A mule deer buck in Eastern Oregon. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in June 2024 approved a plan to increase the mule deer population statewide.

LA GRANDE — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled a public meeting Feb. 7 in La Grande to present a draft mule deer management plan and get public comment on the draft plan.

The La Grande meeting is one of three the agency has scheduled.

The others are Feb. 1 in Salem and Feb. 6 in Bend.

ODFW biologists recently completed a full draft of the revised mule deer plan. It’s available online at dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/management_plans/mule_deer/index.asp

The draft plan incorporates the latest science and research on topics including biology, nutrition, habitat and predation. A highlight of the new plan is a shift from managing mule deer by wildlife management unit to more biologically meaningful herd ranges that more accurately reflect mule deer behavior.

The Feb. 7 meeting in La Grande will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service Research Office, 1401 Gekeler Lane.