Article
Ecology
Sydney Lamb, Brock R. McMillan, Madelon van de Kerk, Paul B. Frandsen, Kent R. Hersey, Randy T. Larsen
Summary: Maternal effects refer to the influence of maternal phenotype and environment on the phenotype of offspring. This influence can occur both before and after birth. Our study demonstrates that maternal nutritional condition affects the birth weight, growth rates, and survival of mule deer fawns.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Molly R. Caldwell, J. Mario K. Klip
Summary: The study found that the underpasses were primarily used by migrating mule deer during spring and fall, while resident deer used them in the summer. However, deteriorating infrastructure, such as fencing and gates, led to some migrating deer crossing the highway directly and getting involved in traffic accidents.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Mark C. Fisher, Ryan A. Prioreschi, Lisa L. Wolfe, Jonathan P. Runge, Karen A. Griffin, Heather M. Swanson, Michael W. Miller
Summary: This article describes the stable prevalence and abundance of CWD infection in an unmanaged mule deer herd. Despite the high apparent prevalence, predation by mountain lions may be helping to control CWD. Despite outward stability, prion disease still impairs adult survival and resilience in the deer herd.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Brock R. McMillan, Jacob T. Hall, Eric D. Freeman, Kent R. Hersey, Randy T. Larsen
Summary: Recent meta-analyses suggest that predator removal experiments only result in marginal increases in prey abundance. However, most of these studies lack targeted spatial approaches and do not consider the target prey's generation time. In this study, multiyear coyote removals were conducted using a crossover experimental design, and it was found that consecutive years of predator removal and removal efforts targeting fawning habitat significantly improved neonate mule deer survival.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Madelon van de Kerk, Randy T. Larsen, Daniel D. Olson, Kent R. Hersey, Brock R. McMillan
Summary: This study aimed to demonstrate and characterize the variations in migration strategies of mule deer in Utah, USA, including typical and atypical migratory behaviors. The research identified various migration classifications, including dual-range migrants, multi-range migrants, commuters, poly migrants, gradual movers, residents, and dispersers. Additionally, a substantial number of deer were found to switch among categories over multiple years, highlighting the importance of studying less-stereotyped migratory behaviors for effective conservation strategies.
Article
Ecology
Daniel W. Sallee, Brock R. McMillan, Kent R. Hersey, Steven L. Petersen, Randy T. Larsen
Summary: Spatial modeling showed that habitat use by female mule deer was influenced by other ungulate species, but competition did not affect their survival and growth.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Tayler N. N. LaSharr, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. P. Jakopak, Anna C. C. Ortega, Luke R. R. Wilde, Matthew J. J. Kauffman, Katey S. S. Huggler, Patrick W. W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. G. Brimeyer, Brandon Scurlock, Jill Randall, Rusty C. C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Gary L. L. Fralick, Kevin L. L. Monteith
Summary: Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research have greatly improved our understanding of animal ecology. However, there are risks associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that can occur during or following capture events. This study evaluated the impact of capture and handling on survival rates of mule deer and found that direct mortality was low and capture-related factors had minimal effect on post-capture survival.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Patrick A. Rodgers, Hall Sawyer, Tony W. Mong, Sam Stephens, Matthew J. Kauffman
Summary: The study found that hunting has gender-specific effects on habitat selection and migratory behavior of ungulates, with males and females exhibiting different responses. Additionally, weather factors such as temperature and precipitation influence migration timing. For deer that survived to rifle season, hunting had less impact on migration timing compared to environmental factors.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Tayler N. LaSharr, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Jill Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Brandon Scurlock, Troy Fieseler, Neil Hymas, Adam Hymas, Nick Roberts, James Hobbs, Mark Zornes, Douglas G. Brimeyer, Gary Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
Summary: Behavioral modification is effective in mitigating harsh environmental conditions, but intrinsic factors such as age and nutrition are crucial for survival when behavioral adjustments are not enough. A study on mule deer revealed that movement behavior was minimally affected by age and nutrition, but played a role in survival as animals with restricted movements were more likely to die in winter. The study also found that nutrition and snow depth significantly influenced survival, with animals exposed to deep snow and low fat reserves being less likely to survive.
Article
Ecology
Tayler N. LaSharr, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Bard-Jorgen Bardsen, Timothy J. Robinson, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Jill Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Brandon Scurlock, Troy Fieseler, Neil Hymas, Kevin L. Monteith
Summary: The balance of resource allocation to life-history traits can have significant consequences for survival, reproduction, and fitness for species in unpredictable environments. Environmental severity, food availability, and population size all influence the allocation of resources in animals. Animals facing extreme resource limitation may allocate resources to body reserves for survival at the cost of reproduction. In contrast, animals in relatively benign landscapes may allocate resources to reproduction. The theory of risk-sensitive allocation suggests that animals may shift resource allocation to building capital over reproduction when exposed to unprecedented or life-threatening conditions. This study on mule deer found that a life-threatening winter and a reduction in population abundance influenced how animals acquired and allocated energy to survival. Fat accumulation was influenced by per capita precipitation and the reduction in population abundance. Fat accrual in preparation for winter was associated with shifts in risk tolerance, supporting the idea of risk-sensitive allocation as an essential adaptation for animals in rapidly changing landscapes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Collin J. Peterson, Nicholas J. DeCesare, Teagan A. Hayes, Chad J. Bishop, Michael S. Mitchell
Summary: This study assessed the availability and selection of forage and predation risk on summer ranges of migratory and resident mule deer populations, showing that the two groups face different choices at various spatial scales. Resident deer were able to compensate for lower forage availability and higher predation risk compared to migrants through stronger selection at finer scales.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carly Q. White, Joshua P. Bush, Benjamin N. Sacks
Summary: The increasing impacts of wildfire on arid regions due to climate change highlight the necessity of understanding the response of natural communities to fire. A study conducted in northern California investigated the use of and diets within burned and unburned habitats by black-tailed deer before and after a large wildfire. The study found that deer increased their use of unburned sites and reduced use of burn sites immediately after the fire, but started returning to burned sites in subsequent years. The diversity of the deer's diet was lower in burn sites post-fire, dominated by oak, but increased in subsequent years with more herbaceous plants in burn sites.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Annette Roug, Justin Shannon, Kent Hersey, Wade Heaton, Arnaud van Wettere
Summary: This study found that all mule deer bucks with antler deformities had abnormally low to undetectable serum testosterone concentrations, and the presence of EHDV-2 in testicular tissues. These bucks were seropositive for EHDV-2, showing a significant difference compared to bucks with normal antlers. More than 67% of hunter-harvested and live-captured bucks had antibodies to both BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, likely due to high cattle exposure.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
E. M. Schuyler, L. M. Ellsworth, D. M. Sanchez, D. G. Whittaker
Summary: The study found that migratory deer have access to higher quality forage during the summer, while resident deer have access to higher quality shrub browse. This trade-off may partially explain the persistence of a partially migratory population.
RANGELAND ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Mary M. Conner, Mary E. Wood, Anne Hubbs, Justin Binfet, A. Andrew Holland, Luke R. Meduna, Annette Roug, Jonathan P. Runge, Todd D. Nordeen, Margo J. Pybus, Michael W. Miller
Summary: The study found that sufficient and sustained harvest can effectively reduce the prevalence of chronic wasting disease in adult male mule deer in the western region, especially in the early stages of an epidemic. There is a significant relationship between the amount of harvest and subsequent changes in CWD prevalence among adult male mule deer, providing empirical basis for adaptive disease management experimentation aimed at suppressing or curtailing CWD epidemics.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2021)