Jo the Mule Deer Arrives on Summer Range

Описание: Jo the mule deer has completed her spring 2020 migration. She left winter range in the Red Desert on March 8th, and finally arrived at her summer range on the slopes of the Gros Ventre Range on May 20th.

If she hasn’t already, Jo will give birth in the coming weeks, and with luck, she’ll successfully raise her twin fawns through the summer. Accidents, disease, and predation all play a role in fawn mortality, but hopefully the little ones will make it through until the snow flies, when Jo will guide them on their first steps of the epic ~150 mile migration back to winter range in the Red Desert. Jo has a good track record as a mom, last year she had successfully recruited one fawn and the year before that she had recruited 6-month old twins.

Jo, like so many deer we’ve studied in this migratory herd, is showing us that migration is the key to survival no matter the distance. WMI fellow, Anna Ortega is working hard to understand just how important Jo’s migration is and the other deer in her herd that migrate medium (30-90 miles) and shorter (30 miles) distances. Thus far, Anna has found that 43% of the herd are long-distance migrants, 27% of the herd are medium distance migrants and 19% are short distance migrants. Why do animals in the same herd have different migration strategies, what are the costs and benefits of each of these strategies, and what does this mean for management? These are the questions Anna and our team are trying to answer. As we learn more about these incredible animals in the coming months, we’ll share what we find with all of you! Thanks again, everyone, for being part of Jo’s journey and learning her story!

#wyodeer #KnowYourCorridors #wildlife #wildlifemigration