September 2023 - 35

In the fall, deer begin to move to their winter
range. Like surfing the green wave, deer in the fall
race against the " brown down " - trying to stay one
step ahead of the drying vegetation to get the last bit
of nutritional greens along the way. The path they
take is nearly identical to their spring migration,
although the timing of fall migration varies to a
greater degree than in the spring, depending on
the weather.
" Deer usually move in blasts. They'll
move several miles, then stop and
hang out for a few days at locations
with plenty of forage and to rest
before the next move. " - Jill Randall
" If it's a longer summer, their migration can be
delayed, " Randall said. " Likewise, early snows could
mean they move earlier. They take longer to migrate
in the spring than in the fall because the browning
of vegetation seems to happen more quickly, but
they usually use the same habitats in spring and fall. "
Although some of Wyoming's mule deer make
long-distance migrations - the world's longest
documented mule deer migration was 242 miles
by a doe in the Sublette mule deer herd - not all
deer have long movements. Some remain residents
of the same area year-round, instead moving more
along elevation changes than putting in the miles.
No matter the distance traveled, it's important for
deer to have suitable habitat and food sources for
the duration of the trip.
" There are trade-offs between long-distance and
shorter migrations, " said Embere Hall, supervisor
for the Game and Fish science, research and analytical
support unit. " Within a herd, having these
different strategies can help the population during
challenging conditions like winter or with changes
to the landscape. It's important to maintain all of
these options for a population and give deer the best
chance of survival. "
More than other ungulates like pronghorn or elk,
deer stay faithful to their migration routes. Although
studies have shown some deer will explore, most deer
stick to their set path and travel the same routes each
migration. Even those younger deer that tend to
explore settle into fixed routes after a couple of years.
" They learn from mom where to go, and most
of those deer will do the same things mom showed
them, " Randall said. " They summer in the same
vicinity in family groups then go to winter in the
same vicinity as the previous year. "
Mule deer often move in blasts and stay in locations for a while where food is abundant. (Photo by Bill Sincavage)
Most mule deer stick to their set path and travel the same routes during each migration. (Photo by Bill Sincavage)
Wyoming Wildlife | 33

September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2023

September 2023 - 1
September 2023 - 2
September 2023 - 3
September 2023 - 4
September 2023 - 5
September 2023 - 6
September 2023 - 7
September 2023 - 8
September 2023 - 9
September 2023 - 10
September 2023 - 11
September 2023 - 12
September 2023 - 13
September 2023 - 14
September 2023 - 15
September 2023 - 16
September 2023 - 17
September 2023 - 18
September 2023 - 19
September 2023 - 20
September 2023 - 21
September 2023 - 22
September 2023 - 23
September 2023 - 24
September 2023 - 25
September 2023 - 26
September 2023 - 27
September 2023 - 28
September 2023 - 29
September 2023 - 30
September 2023 - 31
September 2023 - 32
September 2023 - 33
September 2023 - 34
September 2023 - 35
September 2023 - 36
September 2023 - 37
September 2023 - 38
September 2023 - 39
September 2023 - 40
September 2023 - 41
September 2023 - 42
September 2023 - 43
September 2023 - 44
September 2023 - 45
September 2023 - 46
September 2023 - 47
September 2023 - 48
September 2023 - 49
September 2023 - 50
September 2023 - 51
September 2023 - 52
September 2023 - 53
September 2023 - 54
September 2023 - 55
September 2023 - 56
September 2023 - 57
September 2023 - 58
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