The winter of 2022–23 will be remembered across the West as one of the harshest in recent memory. In Wyoming, Idaho, and parts of northern Utah, relentless snow and bitter cold combined to create a perfect storm of survival challenges for mule deer. Tens of thousands of deer perished, including entire fawn crops and mature bucks that entered the season in good shape but simply couldn’t endure months of deep snow and subzero temperatures.