Mule Deer

A collection of 69 posts

Antler Genetics

Does Culling Wild Deer Populations Result in Improved Antler Genetics?

See the only known high speed footage of aerial deer captures and understand the methodology and results of this first of its kind study.

Chronic Wasting Disease

Limited Testing Might Have Slowed Yellowstone Discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease

For years, everyone has known that CWD was already in, or coming to, the Yellowstone herds. Unfortunately, there is no will take the steps necessary to stop its spread. Winter feeding continues. Brucellosis remains untreated in the bison and elk herds, which makes animals more susceptible to epidemic diseases; no

"Invasion Biology"

Drought Busters 101 : A 21-Minute Video on Desert Grassland Restoration

“Drought Busters” is an inexpensive, quick, physiologically and economically sustainable method of habitat and wildlife restoration. We call it Drought Busters because it increases effective rainfall by rebuilding soil fertility and the soil’s ability to absorb and store water. This 21-minute video explains Drought Busters, and our experience on

"Invasion Biology"

Desperate to Rid Catalina of Invasive Deer, Officials Propose Bold Helicopter Hunt

It’s hard to name a single wildlife “management” practice pursued by the big conservation bureaucracies that does not involve the wholesale killing out of entire wildlife populations. Their glaring management failures are blamed on climate change and ‘invasive’ species, in this case mule deer and bison!   The definition of

Bio-Diversity

4 Most Endangered Whitetail Destinations in America

Quoting the article below, “ The great state of Texas sports one of the most robust and proud deer hunting cultures in the nation, but it’s also home to what some consider the greatest threat to deer hunting in all of America: the captive deer industry.   NOTE: this article was

"Invasion Biology"

My Rancher Parents Hate Wolves. I Took Them on a Wolf-Watching Tour in Yellowstone to Change Their Minds

The wolf debate out West is driven in large part by ignorance – on both sides. A morning spent with Wolf Trackers would greatly help the parties to find common ground for compromise.    In order to preserve and restore wildlife and wildlife habitat, we must make these decisions based on giving

Mule Deer

Winter Crushes Wyoming Range Mule Deer Fawns

The usual suspects – hunting, weather, livestock, and development – are blamed for this very cold and wet season’s toll on wildlife.   As usual, there is no thought about how so-called  ‘conservation’ practices have degraded habitat and wild animal health, making wildlife less able to withstand cold and disease.   NOTE: this

Conservation

World's Longest Mule Deer Migration: Red Desert to Hoback

“As discussed below, each summer Deer 255 lives in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. But each winter, she travels far into Wyoming’s sagebrush sea and high desert ecosystem.   She crosses the Pitchstone Plateau, within a few miles of Pitchstone Waters Ranch, which is 5-miles southwest of Yellowstone

Mule Deer

Longest-Known Deer Migration Is Near Jackson Hole

This is the story of deer 255, and her 6th consecutive world-record migration.

Bio-Diversity

Rotational Cattle Grazing to Restore Degraded Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands and Promote Watershed Health

Describing the Mimms Ranch in Marfa, Texas, the authors write, “The Foundation aims for practical conservation, with the belief that restored grasslands improve overall watershed health, resources for native wildlife, and continued support of ranching.”   NOTE: this article was originally published to usbr.maps.arcgis.com.  As well – it was

Conservation

World Record Deer Migration Visualized In 3D For The First Time

This deer passed close by Pitchstone Waters, which is 5-miles southwest of the southwest corner of Yellowstone Park in Idaho.   NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on December 9, 2019

Big Game Migrations

Wyoming's Big Game Migrations 50 Years after the Creation of the Wilderness Areas

“Pitchstone Waters is just west of the Winegar Hole and Jedidiah Smith Wilderness Areas shown in this video. At this time, elk are migrating out of the Parks through us as an early winter drops snow and temperatures in Greater Yellowstone. We have observed herds of as many as 100-elk

"Wolves"

2022 Winter Wildlife Near Yellowstone Park, in Idaho

Winter wildlife, 2022 at Pitchstone Waters.

Animal Growth

Tribute to Mule Deer

A wonderful video from the Mule Deer Foundation.   NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on June 11, 2018

Bio-Diversity

Migration Corridors

Each fall, mule deer are on the move, hustling to get to their winter home. Their motivation? Food, and they know the way there. Twice a year deer move between summer and winter ranges following a distinct traditional pathway to ensure the best chance of survival.   Ungulate migration corridors in

"Invasion Biology"

Game Videos Spring 2015

These videos were taken at what we call Sheep Tank, a water point that overlooks one of our largest canyons. Many species share this water, with no visible conflict with each other, or harm to habitat.

Animal Migration

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1

In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey completed analyses necessary to map mule deer corridors, stopovers, routes and winter ranges in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. A total of 26 corridors, 16 migration routes, 25 stop-overs, and 9 winter ranges were mapped across these states and are included in

Bio-Diversity

The Gray Wolf Leads the Way for Other Endangered Species

“Common sense advice on how best to advance wolf restorations, from the PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH CENTER of Bozeman Montana. PERC is the home of free market environmentalism.   NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org and the Duluth News Tribune on November 9, 2020. It was written by

Biodiversity

Save a Sage Grouse, Drop a Fence Line

“As discussed in the article below, barbed wire fences are dangerous to grouse. Apparently grouse don’t see the wires, so they fly in to them. Many are killed. As the authors explain, there are many ways to reduce this risk, and help other species in the process. NOTE: this

Bio-Diversity

The Red Desert To Hoback Mule Deer Video

Recently, the longest mule deer migration ever recorded was discovered where thousands of deer migrate 150 miles from winter ranges in the Red Desert to summer ranges in the mountains of northwest Wyoming. This 300-mile roundtrip journey leads mule deer through a variety of habitat types and anthropogenic obstacles, including

Conservation

400 Miles to Cross: The Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier

THIS IS WHY SOME DEER MIGRATE 150 MILES — BUT NO FURTHER. THE SOLUTION WILL MAKE YOU HOPEFUL. This new film shows how Interstate 80 in Wyoming is an almost impenetrable obstacle to movement of pronghorn, elk, and deer, including animals in the herd of world-record migrator Deer 255. The highway

Elk Migration

On the Elk Trail: Episode 3 - Escape from Snow

Amazing trail camera footage captures how big game species in Wyoming migrate at different times because of their varying abilities to move through deep snow. Out of elk, moose, pronghorn and mule deer, which species migrates first? Amazing trail camera footage captures how big game species in Wyoming migrate at

Bio-Diversity

A Deer Migration You Have to See to Believe | National Geographic

Researchers have only recently found the longest large animal migration in the continental United States: mule deer migrate 150 miles in western Wyoming each year. As shown on the video’s map, one end of this migration terminates across the mountains not far from Pitchstone Waters.   And it’s no

"Invasion Biology"

Disease Threatening Deer Population Has Spread to 26 States

According to this article, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first “discovered” in mule deer at a wildlife research facility in Colorado in 1967. Here is, as Paul Harvey used to say, “The rest of the story.”   The so-called “discovery” occurred in the Front Range experimental station in Fort Collins. Early

Bighorn

What We Know About Mule Deer Subspecies

Far-West Texas is home to the Desert Mule Deer, one of eleven subspecies of Odocoileus hemionus. Though larger than the Texas whitetail, Texas’ mule deer are smaller than their northern cousins. For many reasons, far-West Texas’ mule deer numbers have been falling irregularly for years. The many perversities of so-called