NEVADA MULE DEER POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO DECLINE Nevada mule deer are on the steady decline and wildlife biologists say it’s due to loss of habitat. While fluctuation is normal when it comes to deer populations, the continual decrease in mule deer numbers across the state predicts a much more serious long-term problem. “When I first moved here in the late ‘70s, if you didn’t see 150 or 200 head of deer in a day, you had a bad day,” said Jim Cooney, chairman of the Elko County Wildlife Advisory Board. “And now, if you see 12 to 15 in two or three days … that’s where we’re at.” According to the Elko Daily, deer peaked in 1988 with healthy numbers over 250,000; however, the current statewide deer population is closer to 90,000.