Will it work?

It works for something like desert sheep where they give 1 or 2 tags per unit! I doubt it will have much of an impact by moving 50 deer into an area where hundreds of tags are issued annually.

I hope it does some good but I'd have to be more convinced.

It's one of those "things that make you go, Hmmm"

Zeke
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-13 AT 09:48AM (MST)[p]IMO it's more of a feel good type of project that isn't financially feasible to do on a regular basis for deer. Like Zeke mentioned, there are too many deer tags issued compared to sheep to make it a cost effective method. It's good they're trying though because maybe they will eventually come up with something that works.
 
It might work, but I doubt it will do anything for the deer herd. I studied to be a wildlife biologist and so far (from countless studies) biologist know that deer don't do well with transplants. They get stressed easy and once they get to the new site they get disoriented and/or are eaten by predators. The fact that they removed a few coyotes might help, but some of those 50 deer will die in transite and most will die in the first year or two. I do have to comment that it would be a fun graduate project for someone getting a masters degree. I hope it works, but I wouldn't buy stock in this project.

Dillon
www.dillonhoyt.com
 
I was under the impression that they have tried transplanting mule deer before but the deer floundered and died rather than flourishing like other species (moose, big horn sheep, etc.)..?

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
The study sample is to small to make a difference or have a measurable impact on the overall population in that area. 50 is not even close to the amount needed to adjust the measurable impact. 200 300 maybe. This is simply a feel good gesture by DWR to quiet those who are challenging the findings of actual deer numbers. It is not the dependent variable that is the issue (Deer). In my opinion it is the independent variables that have reduced the heard. Instead of putting more dependent variable into the population, more study and efforts must be put into the independent variables so those deer that are there or transplanted there can flourish, or at least survive
 
All an article like this does is bring out all of the biologists out of their closet because everyone is and EXPERT! Do this, do that, F**K this, put them here, plant this, kill that.....

Here is my EXPERT opinion. There is NOT one thing causing the decline. It is a combination of so many different things, fixing just one won't do much.

Bandaids are very good for fixing severed heads...


Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?
 
It may not be super effective, but some will live, for many years and have fawns. It will help to some extent. If they did not transplant them, then they would have a doe hunt and kill all 50 of them. I think it is a great project, and am looking forward to the results. I think they will be better than most people think. At least I hope so. If it works, then they could start taking 10-15 deer out of problem areas and moving them to areas where they will not be a problem, and the cost will not be to much because they could catch them at a hay stack with a net, instead of using a chopper. I hate doe hunts!!!!!

They transplanted some years ago from the Beaver unit to Southwest desert, I saw some of these collared deer for many years.

I also think they have done some habitat work on the pahvant and some depredation work, so hopefully they have a better chance to survive.
 
Lets hope it works at least they are trying something. Remember the dwr wanted to kill these deer in there winter area. Sfw stepped in and put the money on the ground to try this project. I can tell you where they are placing these deer on the pahvant it has great winter feed for them. Bitter brush everywhere, the division owns a bunch of property there awesome winter ground.
 
At least they are trying to move the deer. I found it maddening when the DWR hired "expert marksmen" to kill the nuisance deer on the bountiful benches. There they were killing deer that could have been transplanted to a struggling area. I hope the deer do well and it becomes a means of avoiding deprdation hunts.
 
I was there yesterday, it was VERY COOL to see and be a part of. They are doing 100 deer total, 50 now and 50 in March. Those same 100 does would have been shot potentially on a late doe hunt to reduce numbers. No matter how you spin it the DWR wants less deer on the Parawon front for habitat and other issues. 100 deer transplanted is worth a shot. The goal is to help boost the Fillmore/Pahvant herd where a bunch of habitat work has been done by SFW and the DWR. This will be a study project to see if this might work again. I personally think trying 100 deer that were earmarked for dead is a great pilot project.

All of the deer yesterday survived just fine (I watched them run out of the trailer). They were all pregnant too so, 100 pregnant does will be moved versus killed. Again, it was dang cool to see them brought in by the chopper, tested, weighed, collared and released. They also collared and tagged a bunch of deer on the Fillmore WMA (where they were released) a week ago as a study or "control" group.

Anyone around the area in March should come check it out. Open to public and you can volunteer to help.
 
A hundred here, a hundred there along with other projects that benefit the deer and this might just be a great start. Time will tell.

I agree with mntman and others who have said the problems are complex. No single thing will fix the herd health.

I'm sure we could talk with a thousand hunters and get just as many opinions on what is needed.

Zeke
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-13 AT 02:52PM (MST)[p]HuntElk4Fun

Thanks for the info. Sounds like day one was good I hope day 365 of this study will look bright as well. Time will tell. Do those interested just contact the DWR to sign up to help with the march roundup?
 
Yes - if you contact the Cedar DWR office they have all of the details. I haven't heard the exact date yet in March. I had to sign a DWR waiver sheet to help, but you can just watch and don't have to.
 
Those who wish to participate in March can contact the Volunteer Services Coordinator, Blaine Cox, [email protected] He can let you know the details and make sure you have the paperwork (liability release, etc.) to allow you to participate. If you can't get hold of him, give Teresa Griffin, Wildlife Program Coordinator a call at (435) 691-0638, or [email protected]

This particular program isn't to supplement the herds down on the release area per se, but is more of a study to determine if this particular way of doing trans-location will work any better than previous ways tried. The DWR didn't want to fund the same thing over again since they have been unsuccessful on many other trans-locations, so SFW said they would pay for it. Hopefully the BYU study will be successful. Not sure how it differs from other trans-locations, other than the testing for CWD and the afterward followup study. Will be interesting for sure.


www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-13 AT 07:53PM (MST)[p]At least this shows they are at work and shows theyre trying to make a difference.

Fail or success, at least theyre taking risks/action and thats the first step in being successful in anything in life. Fail once... try again! Fail again... try again! Success doesnt come by sitting back and waiting around for it to come.

Michael Jordan didnt became successful by letting the game happen... he made it happen! Success comes from repeatedly making plays when the ball is in ones court. Miss or make, it doesnt matter, what matters is theyre trying and the more times they try the greater the odds are for success. I think this is a great shot taken!

This seems to be management that Utah needs and asked for with the 30 unit plan to me. Improving the herds on a more personal level. Keep it up!!!
 
I would be awesome if this works. And if it did work, wouldnt it be cool to introduce say.. San Juan genetics with ..vernon. Or maybe Henries with the pauncy.
 
>Those who wish to participate in
>March can contact the Volunteer
>Services Coordinator, Blaine Cox, [email protected]
> He can let you
>know the details and make
>sure you have the paperwork
>(liability release, etc.) to allow
>you to participate. If
>you can't get hold of
>him, give Teresa Griffin, Wildlife
>Program Coordinator a call at
>(435) 691-0638, or [email protected]
>
>This particular program isn't to supplement
>the herds down on the
>release area per se, but
>is more of a study
>to determine if this particular
>way of doing trans-location will
>work any better than previous
>ways tried. The DWR
>didn't want to fund the
>same thing over again since
>they have been unsuccessful on
>many other trans-locations, so SFW
>said they would pay for
>it. Hopefully the BYU
>study will be successful.
>Not sure how it differs
>from other trans-locations, other than
>the testing for CWD and
>the afterward followup study.
>Will be interesting for sure.
>
>
>
>www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org

This study will be a more in-depth study with monitoring and the control group tactics. The TV spot indicates that not all of the does were collared, but they were, and with one of two different types of collars. On type is a GPS that tracks the movement of the deer for a given amount of time and then automatically drops off to be picked up and studied more in depth later. Of course, if the deer quits moving (dies) per the GPS System, the collar will be picked up and the site/death studied. The other is a locator type collar that will be monitored twice a week from aircraft or ground vehicle and will be picked up only if/when the deer dies. (A different signal sounds if there's no movement for 8 hours.) Also, a control group of 50 resident (Pahvant) does were also collared with the same two collar ratio, so we can compare the mortality rates and causes between the "new" deer and the resident deer. To tell the difference, the transplanted deer were ear tagged with a bright yellow tag.

There was also is a predator (coyote) kill that removed 25 coyotes. I have no idea whether or not that will make a difference, but it was something they wanted to find out.

Also, they wanted to find out how a hard release will factor into future transplants. A hard release is capturing and processing an animal and then loading them into a trailer for immediate release without corraling them either at the capture site or the release site to allow them to "adjust"(a soft release).

Also, the March transplant will come into play with the study because they wanted to find out if there is a survival rate difference before the winter vs after the winter.

Finally, the 30 does yesterday were sedated, but the 21 today were not because they wanted to see if that made a difference. (FWIW, they took 21 today instead of 20 because one of the does was injured in the capture (sharp rock) and they needed to have another doe in the trailer to get her up and moving after they sewed up the injury and/or to replace her if she didn't make it.)


There may be other things I missed because I don't know if the actual test procedures changed at all, but that's the basics.

Also FWIW, this transplant was an agreeable compromise between the DWR, BLM, UWC, SFW and NRCS. On a range ride with the involved parties to study the area, the DWR proposed two doe hunts in this area, one 100 does and another 50 does because of the damage the deer were/are making to the winter range. They actually wanted to remove 400-500 deer, but they felt that only 150 would be acceptable to the public and sportsmen. UWC felt that we should keep (or increase) the tag numbers and let the youth have the tags. BLM and NRCS were neutral. SFW brought up the transplant in lieu of the hunts but the Division reps said they probably couldn't go along with it because all previous mule deer transplant attempts were virtually unsuccessful and not cost effective with a 5% (or less) one year survival rate. After discussing it for some time, all parties agreed to keep the 150 doe hunt and not increase it and to have the transplant in lieu of an increase in tags. That way, we would still have the hunt, the transplant, and would remove 250 deer which was closer to the number needed. The conditions were that SFW pay for the transplant, BYU would get involved with the study, DWR would provide the technical hands on biologists and UWC would help support it by working with the general public. And whoopie, that's the way it happened!

Now, whether or not this is successful to the point we can eliminate all doe tags including depredation and nuisance tags, we will learn some new things and it will get us closer to that point. In the meanwhile, we may have to accept some doe hunts and/or come up with some more money for further studies, but this is certainly a start!
 
I did not read all the posts, but you need to look up Santa Rosa Island. It use to be run by MUM until the tree huggers decided to get rid of all non-native species. These deer were brouhgt from AZ. There use to be some monsters out there.

Bill
 
The Santa Rosa Island Mule Deer transplant is a long time touted trans-location success story. However, it doesn't even come close to the difficulties mule deer face with trans-locations here in the west. Many of the limiting factors here just weren't a factor on the island.

But I understand what you are implying LIK2HNR, wish it could be the same here in the west.

www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org
 
Does anyone know where to find the info on the Santa Rosa transplant? It would be interesting to know the fatality rate alone from the Kaibab to Santa Rosa Island also the dietary change had to be significant. All I can find on the net has to do with the removal of deer from the Island. Two factors I can think of as to why Santa Rosa was a success was no natural Predation and year round available forage I.E. deep snow was never present there. Two things that will play a big role in the success or failure of the transplant conducted the other day IMHO.
 
>Does anyone know where to find
>the info on the Santa
>Rosa transplant? It would be
>interesting to know the fatality
>rate alone from the Kaibab
>to Santa Rosa Island also
>the dietary change had to
>be significant. All I can
>find on the net has
>to do with the removal
>of deer from the Island.
>Two factors I can think
>of as to why Santa
>Rosa was a success was
>no natural Predation and year
>round available forage I.E. deep
>snow was never present there.
>Two things that will play
>a big role in the
>success or failure of the
>transplant conducted the other day
>IMHO.

And no vehicles/freeways, no escape routes back to Arizona, not much hunting, no resident deer to drive them off and no elk!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-13 AT 10:01AM (MST)[p]>Better do some more research.
>They had ELK on the
>island also
>
>Bill

My bad. It's been a long time since this subject came up and I had forgotten. In fact, there may have been some resident coastal mule deer there as well. In any case, I KNOW I got the "no freeways" right!
 
Elk, you are right. No freeways, most likely no predators, and most likely no poachers. I was just making a point that it has been done and with great success. At what cost I do not know, but from what I heard it cost to hunt there is must not be cheap.

Bill
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-13 AT 10:33PM (MST)[p]What I'd like to think this effort will be a research effort that will determine, "How To Successfully Transplant Mule Deer In The Western Arid States".

Rather than just put them out there and monitor what happens and record the results, lets hope they will go at this with the intent to prove up "methods" of transplanting that will work so it can be repeated in hundreds of other locations throughout the western States.

I'd like to see them go at this with the attitude that "We're going to do whatever it takes to make this transplant a success", rather than a, "this is what happens when you release a 100 mule deer in a new location" experiment.

I'll wager this: "Give BobCat, Slamdunk, and Stomper a million dollars and the same authority the Fish and Game Biologists have and 90% of these deer will reproduce and grow from 100 to 500 with in three years". Desire and ambition will prove you can successfully transplant mule deer.
 
>LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-13
>AT 10:33?PM (MST)

>
>What I'd like to think this
>effort will be a research
>effort that will determine, "How
>To Successfully Transplant Mule Deer
>In The Western Arid States".
>
>
>Rather than just put them out
>there and monitor what happens
>and record the results, lets
>hope they will go at
>this with the intent to
>prove up "methods" of transplanting
>that will work so it
>can be repeated in hundreds
>of other locations throughout the
>western States.
>
>I'd like to see them go
>at this with the attitude
>that "We're going to do
>whatever it takes to make
>this transplant a success", rather
>than a, "this is what
>happens when you release a
>100 mule deer in a
>new location" experiment.
>
>I'll wager this: "Give BobCat,
>Slamdunk, and Stomper a million
>dollars and the same authority
>the Fish and Game Biologists
>have and 90% of these
>deer will reproduce and grow
>from 100 to 500 with
>in three years". Desire
>and ambition will prove you
>can successfully transplant mule deer.
>

Actually, this is a learning study we're doing. That's why we removed the coyotes; the reasons for the collared resident control group, the sedated versus non-sedated groups, the early winter transplant versus the late winter (March) transplant, the two types of collars, the anti-biotic shots, and some other things I'm probably not aware of. It will likely take several more transplants to determine what some of the problems/solutions are, but at this point there hasn't been enough of these kinds of studies in the western states to get the answers. And whether or not further studies are coming will depend on this one and those ever impending POLITICS. It takes MONEY, wouldn't ya know!
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-10-13 AT 09:26AM (MST)[p]>LAST EDITED ON Jan-09-13
>AT 10:33?PM (MST)

>
>What I'd like to think this
>effort will be a research
>effort that will determine, "How
>To Successfully Transplant Mule Deer
>In The Western Arid States".
>
>
>Rather than just put them out
>there and monitor what happens
>and record the results, lets
>hope they will go at
>this with the intent to
>prove up "methods" of transplanting
>that will work so it
>can be repeated in hundreds
>of other locations throughout the
>western States.
>
>I'd like to see them go
>at this with the attitude
>that "We're going to do
>whatever it takes to make
>this transplant a success", rather
>than a, "this is what
>happens when you release a
>100 mule deer in a
>new location" experiment.
>
>I'll wager this: "Give BobCat,
>Slamdunk, and Stomper a million
>dollars and the same authority
>the Fish and Game Biologists
>have and 90% of these
>deer will reproduce and grow
>from 100 to 500 with
>in three years". Desire
>and ambition will prove you
>can successfully transplant mule deer.
>

Actually, this is a learning study. That's why we killed coyotes at the release site; the reasons for the two types of collars, the intense monitoring, the collared Pahvant resident control group, the sedated vs non-sedated groups, the early winter transplant vs late winter (March) transplant, the antibiotics shots and the surprising ultra-sound pregnancy test which showed that the 30 deer captured on Monday away from town were bred early per the size of the fetuses, while all but one of the 21 deer captured nearer the Parowan airport, (one on airport property), were apparently bred late. (I'm guessing the bucks don't like being around people and cars and airplanes that much!) I may have missed some other aspects of this study, but it's the type you seem to be asking for. Whatever the results, we will learn a lot.

Now whether or not this leads to further studies depends on the results and, of course, those ever-impending POLITICS! It takes MONEY, wouldn't you know!

Edited: Sorry for the double entry, but I left to eat breakfast and didn't think the first one took!
 
Hope it pays huge dividends. Hopefully out winter kill isnt bad this year we need some 40 degree weather so they dont have to dig for the feed.
 
An update:

So far, 3 collared does have died, 2 transplanted and 1 resident. In the short time before the sites were investigated, the carcasses had been ravaged by scavengers to the point it was hard to determine the cause of death. But one of the transplanted deer was a doe that we had trouble with on the table because she hyperventilated and heated up (106*) to the point we had to scramble to get enough snow to try to cool her down. I guess the trauma was too much for her. The others seem to be doing well, especially since we had that cold spell, but it's still too early to tell. I don't know how much they scattered, if at all, but I'll try to give you updates about every other week.

Lee Tracy, So. Region Chair
United Wildlife Cooperative
 
My hats off to the UDWR. At least they are doing something, and if anything, the research will lead to answers. I know they issued a lot of doe permits on the east front range from Cedar to Paragonah. It's good to see some of this surplus transplanted to other areas as opposed to the freezer. Many sportman seem to have an opinion these days in regards to our decline in mule deer.However, these mortality studies should provide the right answers so we can put the money towards real solutions that aren't dreamed up by SFW and MM armchair biologists.
 
>My hats off to the UDWR.
>At least they are doing
>something, and if anything, the
>research will lead to answers.
>I know they issued a
>lot of doe permits on
>the east front range from
>Cedar to Paragonah. It's good
>to see some of this
>surplus transplanted to other areas
>as opposed to the freezer.
>Many sportman seem to have
>an opinion these days in
>regards to our decline in
>mule deer.However, these mortality studies
>should provide the right answers
>so we can put the
>money towards real solutions that
>aren't dreamed up by SFW
>and MM armchair biologists.


"Dreamed up by SFW" This Project was funded by SFW.
 
Thanks for the Update Lee. I was starting to wonder if they were doing well or poor. I look foreward to your next update.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-13 AT 03:41PM (MST)[p]An update per David Smedley, BYU grad student, via Lee Tracy,

Lab results from the chronic wasting disease (CWD) tests came back from Colorado State University. CWD was not detected in any of the translocated deer.

Our Tuesday flight was canceled due to snow and we are waiting to reschedule.

We had one translocated deer mortality this week. This deer was found 1.2 miles northeast of its release site (4th release). Cause of death appeared to be predation as there was blood on the fur near the throat and one hindquarter had been fed on. The Utah Vetrinary Diagnostics lab in Nephi confirmed these suspicions as they identified puncture wounds on the throat and noted that all the organs appeared healthy. Although tracking conditions were not ideal (hard, crusty snow), we did observe what appeared to be small felid tracks (perhaps from a bobcat).

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 48 of 49 resident deer and 47 of 48 (remaining) translocated deer. We have noticed a little more movement within the last week, but deer are still near release areas. From a small hill one mile south of the second and third release sites, we can hear more than 50 resident and translocated deer each time we listen for them. From this point most of the deer are spread north, northeast, and east. There are also a bunch of deer between the 1st and 4th release sites.

We are still missing one translocated deer (likely moved) and one resident deer (suspect radio failure). Both these deer were also missing last week and despite listening for each of these deer far to the south and north, we have been unable to hear them. They will be the focus of our efforts on the next flight.

We've now carefully (without disturbing them) observed 8 different translocated deer. Each has been associated with groups of resident deer. In the coming weeks, we will focus our efforts on carefully observing the remaining translocated deer (very time consuming) to determine the percentage that are integrated into groups of resident deer.

In summary, translocated deer have remained near release areas and appear to be integrating into the resident population. We've had four total mortalities (1 of 50 resident deer, 3 of 51 translocated deer). One of the translocated deer died of obvious capture myopathy (temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of capture) within a day of release. We are missing one translocated deer (likely moved) and one resident deer (suspect radio failure). Forty eight resident deer and 47 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley

Edited by Lee; All the release sites were east of Holden.
#1; GPS 39* 06.631' N 112* 13.606' W - 6800 N St/3600 E St
#2; GPS 39* 04.743' N 112* 15.574' W - Maple Hollow Rd/2400 E St
#3; Same as above
#4; GPS 39* 05.344' N 112* 13.343' W - Wide Canyon Rd

So far, so good, but it's still early.
Lee Tracy
UWC Southern Region Chair
 
Thanks for the up date. Very interesting.

Is there any way to get a look at the budget for this project, and where the funds come from, and how those funds break down?

Keep up the good work!
 
250K and many volunteers. Thank you SFW and all others involved (BYU, UDWR). So far so good lets hope that this effort is successful. Its just one more thing SFW is doing to increase our deer heard. Im proud to be a member :)
 
Cool! Keep us posted on the weekly updates. It would probably be worth moving to a thread where comments weren't allowed- for the sake of easy reading-of course comments could be started in other threads.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-13 AT 04:51PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-13 AT 04:44?PM (MST)

The latest!

From David Smedley, BYU grad student,

All,

Mule deer translocation update for February 2nd-February 8th

We had a flight on Friday and located the missing translocated deer and the missing resident deer. The missing translocated deer has moved approximately 4.5 miles northeast of it's release site (second release site). The missing resident deer (we suspect a weak collar) was near the same location we recorded on the last flight. This is approximately .3 miles north of a main road, but we have been unable to hear her from the ground. We will attempt to walk into this area next week and get a location on the ground.

We had one translocated deer mortality this week. This deer died between Wednesday February 6th and Friday February 8th. Mountain lion tracks suggest cougar predation.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 49 of 49 resident deer and 47 of 47 translocated deer. The farthest south we have recorded deer is approximately 4 miles south of the 2nd and 3rd release sites. The farthest north we have recorded deer is approximately 1.5 miles north of the 1st release site. Most translocated deer can still be heard from the release sites.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 14 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. The deer that was observed alone had a noticeable limp, though it is unknown if the injury is related to the capture or occured following the release. (Note from Lee/elkfromabove, This could be the deer that had the deep leg cut from a sharp rock during the capture and that was stitched up on the table, but we'll have to wait and see.)

We obtained a UHF receiver this week which will allow us to download data from the GPS collars beginning next week.

In summary, translocated deer have remained near release areas and appear to be integrating into the resident population. We've had five total mortalities (1 of 50 resident deer, 4 of 51 translocated deer). At least one of the translocated deer died of capture myopathy. Forty nine resident deer and 47 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley
 
what a great study! so 1 in 51 died from intitial translocation and others from predators! bobcats and a lion. Deer are still in the area and have integrated (how awesome!)! Its still early but this translocation looks to be a great step in helping the deer herd! This really excites me to see the deer doing so well! I think we are truly seeing what predators can do. a bobcat killing a full grown deer! just goes to show that those 25 coyotes removed likely saved several deer also! Im excited to keep hearing the updates! Good job SFW, Volunteers and DWR! I hoping to volunteer for the next translocation! I m really excited to see how this carries out! If that many deer have integrated into the resident herds that is a great sign that these deer can find their way between winter and summer ranges and stay in the areas!
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-12-13 AT 06:35PM (MST)[p]This is not an update per se, but I did get a chance to talk to Teresa, Southern Region DWR big game manager, who is heading up this transplant and she first told me that the dates for the second phase of the transplant had been moved forward one day. It's now Tuesday March 5th and Wednesday March 6th. That's because the helicopter company (DragonFly) will take 3 days (not 2) to do the second phase of the Monroe doe/fawn study.

She than mentioned that it was too early to determine the success of the transplant because most of the "winter kill" deaths actually happen in April due the poor body conditions of the deer having to get through the winter, the change in winter diet to spring diet and the annual migration back to summer range which is now far away. And it's especially hard on a doe because of the toll the growing fetuses have had on her body and because of the increased weight of the fetuses which hamper and slow down her movements. The project is going well so far, but there's a lot of time left in it. Remember, this is a STUDY and the results will provide a lot of information whichever way it turns out. In any case, our thanks to the BYU students who are monitoring the deer with a LOT of ground work.
 
A HUGE pat on the back to all of the Sportsmen that FREAKED out over the Proposed DOE hunt in this area.

Everyone who called, complained, etc made this happen.

Great job all.
 
>A HUGE pat on the back
>to all of the Sportsmen
>that FREAKED out over the
>Proposed DOE hunt in this
>area.
>
>Everyone who called, complained, etc made
>this happen.
>
>Great job all.

There won't be anymore trans-located deer with the exception of another 50 this March until after the end of the study in about three years. Meantime all you who FREAKED out over the proposed DOE hunts in this area had better get used to the fact that if we aren't taking mouths off that range (to the tune of at least 300 per year) a herd of almost 9000 could be destroyed because some people didn't take the time to understand why culling is exactly what this winter range needs. Be it by a few being trans-located or taken by hunters (opportunity), its a sound management principle that has a more immediate impact on the habitat and resident population than even juniper eradication or chaining does. There isn't one HERD, there are HERDS. Have a nice day and Lee, thanks again for the updates.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-21-13 AT 07:48PM (MST)[p]Another update. I'm sorry it's late, but I had to find another source and now it's 3rd-hand instead of 2nd-hand, so please be patient.

All,

Mule deer translocation update for Feb 9th-Feb 15th

Additional lab results associated with translocated deer came back showing general agreement between the ultrasound assessment of pregnancy and a hormone test using blood. Because the initial capture (early January) was early term (conception in November or December associated with the rut(s), there was potential to miss pregnancies with the ultrasound. In summary, hormone tests suggest all but 5 of the 51 translocated deer were pregnant when captured. All but one of these was suspected as open based on ultrasound. Thanks Leslie! (Note from Lee; I understood at the site that all of them were pregnant and have said so on this forum and others. I apologize for the error.)

We were unable to hear the 1 resident deer with a suspect collar (weak signal) from the ground this week. We hiked into the area near the location we marked on the flight last week, but were unable to detect the signal. We also listened from the different locations surrounding the area where she was located on the flight without success. As we move forward, we may only have sporadic contact with this deer on flights.

We had one translocated deer mortality this week. This deer died between Mon Feb 11th and Wed Feb 13th. Mountain lion tracks and caching of the carcass suggest cougar predation. This deer was found approximately .50 (1/2) miles east of the deer killed last week by a cougar and we suspect the same animal is responsible for both events. Both of these deer were in dense junipers at higher elevations than the majority of resident and other translocated deer which may have put them at increased risk of predation.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 48 of 49 resident deer (missing the resident deer with a weak signal) and 46 of 46 translocated deer.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 15 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts over the next several weeks.

This week, we downloaded data from 5 GPS collars (3 translocated deer and 2 resident deer). These 5 GPS collars appear to be working well. Thanks to Kent for helping with remote downloads and initial programming of GPS collars. The kmz file shows translocated deer are using the same general area as the resident deer, but that their movements and habitat are more widespread and dispersed. Over the next couple of weeks, we will continue remote downloads (need to be within a few hundred meters between 6am and noon) on remaining GPS collars (total GPS collars = 18).

In summary, we've had six total mortalities (1 of 50 resident deer, 5 of 51 translocated deer). At least one of the translocated deer died of capture myopathy (106* temperature). Forty eight resident deer (missing one with weak radio signal) and 46 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

We urge caution when interpreting these results as they are preliminary.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

Dave Smedley (BYU)



Well folks, another update coming next week (hopefully), but in the meanwhile remember, we have another 50 doe transplant on March 5th and 6th and you're welcome to join us to help or observe, BUT CALL DWR FIRST! 435-865-6100

Lee Tracy
UWC Southern Region Chair
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-13 AT 05:58PM (MST)[p]
>Well folks, another update coming next
>week (hopefully), but in the
>meanwhile remember, we have another
>50 doe transplant on March
>5th and 6th and you're
>welcome to join us to
>help or observe, BUT CALL
>DWR FIRST! 435-865-6100
>
>Lee Tracy
>UWC Southern Region Chair

I'm sorry, but we haven't received an update on the 1st session of the deer transplant for several weeks now, but I can tell you what happened this last Tuesday and Wednesday with the 2nd session.

Remember, this is a 100 doe transplant and in early January we moved 51 does (one more than was scheduled), so Tuesday and Wednesday we were scheduled to move another 50.

Tuesday was clear, calm and relatively warm and the DragonFly (helicopter) crew was able to locate and capture the deer quite quickly. We were at the Parowan Airport because BLM didn't want us tearing up their muddy roads where we were originally scheduled to start, so DragonFly had to fly further south nearer the airport, which turned out well because we were able to watch them net and capture several on airport property. Those guys are amazing (crazy!). After netting a deer, one of the crew would leap from the chopper and man-handle the deer in the net in order to blindfold, hobble and bag her. And meanwhile, the chopper would go look for another one. Once they had 2 (or 3 or 4) of them down and secured, they would land and pick them up like fish on a stringer. As rough as they were capturing them and picking them up, they were as gentle as can be dropping them off.

Tuesday we captured 31 animals and all but one of them were pregnant. We processed these deer the same as session #1, but tagged them with red tags instead of yellow tags so we know the difference. And because it was warmer this time around, we had to ice down about 1/2 of them while on the tables. Let's hope we did enough and we don't lose any of them to capture myopathy (high temp, stress, shock). There was some scrapes and bruises during the capture but nothing serious. And there was one that had to be sewn up due to bleeding from the snipet of tissue cut from the rear to test for CWD, but it wasn't a big deal either.

Unfortunately, Wednesday's weather was quite different than Tuesday's. It was cold, cloudy and WINDY which meant the deer weren't out in the open that much and the chopper wasn't as steady in flight or for the net gun and since the bucks have lost their antlers, it was harder to see what the crew was chasing. And even though we had started one hour earlier (7:00am), we only had 4 does by 10:30 and it was just too risky and unproductive to continue, so we shut down after SFW's brunch. That meant we were 15 deer short of our quota, so we'll have to finish up later this month. They're now talking next Tuesday or Thursday, but you'll have to call them to find out.

FWIW, I asked Dave Smedley, the BYU grad student doing the study, to email me directly so we should get updates first-hand. Also FWIW, I was under the impression that Dave had a crew doing the legwork (hiking to death sites, taking pictures, watching the deer, etc.), but it's him and another student doing all of that. We have a lot to thank him for. He's awesome!

Well, we'll update as we get info. In the meanwhile, feel free to ask questions and make comments, but remember, this is a 3 year study and it's way too early to draw conclusions regarding the outcome.

Lee Tracy
UWC
 
Great report, sound like the plan is taking shape, the first bunch seems to be doing well, But 3 years will tell the story on the whole thing.Keep the updates coming.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-13 AT 01:30PM (MST)[p]The latest update (In spite of 2 computer crashes/repairs, a 3 day fishing trip, a new source of updates, at least one missed update and a missed final session of the transplant. Sorry!)

Mule deer translocation update for March 9th - March 15th

Thank you to all of those who helped finish with the last part of the second translocation (Tuesday March 12th). All 16 deer captured near Parowan and released near Holden were pregnant. Two of the 51 deer captured for the second translocation were not pregnant.

We had two translocated deer mortalities this week and one resident mortality. One translocated deer released on Tuesday appears to have died of capture-related causes. (Note from Lee- Since I missed that session, I'm not sure what happened, but I'll try to find out.) The other translocated deer was found shot in the chest by a small caliber firearm near a dirt road. We also suspect the resident deer mortality identified this week was shot though no obvious bullet wounds were evident. This deer was found near the same road where the translocated deer was shot and killed. We've contacted the local conservation officer with this information and an investigation is currently underway. The resident deer we suspect as being poached has been taken to the Utah Veternary Diagnostic Laboratory in Nephi for comfirmation and if shot, hopefully retrieval of the bullet. In addition, we've increased surveillance of radio-marked deer and deployed remote cameras to assist with monitoring.

We've listened for radio signals 2 times since the last update and identified the general location of 48 resident deer and 92 of 94 translocated deer.

We are currently missing two translocated deer. One of these deer we have not heard since it was released in March. The other deer has been located off and on each week since it was released in January. We have a flight scheduled this week (pending weather conditions) and will focus on locating these two missing deer.

This week we downloaded data from 3 GPS collars. We have now downloaded data from a total of 15 GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well (Thanks Kent!). This information from these GPS collars will be valuable as we continue to evaluate habitat selection and movement patterns of translocated deer.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 20 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts.

We worked on production of an article for "The Sportsmen's Voice" detailing the first few months of this project.

In summary, we've had 9 (sic)(10) total mortalities (2 of 50 resident deer, 8 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. Forty eight resident deer and 92 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

We continue to urge caution when interpreting these results as we are only a couple months into this project. We suspect (sic) to learn much more in the coming months - particularly as we move into the periods of spring migration and parturition (birth).

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


See ya again soon, (I hope)
Lee Tracy
UWC Southern Chair
 
Another update:

All,

Mule deer translocation update for March 16th - March 22nd

We received results from the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory on the resident deer we took in last week (we suspected as poached). It appears to have died of cancer.

During the flight on Tuesday, we were able to locate one of the missing translocated deer but were unable to locate 2 other translocated deer. Both of these deer are from the 2nd translocation. We have not heard one of these deer since it was released. The other signal was heard faintly during the first week but was not heard this week.

We had two translocated deer mortalities this week and one resident deer mortality. One translocated deer collar was retrieved Monday the 18th and appears to be a cougar predation. It was found near the area as the other 2 cougar kills, in dense junipers. The other translocated deer mortality cannot be confirmed with a carcass as the collar was found hanging on a fence (3/22/2013). It appears that the collar was cut with a knife and we suspect this deer was poached. We suspect the resident deer mortality was due to coyote predation. The carcass was completely consumed, including some of the legs, and the collar was chewed through.

We've listened for radio signals 2 times since the last update and identified the general location for 47 of 47 resident deer and 90 of 92 translocated deer. We will continue to search for the two missing translocated deer.

This week, we downloaded data from 2 GPS collars. We have now downloaded data from a total of 17 GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We were able to observe 2 of the deer from the second translocation this week. Both of these deer were feeding with a group of resident deer. We have now observed 22 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts.

In summary, we've had 13 total mortalities (3 of 50 resident deer, 10 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for two of the translocated deer. Forty seven resident deer and 90 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen

Until next time!
Lee Tracy
United Wildlife Cooperative
Southern Region Chair
 
The latest;

All,

Mule deer translocation update for March 23rd-March 29th

We have no additional mortalities to report this week for either resident or translocated deer.

Last week we recovered a collar from a translocated deer and found it hanging on a fence. The week, we returned to the area and found hair on the fence as well as the ground where the collar was hanging. We were unable to find a carcass and it is unknown what happened to this deer, but we believe the collar was cut.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 47 of 47 resident deer and 88 of 92 translocated deer. We have been unable to locate 4 translocated deer this week. One of these deer is from the first translocation and the other 3 are from the second translocation. We listened for 2 of the 4 on the last flight, but could not locate them.

We are starting to see more movement as spring arrives. We located one translocated deer (1st translocation) near Kanosh this week (approximately 20 miles south of its release site) and 3 translocated deer (second translocation) in Fillmore which is approximately 10 miles south of their release sites. The majority of the translocated deer, however, can still be heard from their release sites, though there appears to be more movements north and south than we have previously observed.

This week, we downloaded data from 3 GPS collars. We have now downloaded data from a total of 20 GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 27 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

In summary, we've had 13 total mortalities (3 of 50 resident deer, 10 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. we suspect poaching as the cause of death for two of the translocated deer. Forty seven resident deer and 88 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


No known deaths this week, but they are moving!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
"The problem with quotes on Internet Forums is that it is often difficult to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-02-13 AT 09:45AM (MST)[p]>"The problem with quotes on Internet
>Forums is that it is
>often difficult to verify their
>authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln

Really? I thought you couldn't put anything on the internet that wasn't true!

Lee Tracy,
UBA Regional Bow (and arrow) Inspector
SFW Virtual Iron Chapter President-elect
MDF Southern Utah Marketing Manager
RMEF Western States Sagebrush Consultant
SCI Quarterly Grill Master
NRA Primetime Makeup Advisor

Oh, yeah, I forgot, United Wildlife Cooperative Southern Region Chair (or Advisor if you go by my card).
 
:)

I just wanted in on the updates as I am very interested in the progress and results of this project.

I appreciate your updates.

That was funny though!


"The problem with quotes on Internet Forums is that it is often difficult to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-07-13 AT 10:29PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-07-13 AT 10:25?PM (MST)

The latest: (Dedicated to O_S_O_K, sorta)

All,

Mule deer translocation update for March 30th-April 5th

We had one translocated deer mortality this week. This deer was part of the 2nd translocation and was found 8.75 miles north of its release site, on the west side of the freeway (I-15). The carcass was mostly consumed. It looks to have been fed on by coyotes but the cause of death is unknown.

We are currently missing 3 translocated deer (1 from the January translocation and 2 from the March translocation). Two of these deer were not located on the last flight. The other deer has been located off and on since January.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 47 of 47 resident deer and 89 (sic-88) of 92 (sic-91) translocated deer.

This week, we downloaded data from 2 GPS collars. We have now downloaded data from a total of 22 GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 29 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

In summary, we've had 14 total mortalities (3 of 50 resident deer, 11 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death of for two of the translocated deer. Forty seven resident deer and 89 (sic-88)translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Thanks again, guys!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
Ahhhhhhh, thanks Lee!

:)


"The problem with quotes on Internet Forums is that it is often difficult to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
 
Thanks for the updates.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Nice work and thank you. I only wish Washington would do the same thing for our deer herds.....


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-16-13 AT 12:05PM (MST)[p]The latest update!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for April 6th - April 12th.

We hade two resident deer mortalities the week. We found one deer near Fillmore that appeared to be a yearling and was mostly consumed. The second mortality was near Holden. This deer was mostly consumed as well, with the carcass being in multiple pieces. The collar was no longer attached to the deer but was found next to part of the carcass.

We are currently missing 3 translocated deer (1 from the January translocation and 2 from the March translocation). These are the same three deer we have been missing for the past couple of weeks.

We've listened for radio signals 2 times since the last update and identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 88 of 91 translocated.

This week, we downloaded data from 2 GPS collars. We have now downloaded data from a total of 24 GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 31 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

In summary, we've had 16 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 11 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for two of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 88 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

Please forward to any that are interested.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


It's unfortunate that scavengers are so good at dining! But I think we'll be able to figure out what percentages of deaths are do to predation, accidents, illness or poaching at the end of the study based on what we do know and any additional autopsies. In any case, we'll be able to get close.

Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
Oh, and SFW is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the poacher(s) that are responsible for at least two of the dead deer. Just call the TIP (Turn in poachers) hotline at 1-800-662-3337 for ANY info you may have or may have heard.
 
I'm sorry for the delay in this update. I guess I must have deleted my email from Dave earlier, so I just received it from Giani at the Southern Region DWR office.

All,

Mule deer translocation update for April 13th - April 19th

We had one translocated deer mortality this week. This deer was found buried under a tree. Most of the carcass was missing and with fresh snow, we were unable to identify the predator associated with this mortality.

We are currently missing 3 translocated deer (1 from the January translocation and 2 from the March translocation). These are the same three deer we have been missing for several weeks now. We will continue to search for them (including during flights).

We've listened for radio signals 2 times since the last update and identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 87 of 90 translocated deer.

We are starting to see some movement of both resident and translocated deer. We currently have 4 translocated deer near Fillmore (approximately 9 miles south of Holden) and 3 translocated deer near Kanosh (approximately 20 miles south of Holden). We have yet to see much movement east (up the mountain) by either resident or translocated deer, perhaps due to recent heavy snows.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 32 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

In summary, we've had 17 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 12 of 102 translocated deer). At least three of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for two of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 87 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next week!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>Love the updates, thank you!

You're welcome! Here's the latest.

All,

Mule deer translocation update for April 20th - 26th.

We had two translocated deer mortalities this week (1 from the first translocation and 1 from the second translocation). Both deer were found within 2.5 miles of their release sites. Cause of death is unknown as both carcasses were completely consumed when the collars were recovered. Neither carcass had been cached.

We are currently missing 3 translocated deer (1 from the January translocation and 2 from the March translocation). These are the same 3 deer we have been missing for several weeks now. We will continue to search for them (including monthly flights).

We've listened for radio signals 2 times since the last update and identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 85 of 88 translocated deer.

We currently have 10 translocated deer near Fillmore (aproximately 9 miles south of Holden) and 3 translocated deer near Kanosh (approximately 20 miles south of Holden). We are starting to hear signals to the east (up the mountain).

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 34 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

We have continued to download GPS collars each week. We have initial downloads for all but 2 of the GPS collars. We will focus on downloading these two collars during the upcoming week in preparation for some preliminary space use and movement analysis.

In summary, we've had 19 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 14 of 102 translocated deer). At least 3 of of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for 2 of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 85 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


With the increased movement and the upcoming fawning, the next several weeks should be interesting. Stay tuned!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>
>With the increased movement and the
>upcoming fawning, the next several
>weeks should be interesting. Stay
>tuned!
>Lee Tracy (UWC)


The plot thickens!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for April 27th - May 4th

We had one translocated deer mortality this week (from the second translocation). This deer was found partially covered under a tree 5.1 miles northeast of its release site, higher up the mountain than most of our deer have been found previously. Tracks and caching of the carcass suggest mountain lion predation.

We are currently missing 4 translocated deer (2 from the January translocation and 2 from the March translocation). Three of these deer have been missing for several weeks, with one new deer that wasn't heard this week. These deer will be the focus of telemetry flights this month.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 83 of 87 translocated deer.

We currently have 11 translocated deer near Fillmore (approximately 9 miles south of Holden) and 2 translocated deer near Kanosh (approximately 20 miles south of Holden). We have 2 deer that can only be heard on hwy 50 about 8 miles south of Scipio (Hwy 50 runs between Scipio and Salina). The snow receded enough to allow these deer to move over the top of the mountain, slightly northeast of where they were released.

We have continued to carefully (without disturbing them) observe translocated deer. We have now observed 38 different translocated deer. All but one of them has been associated with groups of resident deer. Although time intensive, we will continue these efforts as time permits.

We have continued to download GPS collars each week. We have intial downloads for all but 1 of the GPS collars, all of which appear to be working well (Thanks Kent!).

In summary, we've had 20 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 15 of 102 translocated deer). At least 3 of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for 2 of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 83 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


FWIW, David will be giving an update on this project and the Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study at the upcoming Southern RAC meeting this Tuesday in Richfield at 7:00pm. I imagine he'll be willing to answer some questions if you're interested.
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>
>>
>>With the increased movement and the
>>upcoming fawning, the next several
>>weeks should be interesting. Stay
>>tuned!
>
>The plot thickens!
>
>FWIW, David will be giving an
>update on this project and
>the Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study at
>the upcoming Southern RAC meeting
>this Tuesday in Richfield at
>7:00pm. I imagine he'll be
>willing to answer some questions
>if you're interested.
>Lee Tracy (UWC)


The latest update!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for May 5th - May 11th.

We have no additional mortalities to report this week.

We were able to locate one of the deer (alive) that has been missing for the last few weeks. With the location of this deer, we are now only missing 3 translocated deer. We will focus on locating these deer on our upcoming flight.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 84 of 87 translocated deer.

We have a flight scheduled for the beginning of next week. During the flight we will focus on locating missing deer, downloading locations from GPS collars and getting GPS coordinates for deer that have moved the furthest from their release sites.

In summary, we've had 20 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 15 of 102 translocated deer). At least 3 of the translocated deer mortalties were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for 2 of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 84 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest ans support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


It is getting interesting and the plot is thickening, but not in the way I/we expected. It's still way too early to draw any conclusions, but the pattern is definately not what we've been lead to believe about past studies. I'm not sure if past studies were much more casual or if there weren't enough of them done to reach a proper conclusion or if this study is so different/advanced that we are now finding ways to reduce the deer mortalities, but I'm liking the results so far!

On another note (sorta), the two presentations at the Southern RAC were excellent! These guys know what they're doing! Dr. Randy, not David, did the translocation presentation and not only brought us up to date on the results, but gave us further insight into the planning that went before it. For instance, the Pahvant was chosen as the release site because it not only could use the additional deer, but it has the same basic vegetation as the Parowan Front capture site (Wyoming sagebrush, bitterbrush, agriculture, etc.), the same geographic orientation (mountains to the east, freeway on the west, towns in the valley, etc.) and similar elevations (500 foot difference). Also, some of the other procedures at the capture site will show results during and after the fawning.

The other presentation on the Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study was made by Dr. Brock McMillan (BYU). We were given details about how the vaginal implants work and what they looked like, why the crew waits 4 to 6 hours before they start their search for fawns (It gives the doe and fawns time to fully bond and nurse and smell each other so the doe doesn't abandon the fawns after being handled by humans.), why they capture at 4 different locations (pre-study coyote removal vs. non-removal switching every other year, different migration patterns, etc.), the testing, weighing and collaring of the fawns, the collaring of the coyotes, etc. It was very interesting to watch! And we (BOTH public members of the audience) did get to ask questions, which we did. In fact, it was so interesting that the RAC decided to make these kinds of presentations at nearly every RAC meeting, especially when the agenda is light and less controversial. They're going to try to schedule someone from the USU coyote study next. I hope this catches on!

In any case, it's now time for you/us to help out! No, they don't need your money this time, they need your body! From June 5th to June 20th, they need people to locate and handle all the fawns that hit the ground on the Monroe study. The median fawning date is June 13th, but the window is a week on either side and those fawns drop quickly when it's time! Call the Southern Region DWR office for details (435-865-6100).

Until next time,
Lee Tracy (UWC)

PS, Good luck in the draws!
 
>>
>The other presentation on the Monroe
>doe/fawn/coyote study was made by
>Dr. Brock McMillan (BYU). We
>were given details about how
>the vaginal implants work and
>what they looked like, why
>the crew waits 4 to
>6 hours before they start
>their search for fawns (It
>gives the doe and fawns
>time to fully bond and
>nurse and smell each other
>so the doe doesn't abandon
>the fawns after being handled
>by humans.), why they capture
>at 4 different locations (pre-study
>coyote removal vs. non-removal switching
>every other year, different migration
>patterns, etc.), the testing, weighing
>and collaring of the fawns,
>the collaring of the coyotes,
>etc. It was very interesting
>to watch! And we (BOTH
>public members of the audience)
>did get to ask questions,
>which we did. In fact,
>it was so interesting that
>the RAC decided to make
>these kinds of presentations at
>nearly every RAC meeting, especially
>when the agenda is light
>and less controversial. They're going
>to try to schedule someone
>from the USU coyote study
>next. I hope this catches
>on!
>
>In any case, it's now time
>for you/us to help out!
>No, they don't need your
>money this time, they need
>your body! From June 5th
>to June 20th, they need
>people to locate and handle
>all the fawns that hit
>the ground on the Monroe
>study. The median fawning date
>is June 13th, but the
>window is a week on
>either side and those fawns
>drop quickly when it's time!
>Call the Southern Region DWR
>office for details (435-865-6100).
>
>Until next time,
>Lee Tracy (UWC)
>
>PS, Good luck in the draws!
>


The latest!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for May 12th - May 18th.

We had 4 translocation deer mortalities this week (2 from the 1st translocation, 2 from the 2nd translocation). One deer appears to have been hit by a vehicle as it was found in the median along I-15 near Holden. We also found another translocated deer near Highway 50 that is currently at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Nephi for a necropsy. This deer did not show obvious signs of a vehicle collision, but was found near the highway. The third deer was killed by a cougar. The fourth deer died from unkown causes. This deer was found with a large open wound on her right front shoulder. We also discovered that she was carrying triplets, although one of the fetuses was not well developed and likely would not have been viable.

In addition, we found 1 translocated deer collar that appeared to have malfuntioned and fallen off.

During a flight on Tuesday, we located one of the deer that has been missing for the last few weeks. This deer was found near Manderfield (approximately 50 miles south of where it was released). We are currently missing 3 (sic, 4) that we will continue to search for from the ground and during upcoming flights.

We've listened for radio signals 3 times since the last update and identified the general location of 45 of 45 resident deer and 80 of 83 (sic, 84) translocated deer.

We have noticed a lot of movement by both resident deer and translocated deer this week. We have deer on the west and east sides of the Pahvant as well as on top.

In summary, we've had 23 mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 18 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. At least 3 of the translocated deer mortalities were related to the capture. We suspect poaching as the cause of death for 2 of the translocated deer. Forty five resident deer and 80 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest ans support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


I'll let the update speak for itself!
Don't forget the request for help on the Monroe study!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
I said it would get more interesting! It has!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for May 19th - May 25th

We had 3 translocated deer mortalities this week (1 from the 1st translocation, 2 from the 2nd translocation). All three of these deer were found on winter range between Holden and Fillmore. They were mostly consumed and patially torn apart (not cached) when we retrieved the collars, leaving little to determine cause of death.

Both resident deer and translocated deer have continued to move this week. We have deer on the west and east sides of the Pahvant from Scipio to Beaver. The majority of translocated deer are between Kanosh and Scipio. The majority of resident deer are between Fillmore and Scipio (both west and east sides of the Pahvant), although we have one resident deer south of I-70.

During our flight on Tuesday we located one of the deer that has been missing for the last couple of months. This deer was located just south of Beaver, but west of I-15. We now have deer as far as 18 miles northeast of the release sites and approximately 70 miles south of the release sites. We expect movements to settle down in the next couple of weeks as deer enter summer patterns.

We are currently missing 5 translocated deer that we will continue to search for from the ground and during upcoming flights.

Since the last update we have identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 75 of 80 translocated deer.

In summary, we've had 26 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 21 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. Forty five resident deer and 75 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest ans support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next week,
Lee Tracy (UWC)

P.S. Remember that your help is needed June 5th - June 20th for the Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study. Call DWR Southern office 435-865-6100.
 
Good stuff! The relocation has been quite is quite the success (so far). We appreciate the ongoing reports.
 
How long will it taken until they are "here to stay in the new area" and are considered resident deer.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
LAST EDITED ON May-28-13 AT 09:31AM (MST)[p]>How long will it taken until
>they are "here to stay
>in the new area"
>and are considered resident deer.
>
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]

As far as the study goes, they won't be resident deer until 2016 after they learn the local language and we finish all the paperwork, but in the meanwhile they are allowed to take advantage of all the benefits and their babies will be considered legal residents! You know how that works, right? :)
 
The latest!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for May 26 - June 1.

We had 1 translocation deer mortalaity this week (1st translocation). We suspect this deer was killed by a vehicle collision as it was found between the north and south lanes of I-15 near Kanosh.

There has been a little more movement south by a number of translocated deer, but many appear to be settling down and moving less after 2 very active weeks. The majority of deer are located between Scipio and I-70 with many on top of the Pahvant Range.

We are currently missing 6 translocated deer and 1 resident deer. Two of the translocated deer have been missing for several months. We have a general idea where some of the other missing deer are and should be able to locate them during our flight at the beginning of next week.

Since the last update we have identified the general location for 44 of 45 resident deer and 72 of 78 translocated deer.

In summary, we've had 28 mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 23 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. We have had 11 mortalities from the first translocation and 12 mortalities from the second translocation. Forty four resident deer and 72 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)



The fawning season is coming up during the next couple of weeks and we'll see how that turns out.

As a reminder, Brock (McMillan) could use some help with the Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study for the next couple of weeks during the fawning season when the doe vaginal implants drop out with the newborn fawns. We need to locate and collar and weigh the fawns, so if you live in the area and/or have some time and would like to participate, call the Southern Region DWR office at 435-865-6100 for more info.

Until next week,
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>The latest!
>
>As a reminder, Brock (McMillan) could
>use some help with the
>Monroe doe/fawn/coyote study for the
>next couple of weeks during
>the fawning season when the
>doe vaginal implants drop out
>with the newborn fawns. We
>need to locate and collar
>and weigh the fawns, so
>if you live in the
>area and/or have some time
>and would like to participate,
>call the Southern Region DWR
>office at 435-865-6100 for more
>info.
>
All,

Mule deer translocation update for June 2 - June 8

We had 2 translocated deer mortalities this week (1st and 2nd translocations). We suspect one of these deer to be a cougar predation as it was found partially cached (approximately 26 miles south of its release site). The other deer was found in heavy pines on the east side of the Pahvant (approximately 15 miles southeast of its release site). There was no evidence of cause of death as the deer was found completely consumed and not cached.

We are currently missing 5 translocated deer. One of the translocated deer was last located near Beaver, 2 were last located on the east side of the Pahvant, and the other 2 have been missing for several months.

We currently have 3 deer south of I-70 and 2 deer east of Highway 50. The remaining deer are between Scipio and I-70.

We downloaded 1 GPS collar this week and got a visual on 1 translocated deer. This deer was alone.

Since the last update we have identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 71 of 76 translocated deer.

In summary, we've had 30 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 25 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. We have had 12 mortalities from the first translocation and 13 mortalities from the second translocation. Forty four resident deer and 71 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


In another week!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
Seems like
>things are going well.


Better than expected!

All,

Mule deer translocation update for June 9 - June 15.

We have no additional mortalities to report this week.

We are currently missing 4 translocated deer. Two of these deer have been missing for several months.

Since the last update we have identified the general location for 45 of 45 resident deer and 72 of 76 translocated deer.

In summary, we've had 30 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 25 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. Forty five resident deer and 72 translocated deer were accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Personally, it's interesting to see what ISN'T happening!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-26-13 AT 12:25PM (MST)[p]Sorry, but some updates are slower than others. This update is the first from Randy, not David and was a couple of days later. Additionally, he sent a kmz, not pdf, attachment which this computer challenged senior couldn't access until I got help from our UWC ViceChair (Shawn, aka klbzdad). In any case, I'm not going to try to include it in this update, but will forward Randy's full e-mail to any of you who request it ([email protected]). Meanwhile, you'll still be getting the basics.

Here's the update;

All,

David has been in the field most of last week and is there today - thus the update from me covering June 16 - June 22.

We had two translocated deer mortalities this week (first and second translocations). One of these deer was found east of Holden and the other deer was found southwest of Elsinore. Both deer appeared to be cougar kills as they were cached and found near drag marks.

By way of summary, the attached kmz file shows the spatial location of all mortalities to date. (Note from Lee, he then talks about the attachment.)

We received results from the lab on a translocated deer we submitted for necrospy last month. The lab diagnosed this deer with hemoglobinuric nephrosis and liver failure, though they were unable to isolate the cause behind this condition. Potential causes include a couple of common bacterial diseases.

We are currently missing 6 translocated deer. Three of these deer have not been heard from the ground or air for more than 1 month. The majority of translocated deer, however, seem to be settling into high-elevation summering areas on the Pahvant and are found in the same area each week.

In summary, we've had 32 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 27 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. Forty five resident deer and 68 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Over the next several weeks we will be very busy assessing reproductive output (number of fawns) for resident and translocated deer. Assessment of reproductive output will be the next big piece of information for this project.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)

(Randy Larsen, PhD and Assistant Curator of Birds, Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation Program, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, BYU.)

Until next week.
Lee Tracy (UWC)

Edited: Hemoglobinuric nephrosis = blood related kidney failure/disease, aka blue kidney.
 
The latest;

All,

Mule deer translocation update for June 23 - June 29.

We had 3 translocated deer mortalities this week (all from the second translocation). These deer were found between 7 and 14 kilometers (4.35 and 8.70 miles) from their release sites. There was very little evidence remaining (in part due to the heat) to determine cause of death.

We are currently missing 7 translocated deer. Three of these deer have not been heard from the ground or air for more than 1 month. While most of the translocated deer appear to have settled, we have a small number that continue to move.

We have begun the process of observing both translocated and resident deer to document reproductive output. We observed several deer this week, but did not see fawns with any resident or translocated deer although terrain and cover made for reduced visibility. We suspect deer are hiding fawns as we approach and anticipate easier detection of fawns over the comming weeks as they get older. These efforts will be the focus of the coming weeks.

In summary, we've had 35 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 30 of 102 translocated deer) and 1 slipped collar. Forty five resident deer and 63 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Many thanks to Dave and Randy for keeping on regardless of the weather. Next week!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
From: Randy Larsen
Sent: Wed 7/10/13 1:27 PM

All,

David has been in the field almost continually for the past few weeks.

Mule deer translocation update for June 30-July 6.

We had 1 translocated deer mortality this week (first translocation). This deer was found west of Junction, and south of its release site. There was very little evidence remaining (in part due to the heat) to determine cause of death. We also had 2 collars detach prematurely this week (1 resident, 1 translocated).

We are currently missing 6 translocated deer. Three of these deer have not been heard from the ground or air for more than 1 month.

We observed several deer this week looking for fawns, but did not see fawns with any resident or translocated deer. Several of the deer acted as if they had hidden fawns and we did stumble upon 2 fawns within 150 yards of a resident deer after seeing the doe. It appears that the females are still hiding fawns rather than allowing them to follow as we approach. Terrain and heavy cover make seeing the deer difficult and time consuming. Nonetheless, these efforts will continue to be the focus of the coming weeks and we expect fawns to be more readily observed as they get older.

Large thunderstorms arrived during the afternoon of several days leaving substantial rain (even some hail).

In summary, we've had 36 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 31 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 63 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next time,
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>Thanks again for all of your
>work and the updates.

You're welcome, but we hope you'll continue to be patient. The deer are scattering a bit further and faster and it's getting harder to locate them. Plus Dave is trying to get a general fawn to doe ratio in thick cover on steep slopes and it's taking more time.

In an case, here's the latest!

Mule deer translocation update for July 7 - July 20.

We've had 2 translocated deer mortalities in the last 2 weeks. We picked up 1 collar July 11, approximately 2 miles south of its release site. We were unable to find a carcass to determine cause of death, though there were teeth marks in the collar (leather strap) and antenna. We also found part of a leg bone nearby. We picked up the other collar July 18, 6.8 miles south of its release site. This deer had been missing for several weeks and for most of the past few months the radio has been very intermittent with a weak signal. We were unable to determine cause of death as the deer was completely consumed.

We are currently missing 8 translocated deer and 1 resident deer. Three of these deer have not been heard from the ground or air for more than 1 month. We hope to locate these missing deer this week or next on a flight.

We downloaded several GPS collars over the last couple of weeks. The files show the movements of 1 resident deer and 1 translocated from March - June. (They show) the translocated deer has demonstrated much more movement during May and June than the resident deer. We will continue to download collars and compare differences in movement, but a general pattern of increased movement for many of the translocated deer during May and June appears evident.

We documented the first evidence of reproduction for translocated deer this past week and observed a single fawn with one of the translocated deer on the North end of the Pahvant Range. This fawn was good size suggesting birth sometime near mid June. Observing fawns with females (both resident and translocated deer) has been challenging due to the steep terrain and thick cover many of the deer are located in. Females appear to be hiding fawns for much of the day as they are not trailing behind them consistently. As an example, we unsuccessfully attempted to observe fawns with this female on five different occasions prior to the successful observation last week. As the fawns get older, it will be easier to observe them and we expect much more information on reproduction for both resident (control group) and translocated deer over the next several weeks.

In summary, we've had 38 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 33 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty three resident and 59 translocated were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Again, 'til next time!
Lee Tracy (UWC)


FWIW, I asked more about the samples taken at the capture site and was told by the biologists at the Southern Region DWR office that the blood samples were tested for minerals (including selenium), white cell count as well as diseases, and there were no unusual results.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-05-13 AT 02:29PM (MST)[p]Again, the latest.

From David Smedley, Mon 8/05/13 9:46 AM

Mule deer translocation update for July 21-August 3.

We had two translocated deer mortalities (second translocation) since the last update, both of which were found this week less than 3 miles from their release areas. We were unable to determine cause of death as both carcasses were mostly consumed.

Despite a regularly scheduled flight, we are currently missing 7 translocated deer. These deer are unlikely to be on the Pahvant. We will continue to search for missing deer from the ground and on upcoming flights.

We've spent considerable time observing females during the past weeks and have carefully obtained visuals on 9 deer (4 resident deer and 5 transocated deer). Three resident deer had at least 1 fawn and 1 resident was not observed with any fawns. Two translocated deer had at least 1 fawn with 3 translocated deer observed without fawns. Terrain and cover have made visuals difficult and time consuming and we suspect females are still hiding some fawns as we approach. Many deer will require repeat visits to determine fawn numbers and reproductive success.

In summary, we've had 40 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer and 35 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 58 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


And thanks to you two (and your crew) for all your hard work!
Lee Tracy (UWC)

PS. A reminder that there is a $5,000 reward, via SFW, for the identification and prosecution of the person or persons who poached 2 of the collared deer near Holden on the week of March 9th-15th. If you live in the area or are traveling and make a rest stop in the area, you might want to inquire about the incident from the servers, clerks, or local residents. If you have any information call DWR's Poaching Hotine: 1-800-662-3337 or email: [email protected] or online: wildlife.utah.gov/utip.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-13 AT 11:44AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-13 AT 11:42?AM (MST)

The latest;

From David Smedley, Mon 8/12/13 10:47 AM

Mule deer translocation update for August 4 - August 10

We have no additional mortalities to report this week for either resident or translocated deer.

We are currently missing 6 translocated deer.

We have continued obtaining visuals on females and have now observed 23 deer (10 resident deer and 13 translocated deer).
Four resident deer and 4 translocated deer were observed with at least 1 fawn. The others were either observed without fawns or in cover too heavy to detect fawns. As we continue to get visuals on deer over the next few weeks, we will make repeat observations on those deer we have found without fawns.

In summary, we've had 40 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 35 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 59 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next time,
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
It's next time!

Mule deer translocation update for August 11 - August 17.

We picked up radios from 3 translocated deer (3 mortalities - Lee) this week (2 from the second translocation, 1 from the first translocation). We found 2 deer partially consumed underneath trees, though there was no evidence of carcass caching. The third deer appears to have died from natural causes as the entire unconsumed carcass was found. Unfortunately with the heat and associated tissue breakdown, we will be unable to determine exact cause of death for this deer with a necropsy.

We are currently missing 7 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them despite searching as far south as Cedar City.

We have continued observing both translocated and resident deer to document reproduction. We have now observed a total of 34 deer (18 resident deer and 16 translocated deer). Five resident deer and 4 translocated deer have been observed with at least 1 fawn. The others have either been without fawns (likely for some) or have hidden fawns as we approached in thick cover (likely for many). We expect the proportion of females observed with fawns to increase as we move into the Fall and fawns get older.

In summary, we've had 43 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 38 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 54 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Keep in mind that there are fawns dying alongside these does because they are not there to nurse and/or protect them. And also know that there haven't been many, if any, twins observed.
All of these things will come into play at the end of the study when determining the benefits and costs of doe hunts vs transplants to save/rebuild damaged winter range.
Until the next update, thanks for viewing.
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
Mule deer translocation update for August 18 - August 24

We picked up the radio from 1 translocated deer this week (first translocation). We found this collar in heavy cover, but were unable to locate any sign of a carcass. (Assumed to be a mortality. Lee)

We downloaded 5 GPS collars this week.

We are currently missing 7 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them on flights despite searching as far south as Cedar City.

We have continued observing both translocated and resident deer to document reproduction. We have now observed a total of 39 deer (20 resident deer and 19 translocated deer). Seven resident deer and 4 translocated deer have been observed with at least 1 fawn. The others have either been without fawns (likely for some) or have hidden fawns as we approached in thick cover (likely for many).

In summary, we've had 44 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 39 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 54 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for contiued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Nothing big is happening, but the translocated mortalities and MIA's continue.
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
This week's update.

Mule deer translocation update for August 25 - August 31.

We have no additional mortalities to report this week for either resident or translocated deer.

We are currently missing 7 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them on flights despite searching as far south as Cedar City.

We have continued observing both translocated and resident deer to document reproduction. We have now observed a total of 45 deer (21 resident deer and 24 translocated deer). Eight resident deer and 6 translocated deer have been observed with at least 1 fawn. The others have either been without fawns (likely for some) or have hidden fawns as we approached in thick cover (likely for many).

In summary, we've had 44 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 39 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 54 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Science isn't always exciting, but it is vital to managing our wildlife. We'll keep updating.
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-01-13 AT 01:53PM (MST)[p]Thanks for taking the time to post up these updates Lee, it's much appreciated! Personally, I'm most interested in seeing the overall survival/health comparisons of transplanted vs. resident adults, as well as the fecundity rate after the first year. Good stuff.


www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org
 
elkfromabove is enjoying family and the sometimes wonderful absence of a computer. He asked that I post the latest and greatest update on the translocation front:

Mule deer translocation update for September 1 - September 14.

?? We picked up 2 radios from translocated deer during the past two weeks (first and second translocations). Both deer were found in heavily forested areas on the west side of the Pahvant. One deer was completely consumed leaving little evidence to determine cause of death. We suspect that the other deer was killed by a cougar based on drag marks and location of the carcass.

?? We are currently missing 8 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them on flights despite searching as far south as Cedar City.

?? There has been some recent movement by some of the translocated deer during the last couple of weeks. Most of these movements have involved deer that have been on the east side of the Pahvant all summer moving back to the west side.

?? We've had 46 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 41 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Specific breakdown of the causes of mortality is as follows:


- bobcat predation = 1

- coyote predation = 6

- cougar predation = 13

- capture related causes = 3

- disease = 5

- poaching = 2

- roadkill = 3

- unknown = 13


Most of the deer labeled as unknown have been picked up during summer when high temperatures facilitate quick breakdown of tissues by bacteria, insects, etc. We've also been conservative in assignment of mortality causes and limited designation to those with reasonable amounts of evidence. Some of the deer labeled as unknown were likely killed by coyotes which often consume most of the carcass and scatter bones. Complete consumption and scattering of carcass remnants makes it difficult to determine if deer were killed by coyotes or simply scavenged on following death by other causes. In these instances, we've labeled cause of death as unknown.

?? Forty four resident deer and 51 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen




"There is no reason why I have to tolerate your stupidity if you are unwilling to tolerate mine." ME
 
>Thank you for the continued updates.
>

You're welcome. I enjoy doing it.

Mule deer translocation update for September 15 - September 21

We have no additional mortalities to report this week for either resident or translocated deer.

We were able to locate 1 of the deer that has been missing for the last couple of weeks on the north end of the Pahvant. We suspect this deer may have a weak radio signal as we typically only have intermittent contact with her. As winter approaches ans she moves into a more accessible area, we may have more regular contact with this deer.

We are currently missing 7 translocated deer. These deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them despite searching as far south as Cedar City. We will focus our search for these deer on our upcoming flight which is scheduled for today (Tuesday September 24th).

In summary, we've had 46 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 41 of 102 translocated deer) and 3 slipped collars (1 resident, 2 translocated). Forty four resident deer and 52 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next time. And have a safe hunting season!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-11-13 AT 01:59PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-11-13 AT 01:58?PM (MST)

The latest:

Mule deer translocation update for September 22-October 5.

We picked up collars for 2 translocated deer (mortalities) anmd 1 resident deer (missing) over the last two weeks. One of the translocated deer was roadkill found between the east and west bound lanes of I-70. The other translocated deer was found near Manderfield Reservoir, south of I-70, and had indications of cougar predation as it was found cached and partly consumed. We found the resident deer collar east of Holden, near the top of the Pahvant. The collar was in heavy cover, ripped, without any evidence of a carcass. we suspect the necklace material on this radio to have failed causing the collar to fall off prematurely.

We were able to locate radio signals for 3 of the deer that have been missing for the last several months on a scheduled flight Tuesday, September 24. One of these deer was found on the south end of the Monroe. Another was found near I-70 and the third deer was found on the northeast side of the Beaver Mountain Range.

We are currently missing 5 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now and we have been unable to locate them despite searching as far south as Cedar City. One of Don's friends reported seeing a radio-marked (collared) deer with (an) ear tag while hunting near Kolob Reservoir. We suspect this deer to be one of the missing 5 and will spend some time trying to locate her over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)

From Lee;
In summary we've had 48 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 43 of 102 translocated deer), 4 slipped/broken collars (2 resident, 2 translocated) and 5 missing radio signals (all translocated). Forty-three resident deer and 52 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

We'll keep updating as we can, but it's hunting season and we have our priorities, don't you know! Be safe out there.
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
Mule deer translocation update for October 6 - October 19

We have no additional mortalities to report for either resident or translocated deer.

We located a signal for one of our missing deer near Kolob Reservoir (thanks Don for passing on the information and thanks to Jason for checking on this deer). This deer was last heard near Beaver in May.

We are currently missing 4 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now. We are hopeful additional sightings of missing deer will occur this week on the general hunt.

Over the past couple of weeks we have seen some movement of deer from the east side of the Pahvant towards the western side. Most deer are still high, but appear to be staging for an eventual move to winter range.

In summary, we've had 48 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 43 of 102 translocated deer) and 4 slipped collars (2 resident, 2 translocated). Forty three resident deer and 53 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Please report ANY sightings of collared (especially ear-tagged) does to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Southern Region DWR 435-865-6100
A GPS or detailed description of the location is important.
Thanks, Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
The latest;

Mule deer translocation update for October 20-October 26.

We had 1 translocated deer mortality this week. This deer was found on winter range (approximately 6 miles south of its release site) partly consumed and not cached. We suspect this deer to have been killed by coyotes.

We are currently missing 4 translocated deer. Most of these deer have been missing for several months now.

We are starting to see more movement toward winter range. It appears that many of the translocated deer will winter near the area they were released (Holden, Utah), though we may have collared deer in a few different locations around the Pahvant mountain range.

We presented an update to UDWR and SFW.

In summary, we've had 49 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 44 of 102 translocated deer) and 4 slipped collars (2 resident, 2 translocated). Forty three resident deer and 52 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)

Until next time!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>Thanks for the updates. Interesting stuff.
>

You're welcome.
Here's another one!

Mule deer translocation update for October 27-November 2.

We have no additional mortalities to report this week.

We are currently missing 5 translocated deer. Four of these deer have been missing for several months now. The most recent deer to go missing has been in and out of contact over the summer (we suspect a weak radio signal). This deer summered on the Pahvant and we anticipate locating this female on our next flight scheduled for Wednesday November 6th.

We have seen a lot of movement toward winter range this week. The majority of translocated deer that summered on the south end of the Pahvant have moved north towards their initial release sites where they spent the last months of winter following release. Many of the signals from radios on both resident and translocated deer can be heard from listening locations on or near winter range.

We have started our 2nd round of reproductive assessment for both translocated and resident deer. The timing of this effort coincides with the traditional post hunt classification done by UDWR. These efforts involve approaching radio-marked deer to observe and count fawns. It is wonderful time to be on the mountain and we could use help if anyone from SFW or UDWR is interested in participating.

In summary, we've had 49 total mortalities (5 of 50 resident deer, 44 of 102 translocated deer) and 4 slipped collars (2 resident, 2 translocated). Forty three resident deer and 51 translocated deer were alive and accounted for this week.

Thanks to all for continued interest and support.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


Until next week!
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 
>>
>
>Until next week!
>Lee Tracy (UWC)

Well, it's not next week, but we have a problem! Here's the latest email;

All,

We picked up a collar from a translocated deer on Tuesday of this week that appears to have been removed with scissors or a knife. We suspect this deer was POACHED and have reported such to biologists and conservation officers in the Southern Region. Our conclusion is based on the following pieces of information:

1) Both bands of fabric were cut (straight and clean cut) in the same place. Radio collars that are removed from deer carcasses by predators have jagged tears (bite marks) in the fabric that don't align. Likewise, radios that slip off animals typically do so due to failure of hardware (connecting bolts) or weakening of fabric (often where the battery housing is attached). This particular radio didn't have hardware failure and the collar fabric is in good condition (won't tear despite any amount of effort on our part). In our view, the fabric is strong enough to hold the weight of a deer through any amount of struggling.

2) Furthermore, we found no evidence of a struggle and the collar was not picked up under a fence or anything that could have snagged. Rather, we found this collar on the west side of I-15, 25 feet off the Cedar Mountain Road (road that runs west from the freeway) approximately 1/2 mile from the north Fillmore exitl. The location of the collar suggests it was thrown from the window of a vehicle.

3) This deer was released in January of this year and has spent the past 10 months east of I-15 near Holden (winter/spring) and on the southern end of the Pahvant (summer/early fall). This particular female has never been found on the west side of I-15 and only recently moved back north. We suspect this deer was poached on the east side of I-15 as she returned to winter range near the release location and the collar was cut, removed, and tossed out of a vehicle on the road off the north Fillmore exit.

If anyone has any information, please contact UDWR.

David Smedley and Randy Larsen (BYU)


SFW has offered a $5,000 reward for the conviction of the culprits involved in the previous poaching of 2 transplanted does and I'm sure this poaching is included. In any case, if we catch these guys/gals we may solve both cases 'cause they're probably connected. And if you happen upon the carcass of a doe with an ear tag or a cut ear where a tag may have been it could help with the investigation. Call the Southern Region office at 435-865-6100 or the UTIP hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or email Teresa, Southern Region big game manager at [email protected]. Let's catch these **##**##s (fill in the blanks).
Lee Tracy (UWC)
 

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