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South of Interstate 40 elk reside primarily in Arizona’s Game Management Unit (GMU) 8. Upon completing population surveys in 2021, approximately 4,000 elk were estimated to inhabit GMU 8. Their summer range is primarily characterized by high-elevation ponderosa pine forests and grasslands. The elk radiate out from various origin points within their summer range to their winter range, comprised of rims of canyons in the area, including Sycamore Canyon, Tule Canyon, and Government Canyon. This series of canyons creates an impermeable southern boundary for this herd. Their winter range along the rim country is primarily characterized by pinyon-juniper, manzanita, and scrub oak. Interstate 40 is the primary threat to...
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 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...
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South of Interstate 40 mule deer reside in Game Management Units (GMU) 8 and 6B in Arizona. The herd summers in high-elevation open meadows and ponderosa pine habitat southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. In late October, the herd migrates west to lower elevation pinyon-juniper and shrub habitats near the junction of Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 89. With funding support by the U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) through Secretarial Order 3362, research on this herd’s migration began in February 2020. Additional GPS collars were deployed in January 2022 with support from the U.S. Forest Service, Mule Deer Foundation, and other partners. Primary threats to the herd’s migration involve high volume roads including Interstate...
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...
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South of Interstate 40 mule deer reside in Game Management Units (GMU) 8 and 6B in Arizona. The herd summers in high-elevation open meadows and ponderosa pine habitat southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. In late October, the herd migrates west to lower elevation pinyon-juniper and shrub habitats near the junction of Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 89. With funding support by the U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) through Secretarial Order 3362, research on this herd’s migration began in February 2020. Additional GPS collars were deployed in January 2022 with support from the U.S. Forest Service, Mule Deer Foundation, and other partners. Primary threats to the herd’s migration involve high volume roads including Interstate...
The Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah is home to a prolific mule deer herd numbering around 5,200 individuals in 2019. In early October, these mule deer begin their migration from the Plateau traveling south distances up to 78 miles to winter range in the Buckskin Mountains near the Utah-Arizona border. Approximately 20-30% of the Paunsaugunt Plateau herd reside in northern Arizona during the winter, sharing winter range also used by deer from the Kaibab Plateau herd. Beginning in late April, deer reverse their migration to summer range on the Plateau. The most significant challenge for these deer is US Highway 89 which bisects this migration corridor and winter range, where deer-vehicle collisions have historically...
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 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...
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The Big Lake pronghorn herd resides in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona within Game Management Unit 1. Mid-March, the Big Lake pronghorn migrate, crossing the Little Colorado River approximately four miles north of River Reservoir, to their high-elevation summer range. The summer range consists primarily of high-elevation grasslands and large alpine meadows near Big Lake. Some individuals continue several miles farther south to summer near Middle Mountain. Fall migration occurs in early to mid-October, when the herd moves north to low-elevation grassland habitats west of Eagar, Arizona. The primary threat to this migration corridor is State Route 260, which experiences high traffic volume and requires crossing...
Mule deer of the Kaibab North herd on the Kaibab Plateau are treasured for their historic and contemporary significance in North America. They are the densest population of mule deer in Arizona, with an estimate of 10,200 individuals in 2019. This report compiles two research efforts, the first completed by Arizona Game and Fish Department in 2014, and the second from Utah Division of Wildlife’s ongoing research started in 2017. The Kaibab Plateau is bound on the east, south, and west by vertical canyon walls which run along the Colorado River and Kanab Creek. The Kaibab North Deer herd winters among pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, and cliffrose landscapes along the west, east, and northern extents of the plateau. Portions...
In 2008, 13 mule deer were GPS collared near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to understand the impact of Arizona’s State Route 64 on mule deer movement. Unexpectedly, 4 individuals migrated over 50 miles to summer range near the San Francisco Peaks, north of Flagstaff, containing alpine, subalpine, and ponderosa pine habitats. The GPS collars dropped in 2009, but questions surrounding this long-distance migration remained. In June of 2019, the Arizona Game and Fish Department GPS collared 20 mule deer from the San Francisco Peaks herd on their summer range in Game Management Unit 7E/7W, where an estimated 5,300 mule deer reside. The primary challenges to mule deer in this migration corridor are related to navigating...
In 2008, 13 mule deer were GPS collared near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to understand the impact of Arizona’s State Route 64 on mule deer movement. Unexpectedly, 4 individuals migrated over 50 miles to summer range near the San Francisco Peaks, north of Flagstaff, containing alpine, subalpine, and ponderosa pine habitats. The GPS collars dropped in 2009, but questions surrounding this long-distance migration remained. In June of 2019, the Arizona Game and Fish Department GPS collared 20 mule deer from the San Francisco Peaks herd on their summer range in Game Management Unit 7E/7W, where an estimated 5,300 mule deer reside. The primary challenges to mule deer in this migration corridor are related to navigating...
The Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah is home to a prolific mule deer herd numbering around 5,200 individuals in 2019. In early October, these mule deer begin their migration from the Plateau traveling south distances up to 78 miles to winter range in the Buckskin Mountains near the Utah-Arizona border. Approximately 20-30% of the Paunsaugunt Plateau herd reside in northern Arizona during the winter, sharing winter range also used by deer from the Kaibab Plateau herd. Beginning in late April, deer reverse their migration to summer range on the Plateau. The most significant challenge for these deer is US Highway 89 which bisects this migration corridor and winter range, where deer-vehicle collisions have historically...
The San Francisco Peaks elk (Cervus canadensis) herd comprises a migratory portion of the larger herd units in Arizona’s Game Management Units (GMU) 7 and 9. GMU 7 and 9 had a combined population estimate of 5,200 in 2019. These data were generated from two elk research projects by the Arizona Game & Fish Department: one to assess elk-vehicle collisions on Interstate 40 (Gagnon et al. 2012) and the other to evaluate aerial survey methods for elk abundance (Bristow et al. 2019). While many of the elk reside in the same general areas year-round, the migratory portion of this herd migrates an average of 42 miles between summer and winter range. Summer range, primarily in GMU 7, consists of high elevation open meadows...
The North of Interstate 40 (I-40) elk (Cervus canadensis) herd makes an annual migration throughout some of Arizona’s high elevation landscapes west of Flagstaff. The bulk of the herd resides in Arizona’s Game Management Unit (GMU) 7W during the summer and during the winter many migrate to GMU 10. The GMU 7W population had an estimate of 4,300 individuals in 2019, while the GMU 10 population had an estimate of 3,200. Like many elk in Arizona, only a portion of the herd is migratory. Summer range contains ponderosa pine forests and open prairies near Government Prairie and Sitgreaves Mountain. In the winter, the elk transition to gradually lower elevations and habitats dominated by pinyon-juniper woodlands. I-40...
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 US-180...
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...
map background search result map search result map Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Kaibab North 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 Paunsaugunt Plateau Herd in Utah Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the Paunsaugunt Plateau Herd in Utah Migration Corridors of Elk in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Winter Ranges of Elk in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Migration Routes of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona Migration Stopovers 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 Corridors of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Winter Ranges of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Annual Ranges of Pronghorn in the South of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Arizona Mule Deer South of I 40 Stopovers Arizona Mule Deer South of I 40 Winter Range Arizona Pronghorn Big Lake Routes Arizona Elk South of Interstate 40 Corridors Annual Ranges of Mule Deer in the Rainbow Valley Herd in Arizona Arizona Mule Deer South of I 40 Winter Range Arizona Pronghorn Big Lake Routes Winter Ranges of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Winter Ranges of Mule Deer in the Kaibab North Herd in Arizona Winter Ranges of Elk in the San Francisco Peaks Herd in Arizona Arizona Mule Deer South of I 40 Stopovers Migration Corridors of Pronghorn in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona Arizona Elk South of Interstate 40 Corridors Migration Corridors of Elk in the North of Interstate 40 Herd in Arizona 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 Stopovers of Mule Deer in the Kaibab Herd in Arizona 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 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 Paunsaugunt Plateau Herd in Utah Migration Corridors of Mule Deer in the Paunsaugunt Plateau Herd in Utah