Movement and nutritional data of mule deer in Western Wyoming (December 2015–March 2021)

For many species, behavioral modification is an effective strategy to mitigate negative effects of harsh and unpredictable environmental conditions. When behavioral modifications are not sufficient to mitigate extreme environmental conditions, intrinsic factors may be the primary determinant of overwinter survival. We investigated how movement behavior, and internal (i.e., nutrition and age) and external (i.e., food availability and snow depth) states affect survival over winter of a long-lived and highly faithful species (mule deer; Odocoileus hemionus). We first tested if animals changed their behavior during winter based on internal and external states; we subsequently investigated how behavior and state interacted to influence survival risks in the face of extraordinary winter conditions. Movement behavior changed minimally as a function of age and nutrition; and yet, movement behavior affected survival—animals that exhibited more restricted movements were more likely to succumb to ..., We studied a population of mule deer that winters on two distinct winter ranges in the Wyoming and Salt River mountain ranges in western Wyoming, USA (42°25°N, 110°42°W) from December 2015 to March 2021. Adult, female mule deer were fit with GPS collars that recorded fixes every 2 hours.
We used data on movement, nutritional condition, age, and survival of adult (≥2 yrs old), female mule deer from December 2015 to March 2021. Beginning in December 2015, we captured 70 adult, female mule deer using helicopter net gunning. Each March and December following that initial capture, we recaptured all surviving individuals and captured new individuals to maintain a sample size of 70 animals. At the initial capture event, we extracted one insiciform canine to assess age of individuals using cementum annuli and assigned a unique animal identifier (e.g., “001”). At every capture event, we measured body mass, determined nutritional condition, and fit all animals with a GPS radio-collar programmed t...,