Table 5.6 — Current estimates of big game populations in ttie western States 











Mule and 







state 



Bison 



Pronghorn 



Bighorn 



blacktail 

 deer 



Elk 



Total 



Arizona 



320 



7,000 



2,000 



130,000 



10.000 



149,320 



California 



— 



4,869 



3.750 



650,000 



3.392 



662.011 



Colorado 



— 



32,000 



2.500 



325.000 



120,000 



479,500 



Idaho 



25 



13.250 



2.975 



178.000 



50.600 



244.850 



Montana 



No est. 



No est. 



No est. 



No est 



No est. 



— 



Nevada 



— 



5.000 



4.000 



81.700 



200 



90.900 



New Mexico 



— 



26,900 



800 



261.600 



27.500 



316.800 



Oregon 



— 



11,000 



400 



1.050,000 



107.000 



1.168.400 



Utah 



150 



2,500 



450 



275.000 



13.000 



291.100 



Washington 



— 



50 



435 



373.500 



60.000 



433.985 



Wyoming 



— 



168,000 



3.100 



280.000 



63.000 



514.000 



Total 



495 



270,569 



20.410 



3.604.800 



454.692 



4.350.966 



Percentage of 















Pre-Columbus 















population 



• 



2-3 



' 



100-- 



25 



15-20 



Source: State fisti and game departments as reported by Wagner. Frederic H. 

 Livestock grazing and the livestock industry. Chapter 9. p. 121-149. In Wildlife 

 and America: Contributions to an understanding of American wildlile and its 

 conservation. H. P. Brokaw. editor. Council on Environmental Quality, 1978. 



'Trace 

 'Approx. 



Some range types, such as the pinyon-juniper forests, provide products such as fence posts, firewood and nuts, in addition to forage. 



168 



