The next free talk at the Draper Museum focuses on the challenges one local mule deer herd faces.

“Mule deer are an iconic species of North American wildlife,” said Tony Mong, wildlife biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “They symbolize the diverse landscapes of the western United States and play a critical role as an indicator of ecosystem health.”

Mong is the speaker at the next Draper Natural History Museum Lunchtime Expedition. His free presentation, “From Here to There and Back Again: A Mule Deer’s Tale,” takes place on Thursday, Dec. 5 at noon in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Coe Auditorium.

Those who prefer to attend virtually via Zoom may do so by registering at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_opFMuRoHQiOuYq3AJFgPkw.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to one of the most intact and ecologically significant ecosystems in North America and has long been a stronghold for mule deer populations. However, recent decades have seen significant challenges — habitat fragmentation, climate change, disease and increasing human-wildlife conflict — for these deer.

“By understanding the factors influencing mule deer movement, we can better inform conservation efforts and habitat management strategies aimed at ensuring their future in the wild,” Mong said.

In this talk, he discusses how the use of GPS collars, trail cameras and video collar technology give researchers the ability to monitor migratory patterns, habitat use, environmental interactions and behavioral changes of deer. These tools provide invaluable insights into how mule deer navigate an increasingly fragmented landscape.

“The Upper Shoshone mule deer herd located west of Cody, Wyoming, is not immune to the increasing challenges facing all mule deer populations,” Mong said. “In the minds of many wildlife managers, we are at a pivotal point that will impact the management of this herd into the future.”

In his presentation, Mong explores the unique challenges facing mule deer populations within the Upper Shoshone mule deer herd. Using collar camera footage, he gives the audience a unique view into the life of the mule deer that lives a life of antithesis — immersed in both human development and remote, untouched wilderness.

Tony Mong earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science in 2001 from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology from Kansas State University in 2005.

Mong began his career with Wyoming Game and Fish in 2010 as a senior wildlife biologist in Baggs, where he worked coordinating research on ungulates including elk, pronghorn and mule deer. He has held his current position in the Cody District since 2017. From 2005 to 2009, he managed a research project that determined the demographic, survival and harvest rates of mourning doves in a landscape managed for their hunting. 

During his career, Mong has been fortunate to work with all the big game species of Wyoming through research and management. He has had the privilege recently of becoming part of many collaborative efforts to manage wildlife on the landscape.

The Draper Museum’s Lunchtime Expedition lecture series is made possible through support from Sage Creek Ranch and the Nancy-Carroll Draper Charitable Foundation. All talks in the series are free and open to the public, and most take place the first Thursday of the month from February through December.

To find out more about this presentation and the Lunchtime Expedition series as a whole, contact Draper Museum Curator Corey Anco at coreya@centerofthewest.org or 30.7-578-4093. The Center of the West’s full calendar of events can be found at centerofthewest.org/events.