Migration Routes of Mule Deer in Platte Valley North Population in Wyoming

Mule deer in the Platte Valley North population are part of the larger Platte Valley herd unit with an estimated population of 11,000 animals (fig. 28). These mule deer winter in the sagebrush canyons and basins near the Platte River north of Saratoga, Wyoming. Other segments of this population winter in the Chokecherry Knob area, south of Sinclair, and the Dana Ridge area just north of I-80. The migratory patterns of these deer are diverse and vary with each winter range. Deer in this part of the Platte Valley have a noticeably higher proportion of resident animals compared to the Platte Valley South population. For example, half of the mule deer near I-80 are residents. Improving the connectivity of deer migration across I-80 has become a management priority in order to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and to provide deer with access to more habitat. Wind-energy development is a major concern for the northwest part of the Platte Valley, where 1,000 turbines are slated for construction beginning in 2022. The potential impacts of wind development on mule deer are being investigated. These data provide the location of migration routes for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Platte Valley North population in Wyoming. They were developed from Brownian bridge movement models using 131 migration sequences collected from a sample size of 32 animals comprising GPS locations collected every 2-8 hours.

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