Migration and seasonal ranges of the Eastern Tehama deer herd in northern California

Abstract

We investigated the movements and seasonal ranges of deer from the Eastern Tehama deer herd in northern California, USA. Twenty-eight adult female black-tailed deer (Odocolieus hemionus columbianus) were captured and fitted with GPS collars during 2013–2015. Average annual migration distances between summer and winter ranges was approximately 69 km. Deer used a variety of seasonal ranges including fall and spring stopovers during migration. Summer ranges averaged 3.3 km2, winter ranges averaged 2.7 km2, and fall and spring stopovers averaged 1.6 km2 and 1.1 km2, respectively. Fall migration (duration) averaged 30 days and spring migration averaged 21 days. The deer spent approximately 87% and 67% of the migration period at fall and spring stopovers, respectively. This study reinforces the importance stopover site use during migration. Conservation actions to benefit this herd should not only be focused on summer and winter ranges but also stopovers and migratory corridors which will require landscape-scale collaborations.

Keywords

• black-tailed deer
• california
• eastern tehama deer herd
• migration
• odocoileus hemionus columbianus
• seasonal ranges
• stopovers