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35 results for “mule deer”
Chronic wasting disease alters the movement behavior and habitat use of mule deer during clinical stages of infection
<p>Integrating host movement and pathogen data is a central issue in wildlife disease ecology that will allow for a better understanding of disease transmission. We examined how adult female mule deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus</em>) responded behaviorally to infection with chronic wasting disease (CWD). We compared movement and habitat use of CWD-infected deer (<em>n</em> = 18) to those that succumbed to starvation (and were CWD-negative by ELISA and IHC; <em>n</em> = 8) and others in which CWD was not detected (<em>n</em> = 111, including animals that survived the duration of the study) using GPS collar data from two distinct populations collared in central Wyoming, USA during 2018–2022. CWD and predation were the leading causes of mortality during our study (32 of 91 deaths attributed to CWD and 27 of 91 deaths attributed to predation). Deer infected with CWD moved slower and used lower elevation areas closer to rivers in the months preceding death compared with uninfected deer that did not succumb to starvation. Although CWD-infected deer and those that died of starvation moved at similar speeds during the final months of life, CWD-infected deer used areas closer to streams with less herbaceous biomass than deer that died of starvation. These behavioral differences may allow for the development of predictive models of disease status from movement data, which will be useful to supplement field and laboratory diagnostics or when mortalities cannot be quickly retrieved to assess cause-specific mortality. Furthermore, identifying individuals that are sick before predation events could help to assess the extent to which disease mortality is compensatory with predation. Finally, infected animals began to slow down around four months prior to death from CWD. Our approach for detecting the timing of infection-induced shifts in movement behavior may be useful in application to other disease systems to better understand the response of wildlife to infectious disease.</p>
Southern California mule deer survey dataset
<p>In March 2019, October 2019, and February 2020 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted total count aerial surveys (Schlossberg et al., 2016) in the three study areas using a contracted four seat Bell 407 helicopter (Air Shasta Rotor & Wing, Redding, CA). These surveys were designed to cover the entire study area at three study sites in San Diego County: San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area and San Felipe Hills (SFVH), Kitchen Creek (KC), and Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve and Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area (RJHB). Surveyors flew parallel transects spaced approximately 300 m apart, with transects over mountainous terrain oriented along contour lines. All surveys occurred between 0700 and 1700 hours each day. To reduce the possibility of double counts of deer groups, where observers record the same marked deer more than once, each survey site was split into polygons that were each completed with one load of fuel if possible, with adjacent polygons completed consecutively, and each survey site covered in two days or less. During survey flights, observers simultaneously recorded data for the double observer (DO) and sightability methods. </p>
Chronic wasting disease alters the movement behavior and habitat use of mule deer during clinical stages of infection
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Data from: The population history of endogenous retroviruses in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
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Data from: Interactive effects of wildfires, season, and predator activity shape mule deer movements
<p>Wildfires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity due to climate change and fire suppression, but the direct and indirect effects on wildlife remain largely unresolved. Fire removes forest canopy, which can improve forage for ungulates but also reduce snow interception, leading to a deeper snowpack and potentially increased vulnerability to predation in winter. If ungulates exhibit predator-mediated foraging, burns should generally be selected for in summer to access high-quality forage and avoided in winter to reduce predation risk in deep snow. Fires also typically increase the amount of deadfall and initiate growth of dense understory vegetation, creating obstacles that may confer a hunting advantage to stalking predators and a disadvantage to coursing predators. To minimize risk, ungulates may therefore avoid burns when and where stalking predators are most active, and use burns when and where coursing predators are most active. We used telemetry data from GPS-collared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), cougars (Puma concolor), and wolves (Canis lupus) to develop step selection functions to examine how mule deer navigated species-specific predation risk across a landscape in northern Washington, USA that has experienced substantial wildfire activity during the past several decades. We considered a diverse array of wildfire impacts, accounting for both the severity of the fire and time since the burn (1 to 35 years) in our analyses. We observed support for the predator mediating foraging hypothesis: mule deer generally selected for burned areas in summer and avoided burns in winter. In addition, deer increased use of burned areas when and where wolf activity was high and avoided burns when and where cougar use was high in winter, suggesting the hunting mode of resident predators mediated the seasonal response of deer to burns. Deer were not more likely to die by predation in burned than in unburned areas, indicating that they adequately manage fire-induced changes to predation risk. As fire activity increases with climate change, our findings indicate the impact on ungulates will depend on tradeoffs between enhanced summer forage and functionally reduced winter range, mediated by characteristics of the predator community.</p>
A mule deer's movements in the summer of 2016 in Wyoming, USA, and a set of associated environmental layers
<p>These are the data associated with the paper "Defining Null Expectations for Animal Site Fidelity" by Picardi et al. The file muledeer_summer2016.rds is a data frame containing GPS tracking data for one individual mule deer during the summer of 2016 in Wyoming, USA. The file env_stack_issa.tiff is a raster stack containing environmental layers for the landscape where the mule deer was located. The layers in the stack are, in order: distance to roads (meters), distance to streams, rivers, or water bodies (meters), elevation (meters), slope (degrees), aspect (), topographic position index, terrain ruggedness index, roughness, percent tree cover, and forage biomass. </p>
Nutritional condition and net body weight for adult female mule deer (Nov 2017–Mar 2018), Wyoming, USA
<p>Many temperate and polar animals have developed physiological and behavioral adaptations to survive the challenging conditions of winter. Some animals hibernate to reduce energetic expenditure while other animals, including ungulates, migrate to avoid cold temperatures and deep snow. Despite moving vast distances between seasonal ranges, many migratory ungulates are unable to escape the energetic challenges of winter and often rely on reserves of fat to withstand food scarcity and a negative energy balance. The mobilization of fat for ungulates often is dependent on nutritional condition, yet the fine-scale rate at which ungulates mobilize fat throughout winter remains unclear. We took advantage of three sampling periods during the winter of 2017–18 on a population of mule deer that spends the winter in the Red Desert of south-central Wyoming, USA to investigate the fine-scale expenditure of fat from mid-autumn through late winter (November–March). Although the full effects of winter on forage were still minimal in mid-autumn, mule deer mobilized fat reserves 2.5 times faster in mid-autumn (November–December) than in late winter (December–March). The mobilization of fat strongly depended on nutritional condition with mule deer that entered a season with higher nutritional condition expending more fat than those of lower nutritional condition (P < 0.001). Adjusting mobilization of fat based on nutritional condition may allow temperate ungulates to survive winter without completely exhausting fat reserves and risking malnutrition.</p>
Migration statistics and animal biometrics for mule deer that migrated long-distances (2011–2020), Wyoming, USA
<p>Billions of animals migrate to track seasonal pulses in resources. Optimally timing migration is a key strategy, yet the ability of animals to compensate for phenological mismatches en route is largely unknown. We studied a population of mule deer (<em>Odocoileus hemionus</em>) in Wyoming that lack reliable cues on their desert winter range, causing them to start migration 70 days ahead to 52 days behind the wave of spring green-up. By adjusting movement speed and stopover use, however, individual deer arrive at the summer range within an average 6-day window. Late migrants move 2.5 times faster and spend 72% less time on stopovers than early migrants, which allows them to catch the green wave. Ungulates, and potentially other migratory species, possess cognitive abilities to recognize where they are in space and time relative to key resources. Such behavioral capacity may allow migratory taxa to maintain foraging benefits amid rapidly changing phenology.</p>
Migration statistics and animal biometrics for mule deer that migrated long-distances (2011–2020), Wyoming, USA
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Data from: Temperament, state-dependent behaviors, and their interplay in large herbivores: Lessons from a long-term study on mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep
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Nutritional condition and net body weight for adult female mule deer (Nov 2017–Mar 2018), Wyoming, USA
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Data from: Interactive effects of wildfires, season, and predator activity shape mule deer movements
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Plant communities, forage quality, and diet composition on summer ranges of mule deer (2017–2019), Wyoming, USA
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Data from: The effect of terrain and female density on survival of neonatal white-tailed deer and mule deer fawns
Juvenile survival is a highly variable life-history trait that is critical to population growth. Antipredator tactics, including an animal's use of its physical and social environment, are critical to juvenile survival. Here, we tested the hypothesis that habitat and social characteristics influence coyote (Canis latrans) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) fawns in similar ways during the neonatal period. This would contrast to winter when the habitat and social characteristics that provide the most safety for each species differ. We monitored seven cohorts of white-tailed deer and mule deer fawns at a grassland study site in Alberta, Canada. We used logistic regression and a model selection procedure to determine how habitat characteristics, climatic conditions, and female density influenced fawn survival during the first 8 weeks of life. Fawn survival improved after springs with productive vegetation (high integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values). Fawns that used steeper terrain were more likely to survive. Fawns of both species had improved survival in years with higher densities of mule deer females, but not with higher densities of white-tailed deer females, as predicted if they benefit from protection by mule deer. Our results suggest that topographical variation is a critical resource for neonates of many ungulate species, even species like white-tailed deer that use more gentle terrain when older. Further, our results raise the possibility that neonatal white-tailed fawns may benefit from associating with mule deer females, which may contribute to the expansion of white-tailed deer into areas occupied by mule deer.
Data from: Hybrid swarm between divergent lineages of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Studies of hybrid zones have revealed an array of evolutionary outcomes, yet the underlying structure is typically characterized as one of three types: a hybrid zone, a hybrid swarm or a hybrid taxon. Our primary objective was to determine which of these three structures best characterizes a zone of hybridization between two divergent lineages of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), mule deer and black-tailed deer. These lineages are morphologically, ecologically and genetically distinct, yet hybridize readily along a zone of secondary contact between the east and west slopes of the Cascade Mountains (Washington and Oregon, USA). Using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA, we found clear evidence for extensive hybridization and introgression between lineages, with varying degrees of admixture across the zone of contact. The pattern of hybridization in this region closely resembles a hybrid swarm; based on data from 10 microsatellite loci, we detected hybrids that extend well beyond the F1 generation, did not detect linkage disequilibrium at the centre of the zone and found that genotypes were associated randomly within the zone of contact. Introgression was characterized as bidirectional and symmetric, which is surprising given that the zone of contact occurs along a sharp ecotone and that lineages are characterized by large differences in body size (a key component of mating success). Regardless of the underlying mechanisms promoting hybrid swarm maintenance, it is clear that the persistence of a hybrid swarm presents unique challenges for management in this region.
Data from: Endemic chronic wasting disease causes mule deer population decline in Wyoming
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), and moose (Alces alces shirasi) in North America. In southeastern Wyoming average annual CWD prevalence in mule deer exceeds 20% and appears to contribute to regional population declines. We determined the effect of CWD on mule deer demography using age-specific, female-only, CWD transition matrix models to estimate the population growth rate (λ). Mule deer were captured from 2010–2014 in southern Converse County Wyoming, USA. Captured adult (≥ 1.5 years old) deer were tested ante-mortem for CWD using tonsil biopsies and monitored using radio telemetry. Mean annual survival rates of CWD-negative and CWD-positive deer were 0.76 and 0.32, respectively. Pregnancy and fawn recruitment were not observed to be influenced by CWD. We estimated λ = 0.79, indicating an annual population decline of 21% under current CWD prevalence levels. A model derived from the demography of only CWD-negative individuals yielded; λ = 1.00, indicating a stable population if CWD were absent. These findings support CWD as a significant contributor to mule deer population decline. Chronic wasting disease is difficult or impossible to eradicate with current tools, given significant environmental contamination, and at present our best recommendation for control of this disease is to minimize spread to new areas and naïve cervid populations.
Data from: Use of environmental sites by mule deer: a proxy for relative risk of chronic wasting disease exposure and transmission
Prions that cause chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids can remain infective for years outside the host. Infectious cervids shed prions for a long time, consequently depositing prions in frequently used areas. These environmental prions are important in CWD epidemiology. Unfortunately, effective tools for quantifying CWD prions in soil, water, and other environmental sources are not currently available. Our goal was to investigate relative differences in visits by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) to various environmental site types as an indicator of the relative risk of prion contamination and disease transmission. For this, we deployed a system of triggered-by-movement cameras at eight site types in a CWD-endemic area in Saskatchewan, Canada. We first assessed whether the relative differences among site types in the frequency of visits by mule deer of any sex-and-age class, males, and females varied by season and site type. We then assessed whether the rate of behaviors with a high risk of environmental prion transmission (either contamination or acquisition) differed by season and site type. Finally, we assessed whether the intensity of visitation, based on the number of animals per picture, differed by season and site type. We found that grain sources and beds were key attractants for mule deer: (1) The greatest number of pictures with mule deer per camera-day occurred at grain sources across all seasons, except in fawning, when beds were the most visited sites; (2) during pre-rut and early gestation, mule deer visited grain sources at least twice as often as most other sites; (3) females were more likely to visit beds and grain sources, but there was no significant site preferences for males after accounting for season; (4) mule deer were most likely to be pictured contacting the environment at grain sources in early gestation; and (5) beds and grain sources were the most intensively visited sites. We also found that environmental contacts at waterholes were more frequent during spring. We discuss the potential importance of various sites in the transmission of CWD and how their modification could potentially reduce the risk of prion environmental exposure among mule deer.
Snow depth, temperature, and residual forage experienced by migrating mule deer during autumn (2011–2020), Wyoming, USA
<p>Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that temperate herbivores surf the green wave of emerging plants during spring migration. Despite the importance of autumn migration, few studies have conceptualized resource tracking of temperate herbivores during this critical season. We adapted the Frost Wave Hypothesis (FWH), which posits that animals pace their autumn migration to reduce exposure to snow but increase acquisition of forage. We tested the FWH in a population of mule deer in Wyoming, USA by tracking the autumn migrations of <em>n</em> = 163 mule deer that moved 15–288 km from summer to winter range. Migrating deer experienced similar amounts of snow but 1.4–2.1 times more residual forage than if they had naïve knowledge of when or how fast to migrate. Importantly, deer balanced exposure to snow and forage in a spatial manner. At the fine scale, deer avoided snow near their mountainous summer ranges and became more risk-prone to snow near winter range. Aligning with their higher tolerance of snow and lingering behavior to acquire residual forage, deer increased stopover use by 1 ± 1 day (95% CI) day for every 10% of their migration completed. Our findings support the prediction that mule deer pace their autumn migration with the onset of snow and residual forage but refine the FWH to include movement behavior en route that is spatially dynamic.</p>
Deer GPS and animal-borne camera data showing effects of gray wolves on niche overlap between mule and white-tailed deer in eastern Washington state
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Predators may alter niche overlap between prey species by eliciting divergent anti-predator behavior. Accordingly, we exploited heterogeneous gray wolf (<i>Canis lupus</i>) presence in Washington, USA, to contrast patterns of resource and dietary overlap between mule (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) and white-tailed deer (<i>O. virginianus</i>) at sites with and without resident packs. Mule deer run (stot) in a way that is less effective as a means of fleeing from predators than the galloping gait of white-tailed deer. Consequently, mule deer manage risk from coursing predators like wolves by avoiding encounters, whereas white-tailed deer respond to such predators by exploiting areas where they are most likely to escape pursuit. Thus, under the "refuge partitioning hypothesis" whereby predators reduce prey niche overlap by eliciting use of different refugia, we predicted wolf exposure to (i) decrease resource and dietary overlap between these ungulates, and (ii) induce segregation consistent with each species using different parts of the landscape to reduce their wolf risk. At the home range scale, the ways in which resource overlap diminished in the wolf areas were consistent with the prey species reducing their respective risks, particularly with respect to slope, with mule deer separating from white-tailed deer by seeking steeper areas where wolf encounters are less likely. At the within-home range scale, the manner in which spatial overlap decreased in relation to forest cover was consistent with species-specific risk management, with mule deer avoiding wolf encounters by shifting toward this resource. Reduced resource overlap between the deer in areas occupied by wolves did not correspond with dietary divergence. Our findings suggest that wolf risk mediates spatial but not necessarily dietary overlap between sympatric ungulates, divergent anti-predator behavior is a non-consumptive pathway by which predators can reduce interspecific competition among prey, and use of disparate refugia by prey may not result in dietary divergence.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Data for: Apparent stability masks underlying change in a mule deer herd with unmanaged chronic wasting disease
<p>The contagious prion disease "chronic wasting disease" (CWD) infects mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) and related species. Unchecked epidemics raise ecological, socioeconomic, and public health concerns. Prion infection shortens a deer's lifespan, and when prevalence (proportion of adults infected) becomes sufficiently high CWD can affect herd dynamics. Understanding population responses over time is key to forecasting long-term impacts. Here we describe unexpected stability in prevalence and abundance in a mule deer herd where CWD has been left unmanaged. High apparent prevalence (~30%) since at least 2005 likely drove observed changes in the proportion and age distribution of wild-type native prion protein (<i>PRNP</i>) gene homozygotes among deer sampled. Predation by mountain lions (<i>Puma concolor</i>) may be helping keep CWD in check. Despite stable appearances, prion disease nonetheless impairs adult survival and likely resilience in this deer herd, limiting its potential for growth despite refuge from hunter harvest and favorable habitat and winter conditions.</p>
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