Calling all Mule Deer Freaks! Here is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/ur ... JbzAPXA&e=October 2018 will mark year four of a five-year mule deer research project looking at the effect of agriculture on mule deer movements, fawn production and survival in the Texas Panhandle. Study areas are in the western Rolling Plains, eastern Canadian River breaks, and southwest Panhandle. TPWD and their partners are radio-collaring adult deer with GPS collars and fawns with lightweight expandable VHF collars annually for two years at each study site. We will be beginning year four of the project this fall with recaptures of previously radio-collared adults to remove collars at the Canadian River breaks study site, capture of new adults to supplement mortalities that occurred in the second year at the southwest Panhandle study site, and capture another cohort of 30 fawns at the southwest Panhandle study site. After year-three, adult mortality is about 20%. Fawn survivorship was over 60% with most mortality occurring in late-winter/spring. Funds for this project were provided by TPWD, USFWS (Pittman-Robertson funds), Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas Tech University, Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University, and the Mule Deer Foundation. This project will provide new and essential information regarding seasonal movements and survivorship of mule deer in the Texas Panhandle in relation to various habitats. Results will also document positive and/or negative impacts of agriculture production on mule deer biology and habitat.
Captures will be from Oct 15-19 starting in Stinnett to pull collars off of adult mule deer to end that study site. We will then move to Levelland to recapture adult mule deer to download collars and put GPS collars (funded by MDF) on fawns around Muleshoe and Yoakum Dunes WMA. Lastly, we will capture adult mule deer to radio-collar around Lubbock to start a new study site because MDF will cover capture costs.
We would love to have anyone interested to come out and help.
If you are interested in being a volunteer during this effort please let me know ASAP!
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