd also brought some silver linings
Just a fraction of the roughly 30,000-animal-strong Wyoming Range Mule Deer Herd likely remain. Survivors, like the animals pictured, came out of winter in such poor shape it's likely that they'll either abort their fetuses or give birth to feeble fawns not long for this world.
WYOMING RANGE-At nearly 14% body fat, mule deer F14 was plump in the rump, and expecting two fawns, going into this most recent winter.
The 8-year-old doe's dual pregnancy was par for the course - F14 was prone to birthing twins. She was good at raising them, too. Four of her eight previous fawns had survived to independence.
"F14 was a really good mom," University of Wyoming ecology PhD candidate Tayler Lasharr recalled.
No track record of success could save F14 and her peers from the brutal winter that was to come. She and most other collared does in the heavily studied Wyoming Range Mule De...
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