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The Loyalton mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd winters west and northwest of Reno, Nevada along the California-Nevada border, extending into the Peterson Mountains, east of Highway 395 in Nevada. A portion of the herd also winters north of I-80 on Peavine Mountain in Nevada. This population represents an interstate migratory herd but also contains year-round residents in both states. Deer migrate southwest into the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California on both sides of Highway 89 from Truckee to Sierraville, mostly staying north of I-80 and into the Tahoe National Forest. Significant challenges include urban development, vehicle collisions on Highways 89, 395, and I80, and large-scale wildfires that have burned...
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona had a population estimate of 10,200 individuals in 2019. The herd is relatively isolated; limited in range to the east, south, and west sides by the Grand Canyon. Annually the Kaibab herd migrates an average of 27 mi (43 km) between summer and winter range. Winter range is along the west, east, and northern extents of the plateau; consisting of pinyon-juniper woodlands mixed with sagebrush, cliffrose, bitterbrush, and various grasses. Some of the Kaibab herd winters in Utah, sharing winter range with Utah’s Paunsaugunt Plateau herd. During migration mule deer pass through mid-elevation transitional range containing Gambel oak, pinyon pine, and Utah...
The San Francisco Peaks mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd makes one of Arizona’s most extraordinary annual migrations between Flagstaff, AZ and the Grand Canyon. The migration begins on summer range in GMU 7, where an estimated 5,300 mule deer reside. Their summer habitat contains alpine, subalpine, and ponderosa pine forests mixed with open grasslands and meadows. Beginning in October, a portion of the herd migrates north to GMU 9 to winter range along the South Rim containing pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pines, sagebrush, and cliffrose habitat. Through funding from Secretarial Order 3362, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) began a GPS collar study beginning in June of 2019. A total of 46 mule deer have...
The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of the Pueblo of Santa Ana herds are primarily non-migratory, with two distinct winter ranges separated by U.S. Route 550. The winter ranges consist primarily of Chihuahuan semi‐desert grassland, dominated by black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), galleta (Pleuraphis jamesii), mesa dropseed (Sporobolus flexuosus), and fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), with higher elevation sections consisting of pinyon-juniper woodland and juniper savannah. There was no movement between the two winter ranges, with only individuals from the winter range northeast of US 550 crossing the highway west of the Jemez Canyon Reservoir. Two individuals from the winter range northeast of US 550 migrated...
The Sheldon-Hart Mountain pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) herd is part of a large interstate metapopulation distributed across northwest Nevada, southeast Oregon, and portions of northeast California. Some animals travel up to 100 miles between summer and winter ranges and traverse multiple federal land jurisdictions, including the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, and surrounding Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. The herd can be characterized as conditionally or partially migratory with approximately 65% of collared animals exhibiting migratory tendencies. Major summer ranges include portions of the Hart Mountain Wildlife Refuge, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, and...
The South of Interstate 40 (I-40) pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) herd make one of Arizona’s most remarkable migrations. This herd resides primarily in GMU 8, which had a population estimate of 450 individuals in 2019. Unlike traditional summer-winter range dynamics, this pronghorn herd relies on a complex of several important seasonal ranges connected by narrow corridors. Migration between ranges appear to be driven by winter conditions, thus, the timing of the movements is highly variable. The herd has high fidelity to these corridors, which elevates the importance of research and management efforts to conserve them. During the summer, these pronghorn inhabit large grasslands in and around Garland Prairie. During...
Elk (Cervus elpahus canadensis) within the southern section of the Bighorn Mountains display altitudinal migration. In the spring, most individuals migrate from the western foothills up into the mountains, and in the fall, they head back down to lower elevations (fig. 68). In the southern section where the range curves west, the herd migrates up the northern foothills in the spring and back down in the fall. Additionally, a few individuals will summer on the eastern foothills along the Crazy Woman drainage. These individuals migrate west up the slopes in the spring and back down in the fall. The herd, which numbers around 4,000, primarily winters along the western foothills of the southern Bighorn Mountains just...
The Egg Lake Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) sub-herd range extends northeast from the town of McCloud around Ash Creek to the Big Valley Mountains and as far east as Highway 139 near the community of Hackamore. During the winter, this sub-herd primarily resides to the east of Big Valley Mountains near Egg Lake in Modoc County, California. They migrate east to private timberlands and spend the spring and summer just outside of McCloud, California. Topography of this area is relatively flat, but gradually transitions to steeper slopes around creeks, and typical habitat includes Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Sierran mixed conifer, and montane hardwood conifer forests. Another sub-herd is known to...
The elk (Cervus canadensis) of the Jemez herd reside primarily in and around the Valles Caldera National Preserve, west of Los Alamos, NM and along the mesa tops to the north and west of the Valles Caldera. The area has experienced two wildfires, the stand replacing Las Conchas Fire and the mixed severity Thompson Ridge fire, within the last decade, burning a total of 180,555 acres. The data used in this report was collected to examine the responses of elk to these wildfires and forest restoration treatments. The Jemez herd is only partially migratory, with residents that consistently remain on the Valles Caldera and individuals that travel to the surrounding lower elevation slopes depending on the year and snowpack...
The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of the Jemez Springs herd winter in the southwestern Jemez Mountains, south and east of the town of Jemez Springs. The area has experienced two severe wildfires, the Las Conchas and Thompson Ridge fires, within the last decade, burning a total of 180,555 acres. The data used in this report was collected to examine the responses of mule deer to these wildfires and forest restoration treatments. The winter range is located among the foothills of the Jemez Mountains, consisting primarily of pinyon-juniper woodlands. Individuals migrated an average of 26.1 miles, either to the western edge of the Jemez Mountains, near Blue Bird Mesa, or to the Valles Caldera. The central migration...
The Methow mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) sub-herd is part of the larger West Okanogan herd, the largest migratory mule deer herd in Washington State. Individuals travel as far as 65 miles twice annually between lowland winter range and higher elevation summer range (fig. 27). Mule deer wintering on the shrubsteppe dominated foothills in the lower half of the Methow valley undertake a roughly 3-week trek in mid-spring to the productive subalpine and alpine meadows of the Pasayten and Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness, and surrounding high country, with some animals traveling north into British Columbia. On summer range they mingle with deer moving up from the west side of the Okanogan valley forming an estimated summering...
The San Francisco Peaks mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd makes one of Arizona’s most extraordinary annual migrations between Flagstaff, AZ and the Grand Canyon. The migration begins on summer range in GMU 7, where an estimated 5,300 mule deer reside. Their summer habitat contains alpine, subalpine, and ponderosa pine forests mixed with open grasslands and meadows. Beginning in October, a portion of the herd migrates north to GMU 9 to winter range along the South Rim containing pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pines, sagebrush, and cliffrose habitat. Through funding from Secretarial Order 3362, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) began a GPS collar study beginning in June of 2019. A total of 46 mule deer have...
The Methow mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) sub-herd is part of the larger West Okanogan herd, the largest migratory mule deer herd in Washington State. Individuals travel as far as 65 miles twice annually between lowland winter range and higher elevation summer range (fig. 27). Mule deer wintering on the shrubsteppe dominated foothills in the lower half of the Methow valley undertake a roughly 3-week trek in mid-spring to the productive subalpine and alpine meadows of the Pasayten and Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness, and surrounding high country, with some animals traveling north into British Columbia. On summer range they mingle with deer moving up from the west side of the Okanogan valley forming an estimated summering...
Migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) within the San Joaquin Watershed occupy most of the watershed above Kerckhoff Reservoir, Fresno and Madera Counties, California. Human infrastructure in the watershed is widespread and includes residential, water control, hydroelectric power, and recreational use developments. Steep topography between winter and summer range limit crossing points along the San Joaquin River. Habitat conditions favoring deer declined from a peak around 1950, resulting in a reduction in the deer population. The current deer population is believed to be about 4,000. A massive wildfire burned through most of the watershed in 2020, dramatically changing habitat conditions in some areas. These...
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona had a population estimate of 10,200 individuals in 2019. The herd is relatively isolated; limited in range to the east, south, and west sides by the Grand Canyon. Annually the Kaibab herd migrates an average of 27 mi (43 km) between summer and winter range. Winter range is along the west, east, and northern extents of the plateau; consisting of pinyon-juniper woodlands mixed with sagebrush, cliffrose, bitterbrush, and various grasses. Some of the Kaibab herd winters in Utah, sharing winter range with Utah’s Paunsaugunt Plateau herd. During migration mule deer pass through mid-elevation transitional range containing Gambel oak, pinyon pine, and Utah...
This study was tailored toward the Wyoming section of Interstate 80 (I-80), and so migrations and habitat use are more representative of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) along I-80 rather than the entire populations. The Uinta-Cedar populations had the highest prevalence of seasonal migrations. This area primarily occupies checkerboard ownership between Bureau of Land Management and private ownership. Oil and gas drilling as well as sheep ranching are relatively common. Seasonal ranges are characterized by arid to semiarid habitats with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) as the predominant vegetation type. Seasonal ranges can also include interspersed grasslands, and low-lying areas can also include black greasewood (Sarcobatus...
Elk (Cervus elpahus canadensis) within the southernmost section of the Absaroka Range, just north of the Wind River Range, display altitudinal migration (fig. 71). In the spring, they migrate from the southern foothills near Dubois up into the mountains, and in the fall, they head back down to lower elevations. The herd, which numbers around 6,000, primarily winters between the Absaroka Range to the north and the Wind River Range to the south. Winter ranges consist mostly of shrubs, largely supported by private land with smaller areas of BLM and Wyoming Game and Fish land. During migration animals travel an average one way distance of 32 mi (51 km) ranging from as little as 8 mi (13 km) to as far as 69 mi (111 km)....
The Rainbow Valley mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) reside in the expansive Sonoran Desert flat between the Sierra Estrella Mountains and the North Maricopa Mountains. The herd, which numbered 1,500 in 2017, is managed for hunting within Game Management Units (GMU) 39 and 40. The movements depicted in this report represent annual range for 3 mule deer which are part of a much larger research project along the Interstate 11 (I-11) Proposed Corridor Alternative. The research is being conducted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), with funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior through Secretarial Order 3362. Although the Rainbow Valley mule deer are not migratory in the traditional sense, their annual...
The North of Interstate 40 Pronghorn herd primarily resides in Arizona’s Game Management Unit (GMU) 7. GMU 7 had an estimated population of 550 pronghorn in 2019. The Pronghorn North of Interstate 40 summer in high elevation open meadows and ponderosa pine habitat near Government Prairie. When winter conditions set in the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) seek lower elevations, migrating through mixed pinyon-juniper woodlands to open grassland and shrub habitats north of Sitgreaves Mountain, often crossing US Highway 180 (US-180) towards Antelope Flat. US-180 is an increasing threat to this migration corridor as traffic volumes rise. However, right-of-way fence improvements and relatively low traffic volumes on...
The Jawbone Ridge mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd is a sub-herd of the Tuolumne herd, which migrate to the Jawbone Ridge flats in the winter in Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Alpine Counties. Additionally, a small sample of deer were captured from the Yosemite herd to determine herd overlap. GPS collars were normally set to take a location every 7 hours, and emit a signal Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Some GPS collars were set to take a location fix every hour during periods of time when deer were thought to be migrating (May and November). The most important portion of the winter range is the Jawbone ridge flats, situated at an elevation of 4,000 feet. Deer migrate from here east into the high Sierra Nevada...
map background search result map search result map Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Upper San Joaquin Watershed Herd in California Migration Corridors of Elk in the Egg Lake Herd in California Migration Stopovers of Elk in the Jemez Herd in New Mexico Migration Routes of Elk in South Bighorn Herd in Wyoming Migration Routes of Elk in Wiggins Fork Herd in Wyoming Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Annual Ranges of Mule Deer in the Rainbow Valley Herd in Arizona Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the Jawbone Ridge Herd in California Migration Stopovers of Mule Deer in the Loyalton Herd in California and Nevada Migration Stopovers of Mule Deer in the Jemez Springs Herd in New Mexico Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Pueblo of Santa Ana Herd in New Mexico Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in Methow Herd in Washington Migration Routes of Mule Deer in Methow Herd in Washington Migration Corridors of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Annual Ranges of Pronghorn in the South of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Migration corridors of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain Interstate Pronghorn Herd in Northwestern Nevada and Southeastern Oregon Migration Routes of Pronghorn in Uinta-Cedar Herd in Wyoming Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Upper San Joaquin Watershed Herd in California Annual Ranges of Mule Deer in the Rainbow Valley Herd in Arizona Migration Stopovers of Elk in the Jemez Herd in New Mexico Migration Stopovers of Mule Deer in the Jemez Springs Herd in New Mexico Migration Corridors of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Pueblo of Santa Ana Herd in New Mexico Migration Stopovers of Mule Deer in the Loyalton Herd in California and Nevada Migration Corridors of Elk in the Egg Lake Herd in California Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Annual Ranges of Pronghorn in the South of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Elk in Wiggins Fork Herd in Wyoming Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the Jawbone Ridge Herd in California Migration Routes of Elk in South Bighorn Herd in Wyoming Migration Routes of Mule Deer in Methow Herd in Washington Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in Methow Herd in Washington Migration corridors of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain Interstate Pronghorn Herd in Northwestern Nevada and Southeastern Oregon Migration Routes of Pronghorn in Uinta-Cedar Herd in Wyoming