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Brandon Scurlock

Mule deer within the Red Desert population, part of the larger Sublette herd, make the longest ungulate migration ever recorded in the lower 48 states (fig. 33). Here, mule deer travel an average one-way distance of 150 mi (241 km) from the Red Desert in the south to the Gros Ventre Range and Teton Range in the north. This migration originates in the desert sagebrush basins of the Red Desert area of southwest Wyoming where deer winter. In spring, an estimated 500 deer travel 50 mi (84 km) north across the desert to the west side of the Wind River Range. From there they merge with 4,000 to 5,000 other deer that winter in the foothills of the Wind River Range and then travel a narrow corridor along the base of the...
The Platte Valley Herd Corridor was designated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in 2018 (fig. 30). The Platte Valley herd contains approximately 11,000 mule deer. The corridor is based on two wintering populations, including a south segment from Saratoga, Wyoming, to the Colorado State line, and a north segment from Saratoga to the Dana Ridge area north of I-80. Winter ranges in the Platte Valley are more dispersed than winter ranges in other parts of the state, so deer migrate in many different directions. Many deer in the southern segment follow the Platte River south to summer ranges in Colorado. Most deer migrations in the north radiate south and east from winter ranges along I-80. The WGFD collared 45...
Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) within the Sublette herd comprise one of the largest pronghorn populations in North America. Sublette pronghorn winter in the more southern areas of the upper Green River Basin. Depending upon winter severity, individual pronghorn winter between Pinedale in the north to Rock Springs in the south, and in the western portions of the Red Desert. Winter ranges include a mix of grassland and sagebrush dominated mesas and rolling hills. During migration, animals that have been tracked with GPS collars (n = 362 females) travel an average one-way distance of nearly 60 miles (96 km), with some animals migrating over 200 miles (320 km). This herd is home to the longest distance migrating...
Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2
This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2 (Kauffman et al. 2022) and includes the collection of GIS map files that are mapped and described in the report. These map files are meant to provide a common spatial representation of the mapped migrations. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and planned for across a wide variety of landscapes where they occur. Due to data sharing constraints of participating agencies, not all the files that underlie the mapped migrations included in the report have been released. Data can be viewed at: https://westernmigrations.net. Data in this archive can be downloaded two ways. To download...
The Ryegrass mule deer population is part of the larger Sublette herd that winters in the northwest portion of the Green River Basin, west of the Green River and north of Cottonwood Creek (fig. 34). In severe winters, these deer may travel southeast to The Mesa, Ross Ridge, or Reardon Draw areas. The Ryegrass region supports approximately 1,500 to 2,000 deer that migrate northwest to summer ranges in the Wyoming Range and Salt River Range. Many of these deer must traverse U.S. Highway 189, where deer-vehicle collisions are problematic. This stretch of highway is a top priority for underpass installation to improve both wildlife permeability and motorist safety. These data provide the location of migration routes...
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