December 2022 - 17

Mule deer safely cross underneath U.S. Highway 30 by utilizing a wildlife underpass in Nugget Canyon west of Kemmerer. (Photo courtesy of WYDOT)
to document the use of the structures by deer.
The data collected by these trail cameras will
serve to bolster the data from the collars and
verify the animals using the underpasses to
cross highways rather than crossing on the
road surface. This information will be useful
in future planning efforts regarding construction
and placement of wildlife crossings
and fencing.
" The study has recorded some interesting
movements of mule deer in three states including
Utah, Idaho, and the bulk of the collared
deer still in Wyoming, " said Bill Rudd, project
manager and cofounder of WMI. " Many of
these deer are residents, staying close to their
winter ranges where they were originally captured.
One deer migrated about 100 miles
into summer range. "
These collared deer will provide managers
with a better understanding of how effective
the I-80 right-of-way deer fence is at keeping
deer off the interstate and how the high fence
may affect movements.
When highways are built within
important habitats, such as the winter
range for the Uinta herd, deer will
continue to move and many will be hit
by vehicles.
Another recent study - completed by
WMI fellow Ben Robb - found hundreds
of deer were using existing structures under
I-80 between Evanston and Mountain View.
Most of these structures were not built to
today's optimal standards for deer use. Crews
will continue to monitor these underpasses
to gain insight about how deer use the structures.
The goal of this work is to reduce deer
crossings on the road surface.
" Pairing collar data with game camera
data lets us better understand the movements
of mule deer in the Uinta herd, " said
Emily Gelzer, associate research scientist with
WMI. " We can document the landscapes
these animals cross, distances they travel
and even some of the obstacles they face. "
This research will help managers design
road projects to reduce mortality of deer and
to improve movements and migrations. This
study has documented deer that summer in
Idaho and Utah also share winter ranges with
Wyoming's deer. This study reinforces the
need to coordinate and share information
between states and to manage herds based
on where they spend their time rather than
by state lines.
While mule deer populations face many
challenges including harsh winters, disease
and drought, wildlife crossing structures may
help reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle
collisions, making the roads safer for people
and animals.
- Regina Dickson is the information and education
specialist in the Green River Region.
Wyoming Wildlife | 17

December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2022

December 2022 - 1
December 2022 - 2
December 2022 - 3
December 2022 - 4
December 2022 - 5
December 2022 - 6
December 2022 - 7
December 2022 - 8
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