Oregon Mule Deer Deschutes Migration Corridors

The Deschutes mule deer herd winters near Deep Canyon, the Deschutes River, and U.S. Highway 20 in areas dominated by western juniper, ponderosa pine, and big sagebrush. In spring, mule deer migrate southwest to summer ranges near Wickiup Reservoir, Mount Bachelor, and Oregon Route 242. These summer ranges are covered by mixed-conifer forests including ponderosa pine, Abies amabilis (pacific silver fir), Tsuga mertensiana (mountain hemlock), and lodgepole pine. Winter ranges are frequented by small wildfires, which help improve habitat quality by reducing canopy cover, thereby promoting the growth of palatable shrubs and forbs. Most of this region is forested with some scattered patches of sagebrush-steppe. Mule deer tend to migrate along the wide, steep-sloped Deschutes River rather than attempting to cross, creating a high-use corridor where multiple migratory paths overlap on the western side of the Deschutes River. In addition to western juniper encroachment, Deschutes mule deer are also affected by anthropogenic disturbance. Multiple mule deer traverse or have seasonal ranges adjacent to a 32-mi (51-km) stretch of U.S. Highway 20, which recorded 155 DVCs (all local deer species) on average each year between 2010 and 2022 (ODOT, 2023). Several mule deer winter ranges also overlap agricultural land in low-elevation areas where hay, grain, chickpeas, and grass seed are economically important crops. These mapping layers show the location of the migration corridors for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Deschutes population in Oregon. They were developed from 48 migration sequences collected from a sample size of 11 animals comprising GPS locations collected every 2-5 hours.

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