Movements, space use and site fidelity of translocated and resident mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
David C. Smedley A B , Madelon van de Kerk
B E , Brock R. McMillan B , Kent R. Hersey C , Jericho C. Whiting D and Randy T. Larsen B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1470 N Airport Road, Cedar City, UT 84720, USA.
B Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 4105 Life Sciences Building, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
C Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W North Temple, Suite 2110, Salt Lake City, UT 84114, USA.
D Department of Biology, Brigham Young University-Idaho, 116 Benson, Rexburg, ID 83460, USA.
E Corresponding author. Email: madelon_vandekerk@byu.edu
Wildlife Research 46(6) 509-517 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19043
Submitted: 7 March 2019 Accepted: 17 May 2019 Published: 13 September 2019
Abstract
Context: Translocation of wildlife has become common practice for wildlife managers charged with management of animals on increasingly modified landscapes. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a species of great interest to the public in western North America, and individuals of this species have been translocated several times, but little has been done to document the outcomes of those translocations.
Aim: Our objective was to evaluate the movement, space use and site fidelity of translocated female mule deer in comparison with resident female deer in Utah, USA.
Methods: In January and March 2013, 102 translocated and 50 resident female mule deer were captured and fitted with radio-transmitters. Movement distances, home range sizes and seasonal range sizes were compared, as well as site fidelity between translocated and resident deer.
Key results: Mean distance moved and mean annual home range size were significantly larger for translocated than resident deer in 2013, but not in 2014. Translocated deer demonstrated high site fidelity to their release areas. In total, 75% of surviving deer returned during the fall (September–November) migration to winter range within 7 km of release sites.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that home range sizes and movements of translocated deer are larger than those of resident deer during the first year after release, but during the second year after release, home range sizes and movements of translocated deer are similar to those of resident deer.
Implications: The similar home range sizes and movements of translocated and resident deer >1 year after release, as well as the high site fidelity we observed, suggests that translocation is a strategy managers could use to establish or augment populations of mule deer on winter range.
Additional keywords: ungulate, transplant, migration, home range, net-squared displacement.
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