Migration Routes of Mule Deer in Sweetwater Herd in Wyoming

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) within the Sweetwater herd display mostly a latitudinal migration though the seasonal direction varies among individuals in the population. The migration route lays between Long Creek Mountain and Granite Mountain in the north and the Green Mountains in the south. In the spring, the majority of the population will descend from the southern foothills of Granite Mountains and head south to the Green Mountains. Some individuals, however, will move the opposite direction and migrate from south to north. Additionally, movement between the two areas can also occur outside of the typical spring or fall migration. The herd, which numbers around 3,700, primarily winters along the northern section, ranging from Long Creek Mountain and Granite Mountain. Some individuals, however, will winter along the northern foothills of the Green Mountains. Winter and summer ranges consist mainly of shrubs, such as sagebrush and are located on both private and BLM land. In both winter and summer, the herd tends to avoid the higher elevations that consist primarily of evergreen forests. During migration animals travel an average one way distance of 14 mi (23 km) ranging from as little as 5 mi (8 km) to as far as 28 mi (45 km). The population size of the herd has remained relatively steady over the last 5 years, though harsh winters will lead to a marked decrease in annual survival. While the migration routes are relatively short, there are still some management concerns, namely that movement between the northern and southern section crosses Route 287, which could lead to increased collisions with motorists. Additionally, much of their migration route as well as their winter and summer ranges, are located within private land. These data provide the location of migration routes for mule deer in the Sweetwater population in Wyoming. They were developed from 55 migration sequences collected from a sample size of 21 animals comprising GPS locations collected every 2 hours.

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  "geospatial"
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