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Matthew Kauffman, PhD

Unit Leader - Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Matt grew up in rural southern Oregon, the son of a horse logger and an elementary schoolteacher. He received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Oregon in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2003. Since 2006, Matt has worked as a USGS researcher with the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and as faculty in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming; in 2010 he assumed leadership of the Wyoming Coop Unit. Matt leads a scientific team at the University of Wyoming that studies the long-distance migrations of large ungulates and communicates their importance to the public. His research seeks to understand how and why ungulates migrate, by evaluating the role of forage, movement, fat dynamics, reproduction and survival. Increasingly, he has sought to understand how the persistence of ungulate migration is threatened by landscape change. In 2012, Matt co-founded (and now directs) the Wyoming Migration Initiative (migrationinitiative.org), whose mission is to advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming's migratory ungulates. He teaches graduate seminars in quantitative analysis of spatial wildlife data, community ecology of wildlife, and migration ecology. 

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A group of mule deer on a smoky morning

Corridor Mapping Team: Ungulate Migrations of the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Cooperative Research Units, Land Management Research Program, Science for a Changing World
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Corridor Mapping Team: Ungulate Migrations of the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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Five mule deer stare at the camera as they stand in a field of dry sagebrush

Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
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Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
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Five mule deer stare at the camera as they stand in a field of dry sagebrush

Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species

Recent analyses of greater sage-grouse genetics have delineated areas of key genetic connectivity for this species and provided a prioritization tool for conservation and restoration of habitats essential for genetic exchange.
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Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
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Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species

Recent analyses of greater sage-grouse genetics have delineated areas of key genetic connectivity for this species and provided a prioritization tool for conservation and restoration of habitats essential for genetic exchange.
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Elk on a feedground in Wyoming.

Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts

View this webinar for more information about the effects of climate change on moose, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts

View this webinar for more information about the effects of climate change on moose, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming.
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Mule deer, Wyoming

Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming

Each year, plants and animals undergo certain life cycle events, such as breeding or flowering. These phenological events are linked to weather and climate, and as temperature and precipitation patterns have changed, some spring events are occurring earlier. These changes in plant phenology can have cascading effects on wildlife such as elk, moose, and mule deer, which depend on plants...
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Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming

Each year, plants and animals undergo certain life cycle events, such as breeding or flowering. These phenological events are linked to weather and climate, and as temperature and precipitation patterns have changed, some spring events are occurring earlier. These changes in plant phenology can have cascading effects on wildlife such as elk, moose, and mule deer, which depend on plants for food. I
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Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 5

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 5 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 and seasonal ranges. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4 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 and seasonal ranges. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and...
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Cooperative Research Units

Age ratios and landscape change covariates for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd units in Wyoming, USA, 1985-2019

Sagebrush ecosystems and wildlife that depend on them are under pressure from development, changing climate, as well as natural and human-caused disturbance. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are of particular concern due to population declines across many western states. We initiated a study to evaluate landscape-level changes ( disturbances, habitat treatments, development, and climate...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Seasonal movements of mule deer and pronghorn in Wyoming, 2014-2021

USGS scientists evaluated the utility of hidden Markov movement models to characterize seasonal movements of mule deer (Odecoileus hemionus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) that were tracked with GPS collars in Wyoming, USA, during 2014-2021. Data include step lengths and turning angles for individual animals at daily time-steps throughout the tracking period. Models demonstrated...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Pronghorn Migration and Resource Selection Near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020

USGS scientists evaluated movement and resource selection during seasonal migrations by pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) that were tracked with GPS collars near wind-energy facilities in the Shirley Basin, Wyoming, USA, in 2010-2012 and 2018-2020. Data include values of environmental variables and proximity to wind turbines at used and available locations for analyses of pronghorn...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3 (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...
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Cooperative Research Units

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...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units

Seasonal Resource Selection by Pronghorn near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020

Wind energy represents an important alternative to oil and gas extraction to meet increasing energy demands, but it has the potential to disrupt wildlife populations. Because behavioral adjustments, such as altered habitat selection, are a primary way that long-lived species respond to novel disturbances, USGS scientists evaluated effects of wind energy development on pronghorn...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1 (Kauffman et al. 2020) 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...
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Cooperative Research Units

Annual winter elk movements in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2001-2015

521 unique elk with GPS collars were tracked using telemetry from 2001 to 2015 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to determine winter-to-winter annual dispersal distance of each individual. All elk were identified and located using telemetry during the months of January and February for two successive years. An individual elk was included at most three times in the data and each year...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Elk movement and predicted number of brucellosis-induced abortion events in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (1993-2015)

Using data from 288 adult and yearling female elk that were captured on 22 winter supplemental elk feedgrounds in Wyoming and monitored with GPS collars from 2007 - 2015, we fit Step Selection Functions (SSFs) during the spring abortion season and then implemented a master equation approach to translate SSFs into predictions of daily elk distribution for five plausible winter weather...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Filter Total Items: 103

Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 5

Many ungulates migrate between distinct summer and winter ranges to take advantage of spatially and temporally variable food sources and avoid threats such as predators and deep snow. In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior established Secretarial Order 3362, which provided Federal support to expand existing research efforts to study ungulate populations and conserve their...
Authors
Matthew Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Jennifer L. McKee, Travis Allen, Chloe Beaupre, Jeffrey L. Beck, Scott Bergen, Justin Binfet, Shelly Blair, James W. Cain, Peyton Carl, Todd Cornish, Michelle L. Cowardin, Rachel Curtis, Melia DeVivo, Jennifer Diamond, Katie M. Dugger, Orrin Duvuvuei, C.J. Ellingwood, Darby Finely, Jessica Fort, Eric Freeman, Ian Freeman, Jeff Gagnon, Emily Gelzer, Jacob Gray, Evan Greenspan, Curtis Hendricks, Valerie Hinojoza-Rood, Matthew Jeffress, Carolyn A. Kyle, Zach Lockyer, Cody McKee, Jerod A. Merkle, Jerrod Merrell, Matthew A. Mumma, Jake Powell, Craig D. Reddell, Adele K. Reinking, Robert Ritson, Sierra Robatcek, Benjamin Seward Robb, Brianna M. Russo, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Elissa Slezak, Scott Sprague, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Thomas Stephenson, Nicole M. Tatman, Kaitlyn L. Taylor, Don Whittaker, Travis Zaffarano
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Cooperative Research Units

Neonatal antipredator tactics shape female movement patterns in large herbivores

Caring for newborn offspring hampers resource acquisition of mammalian females, curbing their ability to meet the high energy expenditure of early lactation. Newborns are particularly vulnerable, and large herbivores have evolved a continuum of neonatal anti-predator tactics, ranging from immobile hider to highly mobile follower offspring. How these tactics constrain female movements...
Authors
Kamal Atmeh, Christophe Bonenfant, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Mathieu Garel, A.J. Mark Hewison, Pascal Marchand, Nicolas Morellet, Pia Anderwald, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Jeffrey L. Beck, Matthew S. Becker, Floris M. van Beest, Jodi Berg, Ulrika A. Bergvall, Randall B. Boone, Mark S. Boyce, Simon Chamaill'e-Jammes, Yannick Chaval, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, David A Christianson, Simone Ciuti, Steeve D. Côté, Duane R. Diefenbach, Egil Droge, Johan T. Du Toit, Samantha P.H. Dwinnell, Julian Fennessy, Flurin Filli, Daniel Fortin, Emma E. Hart, Matthew M. Hayes, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Ivar Herfindal, Marco Heurich, Christian von Hoermann, Katey S. Huggler, Craig Jackson, Andrew F. Jakes, Paul F. Jones, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew Kauffman, Petter Kjellander, Tayler N. LaSharr, Leif Egil Loe, Roel May, Philip McLoughlin, Erling L. Meisingset, Evelyn Merrill, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Dejid Nandintsetseg, Kirk A. Olson, John Payne, Scott F Pearson, Ashild Ønvik Pedersen, Dustin H. Ranglack, Adele K. Reinking, Thomas Rempfler, Clifford G Rice, Eivin Røskaft, Bernt-Erik Sæther, Sonia Saïd, Hugo Santacreu, Niels Martin Schmidt, Daan Smit, Jared A. Stabach, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, Joëlle Taillon, W. David Walter, Kevin White, Guillaume Péron, Anne Loison
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Cooperative Research Units

Estimating ungulate migration corridors from sparse movement data

Many ungulates migrate between distinct summer and winter ranges, and identifying, mapping, and conserving these migration corridors have become a focus of local, regional, and global conservation efforts. Brownian bridge movement models (BBMMs) are commonly used to empirically identify these seasonal migration corridors; however, they require location data sampled at relatively frequent...
Authors
Jennifer L. McKee, Julien Fattebert, Ellen O. Aikens, Jodi Berg, Scott Bergen, Eric K. Cole, Holly E. Copeland, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Sarah Dewey, Mark Hurley, Blake Lowrey, Jerod A. Merkle, Arthur D. Middleton, Tristan A. Nuñez, Hall Sawyer, Matthew Kauffman
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Cooperative Research Units

A protocol for assessing bias and robustness of social network metrics using GPS based radio-telemetry data

BackgroundSocial network analysis of animal societies allows scientists to test hypotheses about social evolution, behaviour, and dynamic processes. However, the accuracy of estimated metrics depends on data characteristics like sample proportion, sample size, and frequency. A protocol is urgently needed to assess for bias and robustness of social network metrics estimated for the animal...
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Prabhleen Kaur, Simone Ciuti, Federico Ossi, Francesca Cagnacci, Nicolas Morellet, Anne Loison, Kamal Atmeh, Philip McLoughlin, Adele K. Reinking, Jeffrey L. Beck, Anna C. Ortega, Matthew Kauffman, Mark S. Boyce, Amy Haigh, Anna David, Laura L. Griffin, Kimberly Conteddu, Jane Faull, Michael Salter-Townshend
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Cooperative Research Units

Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 4

Broadly distributed across the Western United States, ungulates (hooved mammals) play an important role in ecosystem function by affecting vegetation communities and forming the prey base for large carnivores. Additionally, ungulates provide economic benefits to regional communities through tourism and hunting and hold cultural significance for many Tribal communities. Many ungulates...
Authors
Matthew Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Chloe Beaupre, Scott Bergen, Stefanie M. Bergh, Kevin Blecha, Samantha Bundick, Hunter Burkett, James W. Cain, Peyton Carl, David Casady, Corey Class, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Michelle L. Cowardin, Jennifer Diamond, Katie M. Dugger, Orrin Duvuvuei, Joanna R. Ennis, Michelle Flenner, Jessica Fort, Gary L. Fralick, Ian Freeman, Jeff Gagnon, David K. Garcelon, Kyle Garrison, Emily Gelzer, Evan Greenspan, Valerie Hinojoza-Rood, Patrick Hnilicka, Andy Holland, Brian Hudgens, Bart Kroger, Art Lawson, Cody McKee, Jennifer L. McKee, Jerod A. Merkle, Tony W. Mong, Haley Nelson, Brendan A. Oates, Marie-Pier Poulin, Craig D. Reddell, Robert Ritson, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Jessie Shapiro, Scott Sprague, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Sam Stephens, Blair Stringham, Patrick Ryan Swazo-Hinds, Nicole M. Tatman, Cody F. Wallace, Don Whittaker, Benjamin L. Wise, Heiko U. Wittmer, Erin Wood
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

A test of the frost wave hypothesis in a temperate ungulate

Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that temperate herbivores surf the green wave of emerging plants during spring migration. Despite the importance of autumn migration, few studies have conceptualized resource tracking of temperate herbivores during this critical season. We adapted the frost wave hypothesis (FWH), which posits that animals pace their autumn migration to reduce...
Authors
Anna C. Ortega, Jerod A. Merkle, Hall Sawyer, Kevin L. Monteith, Patrick Lionberger, Miguel Valdez, Matthew Kauffman
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Cooperative Research Units

Evaluating risks associated with capture and handling of mule deer for individual-based, long-term research

Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research that tracks the life history of animals by recapturing the same individuals for several years has vastly improved study inferences and our understanding of animal ecology. Yet there are corresponding risks to study animals associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that can occur during or following capture...
Authors
Tayler N. LaSharr, Samantha P.H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Anna C. Ortega, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew Kauffman, Katey S. Huggler, Patrick W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. Brimeyer, Brandon M. Scurlock, Jill E. Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark A. Thonhoff, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
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Cooperative Research Units

Forage senescence and disease influence elk pregnancy across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

For various temperate ungulate species, recent research has highlighted the potential for spring vegetation phenology (“green-up”) to influence individual condition, with purported benefits to population productivity. However, few studies have been able to measure the benefit on vital rates directly, and fewer still have investigated the comparative influence of other phenological...
Authors
Owen R. Bidder, Thomas Connor, Juan M. Morales, Gregory J.M. Rickbeil, Jerod A. Merkle, Rebecca K. Fuda, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, William H. Edwards, Eric K. Cole, Douglas E. McWhirter, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Sarah Dewey, Matthew Kauffman, Daniel R. MacNulty, Johan T. Du Toit, Daniel R. Stahler, Arthur D. Middleton
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Cooperative Research Units

Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents

Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we...
Authors
Steffen Mumme, Arthur D. Middleton, Paolo Ciucci, Johannes De Groeve, Andrea Corradini, Federico Ossi, Paul Atwood, Niko Balkenhol, Eric K. Cole, Lucie Debeffe, Sarah Dewey, Claude Fischer, Justin A. Gude, Marco Heurich, Mark A. Hurley, Anders Jarnemo, Matthew Kauffman, Alain Licoppe, Emiel van Loon, Doug McWhirter, Tony W. Mong, Luca Pedrotti, Nicolas Morellet, Atle Mysterud, Wibke Peters, Kelly Proffitt, Sonia Saïd, Johannes Signer, Peter Sunde, Martin Starý, Francesca Cagnacci
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Cooperative Research Units

Conserving habitat for migratory ungulates: How wide is a migration corridor?

Conserving migratory ungulates relies on the analysis of GPS collar data and associated maps of migration corridors to inform management and policy actions. Current methods for identifying migratory corridors use complex statistical models designed to account for movement uncertainty rather than estimating the amount of space required by animals to migrate. Furthermore, such methods can...
Authors
Jerod A. Merkle, Blake Lowrey, Cody F. Wallace, L. Flint Hall, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew Kauffman, Hall Sawyer
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Cooperative Research Units

Hidden Markov movement models reveal diverse seasonal movement patterns in two North American ungulates

Animal movement is the mechanism connecting landscapes to fitness, and understanding variation in seasonal animal movements has benefited from the analysis and categorization of animal displacement. However, seasonal movement patterns can defy classification when movements are highly variable. Hidden Markov movement models (HMMs) are a class of latent-state models well-suited to modeling...
Authors
J. Terrill Paterson, Aaron N. Johnston, Anna C. Ortega, Cody F. Wallace, Matthew Kauffman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

COVID-19 lockdowns reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the 2020 lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable, with no change in average movements or road avoidance...
Authors
Marlee A. Tucker, Aafke M. Schipper, Tempe S. F. Adams, Nina Attias, Tal Avgar, Natarsha Lauren Babic, Kristin J. Barker, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Dominik M. Behr, Jerrold L. Belant, Dean E. Beyer, Niels Blaum, J. David Blount, Dirk Bockmühl, Ricardo Luiz Pires Boulhosa, Michael B. Brown, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Francesca Cagnacci, Justin M. Calabrese, Rok Černe, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Aung Nyein Chan, Michael J. Chase, Yannick Chaval, Yvette Chenaux-Ibrahim, Seth Cherry, Duško Ćirović, Emrah Çoban, Eric K. Cole, Laura Conlee, Alyson Courtemanch, Gabriele Cozzi, Sarah C Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Vickie DeNicola, Arnaud L.J. Desbiez, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, David Drake, Michael Egan, William F. Fagan, Morgan J. Farmer, Julian Fennessy, Shannon P. Finnegan, Christen H. Fleming, Bonnie Fournier, N.L. Fowler, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Alexandre Garnier, Benedikt Gehr, Chris Geremia, Jacob R. Goheen, Morgan L. Hauptfleisch, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Anne G. Hertel, Marco Heurich, A.J. Mark Hewison, James Hodson, Nicholas Hoffman, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Djuro Huber, Edmund J. Isaac, Karolina Janik, Miloš Ježek, Örjan Johansson, Neil R. Jordan, Petra Kaczensky, Douglas N. Kamaru, Matthew Kauffman, Todd M. Kautz, Roland Kays, Allicia P Kelly, Jonas Kindberg, Miha Krofel, Josip Kusak, Clayton T. Lamb, Tayler LaSharr, Peter Leimgruber, Horst Leitner, Michael Lierz, John D.C. Linnell, Purevjav Lkhagvaja, Ryan A. Long, José Vicente López-Bao, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Pascal Marchand, Hans Martin, Lindsay A. Martinez, Roy T. McBride, Ashley A.D. McLaren, Erling Meisingset, Joerg Melzheimer, Evelyn Merrill, Arthur D. Middleton, Kevin Monteith, Seth A. Moore, Bram Van Moorter, Nicolas Morellet, Thomas Morrison, Rebekka Müller, Atle Mysterud, Michael T. Noonan, David O'Connor, Daniel Olson, Kirk A. Olson, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Manuela Panzacchi, Robert Patchett, Brent R. Patterson, Rogerio Cunha de Paula, John Payne, Wibke Peters, Tyler R. Petroelje, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Boštjan Pokorny, Kim Poole, Hubert Potočnik, Marie-Pier Poulin, Robert M. Pringle, Herbert H.T. Prins, Nathan Ranc, Slaven Reljić, Benjamin S. Robb, Ralf Röder, Christer Moe Rolandsen, Christian Rutz, Albert Salemgareyev, G. Samelius, Heather Sayine-Crawford, S. Schooler, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Nuria Selva, Paola Semenzato, Agnieszka Sergiel, Koustubh Sharma, Avery L. Shawler, Johannes Signer, Vaclav Silovsky, João Paulo Silva, Richard Simon, Rachel A. Smiley, Douglas W. Smith, Erling J. Solberg, Diego Ellis-Soto, Orr Spiegel, Jared A. Stabach, Jenna Stacy-Dawes, Daniel R. Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Cheyenne Stewart, Olav Strand, Peter Sunde, Nathan Svoboda, Johnathan Swart, Jeffrey J. Thompson, Katrina L. Toal, Kenneth Uiseb, Meredith C. VanAcker, Marianela Velilla, Tana L Verzuh, Bettina Wachter, Brittany L. Wagler, Jesse Whittington, Martin Wikelski, Christopher C. Wilmers, George Wittemyer, Julie K. Young, Filip Zieba, Tomasz Zwijacz-Kozica, Mark A.J. Huijbregts, Thomas Mueller
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Cooperative Research Units

World's Longest Mule Deer Migration: Red Desert to Hoback

In 2016, researchers in Wyoming discovered the world's longest migration of mule deer. A doe fitted with a GPS tracking collar migrated 242 miles one way. She is known as Deer 255. Each summer, she lives in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but travels far into Wyoming's sagebrush sea and high desert ecosystem for winter.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units
USGS mapping of western mule deer migration featured in new global atlas

USGS mapping of western mule deer migration featured in new global atlas

RESTON, Va. — The longest mule deer migration on record, the focus of a long-term USGS study, is one of 20 large mammal migrations included in the...

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Mapped: 33 new big game migrations across American West

Mapped: 33 new big game migrations across American West

RESTON, Va. — A new set of maps that document the movements of ungulates was published today in the fourth volume of the Ungulate Migrations of the...

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The Early Deer—and the Late Ones—Get the Herbs

The Early Deer—and the Late Ones—Get the Herbs

Climate change is messing with nature’s alarm clock. For animals that use seasonal signs from nature to start important activities like migration...

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Mapping Ungulate Migrations Across the Western U.S.

Mapping Ungulate Migrations Across the Western U.S.

Collaborations across State, Tribal, and Federal organizations help to enhance habitat quality for western ungulate herds.

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Home for the Holidays: Follow One Mule Deer’s 242-Mile Journey Across the Changing American West

Home for the Holidays: Follow One Mule Deer’s 242-Mile Journey Across the Changing American West

As the shortest day of the year arrives, many of us are traveling home for the holidays. Many migratory deer around the West are just arriving at...

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New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

LARAMIE, Wyo.—The USGS, in partnership with state and Tribal wildlife agencies, today published the third volume in a series of new maps of big game...

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Energy development in migration corridors affects mule deer access to best forage

Energy development in migration corridors affects mule deer access to best forage

Findings highlight the need for migration maps in future development decisions

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International team partners with UN to launch global initiative to map ungulate migrations

International team partners with UN to launch global initiative to map ungulate migrations

An international team of 92 scientists and conservationists has joined forces to create the first-ever global atlas of ungulate (hooved mammal)...

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Yellowstone's migrating bison manipulate springtime green-up

Yellowstone's migrating bison manipulate springtime green-up

On a typical June day in Yellowstone National Park, it’s not unusual to see hundreds of bison grazing in the Lamar Valley. The herds appear to...

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Wildlife Researchers to Give Public Close-Up, Real-Time View of Big Game Fieldwork

Wildlife Researchers to Give Public Close-Up, Real-Time View of Big Game Fieldwork

LARAMIE, WY — Seeking insights to help moose, elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep populations, researchers from the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming...
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A group of mule deer on a smoky morning

Corridor Mapping Team: Ungulate Migrations of the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Cooperative Research Units, Land Management Research Program, Science for a Changing World
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Corridor Mapping Team: Ungulate Migrations of the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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Five mule deer stare at the camera as they stand in a field of dry sagebrush

Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
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Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.
Learn More
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Five mule deer stare at the camera as they stand in a field of dry sagebrush

Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species

Recent analyses of greater sage-grouse genetics have delineated areas of key genetic connectivity for this species and provided a prioritization tool for conservation and restoration of habitats essential for genetic exchange.
By
Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
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Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species

Recent analyses of greater sage-grouse genetics have delineated areas of key genetic connectivity for this species and provided a prioritization tool for conservation and restoration of habitats essential for genetic exchange.
Learn More
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Elk on a feedground in Wyoming.

Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts

View this webinar for more information about the effects of climate change on moose, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts

View this webinar for more information about the effects of climate change on moose, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming.
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Mule deer, Wyoming

Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming

Each year, plants and animals undergo certain life cycle events, such as breeding or flowering. These phenological events are linked to weather and climate, and as temperature and precipitation patterns have changed, some spring events are occurring earlier. These changes in plant phenology can have cascading effects on wildlife such as elk, moose, and mule deer, which depend on plants...
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Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming

Each year, plants and animals undergo certain life cycle events, such as breeding or flowering. These phenological events are linked to weather and climate, and as temperature and precipitation patterns have changed, some spring events are occurring earlier. These changes in plant phenology can have cascading effects on wildlife such as elk, moose, and mule deer, which depend on plants for food. I
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Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 5

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 5 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 and seasonal ranges. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4 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 and seasonal ranges. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and...
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Cooperative Research Units

Age ratios and landscape change covariates for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd units in Wyoming, USA, 1985-2019

Sagebrush ecosystems and wildlife that depend on them are under pressure from development, changing climate, as well as natural and human-caused disturbance. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are of particular concern due to population declines across many western states. We initiated a study to evaluate landscape-level changes ( disturbances, habitat treatments, development, and climate...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Seasonal movements of mule deer and pronghorn in Wyoming, 2014-2021

USGS scientists evaluated the utility of hidden Markov movement models to characterize seasonal movements of mule deer (Odecoileus hemionus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) that were tracked with GPS collars in Wyoming, USA, during 2014-2021. Data include step lengths and turning angles for individual animals at daily time-steps throughout the tracking period. Models demonstrated...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Pronghorn Migration and Resource Selection Near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020

USGS scientists evaluated movement and resource selection during seasonal migrations by pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) that were tracked with GPS collars near wind-energy facilities in the Shirley Basin, Wyoming, USA, in 2010-2012 and 2018-2020. Data include values of environmental variables and proximity to wind turbines at used and available locations for analyses of pronghorn...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3 (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...
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Cooperative Research Units

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...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units

Seasonal Resource Selection by Pronghorn near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020

Wind energy represents an important alternative to oil and gas extraction to meet increasing energy demands, but it has the potential to disrupt wildlife populations. Because behavioral adjustments, such as altered habitat selection, are a primary way that long-lived species respond to novel disturbances, USGS scientists evaluated effects of wind energy development on pronghorn...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1

This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1 (Kauffman et al. 2020) 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...
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Cooperative Research Units

Annual winter elk movements in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2001-2015

521 unique elk with GPS collars were tracked using telemetry from 2001 to 2015 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to determine winter-to-winter annual dispersal distance of each individual. All elk were identified and located using telemetry during the months of January and February for two successive years. An individual elk was included at most three times in the data and each year...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Elk movement and predicted number of brucellosis-induced abortion events in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (1993-2015)

Using data from 288 adult and yearling female elk that were captured on 22 winter supplemental elk feedgrounds in Wyoming and monitored with GPS collars from 2007 - 2015, we fit Step Selection Functions (SSFs) during the spring abortion season and then implemented a master equation approach to translate SSFs into predictions of daily elk distribution for five plausible winter weather...
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Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Filter Total Items: 103

Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 5

Many ungulates migrate between distinct summer and winter ranges to take advantage of spatially and temporally variable food sources and avoid threats such as predators and deep snow. In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior established Secretarial Order 3362, which provided Federal support to expand existing research efforts to study ungulate populations and conserve their...
Authors
Matthew Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Jennifer L. McKee, Travis Allen, Chloe Beaupre, Jeffrey L. Beck, Scott Bergen, Justin Binfet, Shelly Blair, James W. Cain, Peyton Carl, Todd Cornish, Michelle L. Cowardin, Rachel Curtis, Melia DeVivo, Jennifer Diamond, Katie M. Dugger, Orrin Duvuvuei, C.J. Ellingwood, Darby Finely, Jessica Fort, Eric Freeman, Ian Freeman, Jeff Gagnon, Emily Gelzer, Jacob Gray, Evan Greenspan, Curtis Hendricks, Valerie Hinojoza-Rood, Matthew Jeffress, Carolyn A. Kyle, Zach Lockyer, Cody McKee, Jerod A. Merkle, Jerrod Merrell, Matthew A. Mumma, Jake Powell, Craig D. Reddell, Adele K. Reinking, Robert Ritson, Sierra Robatcek, Benjamin Seward Robb, Brianna M. Russo, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Elissa Slezak, Scott Sprague, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Thomas Stephenson, Nicole M. Tatman, Kaitlyn L. Taylor, Don Whittaker, Travis Zaffarano
By
Cooperative Research Units

Neonatal antipredator tactics shape female movement patterns in large herbivores

Caring for newborn offspring hampers resource acquisition of mammalian females, curbing their ability to meet the high energy expenditure of early lactation. Newborns are particularly vulnerable, and large herbivores have evolved a continuum of neonatal anti-predator tactics, ranging from immobile hider to highly mobile follower offspring. How these tactics constrain female movements...
Authors
Kamal Atmeh, Christophe Bonenfant, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Mathieu Garel, A.J. Mark Hewison, Pascal Marchand, Nicolas Morellet, Pia Anderwald, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Jeffrey L. Beck, Matthew S. Becker, Floris M. van Beest, Jodi Berg, Ulrika A. Bergvall, Randall B. Boone, Mark S. Boyce, Simon Chamaill'e-Jammes, Yannick Chaval, Chimeddorj Buyanaa, David A Christianson, Simone Ciuti, Steeve D. Côté, Duane R. Diefenbach, Egil Droge, Johan T. Du Toit, Samantha P.H. Dwinnell, Julian Fennessy, Flurin Filli, Daniel Fortin, Emma E. Hart, Matthew M. Hayes, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Ivar Herfindal, Marco Heurich, Christian von Hoermann, Katey S. Huggler, Craig Jackson, Andrew F. Jakes, Paul F. Jones, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew Kauffman, Petter Kjellander, Tayler N. LaSharr, Leif Egil Loe, Roel May, Philip McLoughlin, Erling L. Meisingset, Evelyn Merrill, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Dejid Nandintsetseg, Kirk A. Olson, John Payne, Scott F Pearson, Ashild Ønvik Pedersen, Dustin H. Ranglack, Adele K. Reinking, Thomas Rempfler, Clifford G Rice, Eivin Røskaft, Bernt-Erik Sæther, Sonia Saïd, Hugo Santacreu, Niels Martin Schmidt, Daan Smit, Jared A. Stabach, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, Joëlle Taillon, W. David Walter, Kevin White, Guillaume Péron, Anne Loison
By
Cooperative Research Units

Estimating ungulate migration corridors from sparse movement data

Many ungulates migrate between distinct summer and winter ranges, and identifying, mapping, and conserving these migration corridors have become a focus of local, regional, and global conservation efforts. Brownian bridge movement models (BBMMs) are commonly used to empirically identify these seasonal migration corridors; however, they require location data sampled at relatively frequent...
Authors
Jennifer L. McKee, Julien Fattebert, Ellen O. Aikens, Jodi Berg, Scott Bergen, Eric K. Cole, Holly E. Copeland, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Sarah Dewey, Mark Hurley, Blake Lowrey, Jerod A. Merkle, Arthur D. Middleton, Tristan A. Nuñez, Hall Sawyer, Matthew Kauffman
By
Cooperative Research Units

A protocol for assessing bias and robustness of social network metrics using GPS based radio-telemetry data

BackgroundSocial network analysis of animal societies allows scientists to test hypotheses about social evolution, behaviour, and dynamic processes. However, the accuracy of estimated metrics depends on data characteristics like sample proportion, sample size, and frequency. A protocol is urgently needed to assess for bias and robustness of social network metrics estimated for the animal...
Authors
Prabhleen Kaur, Simone Ciuti, Federico Ossi, Francesca Cagnacci, Nicolas Morellet, Anne Loison, Kamal Atmeh, Philip McLoughlin, Adele K. Reinking, Jeffrey L. Beck, Anna C. Ortega, Matthew Kauffman, Mark S. Boyce, Amy Haigh, Anna David, Laura L. Griffin, Kimberly Conteddu, Jane Faull, Michael Salter-Townshend
By
Cooperative Research Units

Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 4

Broadly distributed across the Western United States, ungulates (hooved mammals) play an important role in ecosystem function by affecting vegetation communities and forming the prey base for large carnivores. Additionally, ungulates provide economic benefits to regional communities through tourism and hunting and hold cultural significance for many Tribal communities. Many ungulates...
Authors
Matthew Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Chloe Beaupre, Scott Bergen, Stefanie M. Bergh, Kevin Blecha, Samantha Bundick, Hunter Burkett, James W. Cain, Peyton Carl, David Casady, Corey Class, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Michelle L. Cowardin, Jennifer Diamond, Katie M. Dugger, Orrin Duvuvuei, Joanna R. Ennis, Michelle Flenner, Jessica Fort, Gary L. Fralick, Ian Freeman, Jeff Gagnon, David K. Garcelon, Kyle Garrison, Emily Gelzer, Evan Greenspan, Valerie Hinojoza-Rood, Patrick Hnilicka, Andy Holland, Brian Hudgens, Bart Kroger, Art Lawson, Cody McKee, Jennifer L. McKee, Jerod A. Merkle, Tony W. Mong, Haley Nelson, Brendan A. Oates, Marie-Pier Poulin, Craig D. Reddell, Robert Ritson, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Jessie Shapiro, Scott Sprague, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Sam Stephens, Blair Stringham, Patrick Ryan Swazo-Hinds, Nicole M. Tatman, Cody F. Wallace, Don Whittaker, Benjamin L. Wise, Heiko U. Wittmer, Erin Wood
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

A test of the frost wave hypothesis in a temperate ungulate

Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that temperate herbivores surf the green wave of emerging plants during spring migration. Despite the importance of autumn migration, few studies have conceptualized resource tracking of temperate herbivores during this critical season. We adapted the frost wave hypothesis (FWH), which posits that animals pace their autumn migration to reduce...
Authors
Anna C. Ortega, Jerod A. Merkle, Hall Sawyer, Kevin L. Monteith, Patrick Lionberger, Miguel Valdez, Matthew Kauffman
By
Cooperative Research Units

Evaluating risks associated with capture and handling of mule deer for individual-based, long-term research

Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research that tracks the life history of animals by recapturing the same individuals for several years has vastly improved study inferences and our understanding of animal ecology. Yet there are corresponding risks to study animals associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that can occur during or following capture...
Authors
Tayler N. LaSharr, Samantha P.H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Anna C. Ortega, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew Kauffman, Katey S. Huggler, Patrick W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. Brimeyer, Brandon M. Scurlock, Jill E. Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark A. Thonhoff, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
By
Cooperative Research Units

Forage senescence and disease influence elk pregnancy across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

For various temperate ungulate species, recent research has highlighted the potential for spring vegetation phenology (“green-up”) to influence individual condition, with purported benefits to population productivity. However, few studies have been able to measure the benefit on vital rates directly, and fewer still have investigated the comparative influence of other phenological...
Authors
Owen R. Bidder, Thomas Connor, Juan M. Morales, Gregory J.M. Rickbeil, Jerod A. Merkle, Rebecca K. Fuda, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, William H. Edwards, Eric K. Cole, Douglas E. McWhirter, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Sarah Dewey, Matthew Kauffman, Daniel R. MacNulty, Johan T. Du Toit, Daniel R. Stahler, Arthur D. Middleton
By
Cooperative Research Units

Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents

Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we...
Authors
Steffen Mumme, Arthur D. Middleton, Paolo Ciucci, Johannes De Groeve, Andrea Corradini, Federico Ossi, Paul Atwood, Niko Balkenhol, Eric K. Cole, Lucie Debeffe, Sarah Dewey, Claude Fischer, Justin A. Gude, Marco Heurich, Mark A. Hurley, Anders Jarnemo, Matthew Kauffman, Alain Licoppe, Emiel van Loon, Doug McWhirter, Tony W. Mong, Luca Pedrotti, Nicolas Morellet, Atle Mysterud, Wibke Peters, Kelly Proffitt, Sonia Saïd, Johannes Signer, Peter Sunde, Martin Starý, Francesca Cagnacci
By
Cooperative Research Units

Conserving habitat for migratory ungulates: How wide is a migration corridor?

Conserving migratory ungulates relies on the analysis of GPS collar data and associated maps of migration corridors to inform management and policy actions. Current methods for identifying migratory corridors use complex statistical models designed to account for movement uncertainty rather than estimating the amount of space required by animals to migrate. Furthermore, such methods can...
Authors
Jerod A. Merkle, Blake Lowrey, Cody F. Wallace, L. Flint Hall, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew Kauffman, Hall Sawyer
By
Cooperative Research Units

Hidden Markov movement models reveal diverse seasonal movement patterns in two North American ungulates

Animal movement is the mechanism connecting landscapes to fitness, and understanding variation in seasonal animal movements has benefited from the analysis and categorization of animal displacement. However, seasonal movement patterns can defy classification when movements are highly variable. Hidden Markov movement models (HMMs) are a class of latent-state models well-suited to modeling...
Authors
J. Terrill Paterson, Aaron N. Johnston, Anna C. Ortega, Cody F. Wallace, Matthew Kauffman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

COVID-19 lockdowns reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the 2020 lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable, with no change in average movements or road avoidance...
Authors
Marlee A. Tucker, Aafke M. Schipper, Tempe S. F. Adams, Nina Attias, Tal Avgar, Natarsha Lauren Babic, Kristin J. Barker, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Dominik M. Behr, Jerrold L. Belant, Dean E. Beyer, Niels Blaum, J. David Blount, Dirk Bockmühl, Ricardo Luiz Pires Boulhosa, Michael B. Brown, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Francesca Cagnacci, Justin M. Calabrese, Rok Černe, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Aung Nyein Chan, Michael J. Chase, Yannick Chaval, Yvette Chenaux-Ibrahim, Seth Cherry, Duško Ćirović, Emrah Çoban, Eric K. Cole, Laura Conlee, Alyson Courtemanch, Gabriele Cozzi, Sarah C Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Vickie DeNicola, Arnaud L.J. Desbiez, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, David Drake, Michael Egan, William F. Fagan, Morgan J. Farmer, Julian Fennessy, Shannon P. Finnegan, Christen H. Fleming, Bonnie Fournier, N.L. Fowler, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Alexandre Garnier, Benedikt Gehr, Chris Geremia, Jacob R. Goheen, Morgan L. Hauptfleisch, Mark Hebblewhite, Morten Heim, Anne G. Hertel, Marco Heurich, A.J. Mark Hewison, James Hodson, Nicholas Hoffman, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Djuro Huber, Edmund J. Isaac, Karolina Janik, Miloš Ježek, Örjan Johansson, Neil R. Jordan, Petra Kaczensky, Douglas N. Kamaru, Matthew Kauffman, Todd M. Kautz, Roland Kays, Allicia P Kelly, Jonas Kindberg, Miha Krofel, Josip Kusak, Clayton T. Lamb, Tayler LaSharr, Peter Leimgruber, Horst Leitner, Michael Lierz, John D.C. Linnell, Purevjav Lkhagvaja, Ryan A. Long, José Vicente López-Bao, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Pascal Marchand, Hans Martin, Lindsay A. Martinez, Roy T. McBride, Ashley A.D. McLaren, Erling Meisingset, Joerg Melzheimer, Evelyn Merrill, Arthur D. Middleton, Kevin Monteith, Seth A. Moore, Bram Van Moorter, Nicolas Morellet, Thomas Morrison, Rebekka Müller, Atle Mysterud, Michael T. Noonan, David O'Connor, Daniel Olson, Kirk A. Olson, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Manuela Panzacchi, Robert Patchett, Brent R. Patterson, Rogerio Cunha de Paula, John Payne, Wibke Peters, Tyler R. Petroelje, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Boštjan Pokorny, Kim Poole, Hubert Potočnik, Marie-Pier Poulin, Robert M. Pringle, Herbert H.T. Prins, Nathan Ranc, Slaven Reljić, Benjamin S. Robb, Ralf Röder, Christer Moe Rolandsen, Christian Rutz, Albert Salemgareyev, G. Samelius, Heather Sayine-Crawford, S. Schooler, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Nuria Selva, Paola Semenzato, Agnieszka Sergiel, Koustubh Sharma, Avery L. Shawler, Johannes Signer, Vaclav Silovsky, João Paulo Silva, Richard Simon, Rachel A. Smiley, Douglas W. Smith, Erling J. Solberg, Diego Ellis-Soto, Orr Spiegel, Jared A. Stabach, Jenna Stacy-Dawes, Daniel R. Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Cheyenne Stewart, Olav Strand, Peter Sunde, Nathan Svoboda, Johnathan Swart, Jeffrey J. Thompson, Katrina L. Toal, Kenneth Uiseb, Meredith C. VanAcker, Marianela Velilla, Tana L Verzuh, Bettina Wachter, Brittany L. Wagler, Jesse Whittington, Martin Wikelski, Christopher C. Wilmers, George Wittemyer, Julie K. Young, Filip Zieba, Tomasz Zwijacz-Kozica, Mark A.J. Huijbregts, Thomas Mueller
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Cooperative Research Units

World's Longest Mule Deer Migration: Red Desert to Hoback

In 2016, researchers in Wyoming discovered the world's longest migration of mule deer. A doe fitted with a GPS tracking collar migrated 242 miles one way. She is known as Deer 255. Each summer, she lives in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but travels far into Wyoming's sagebrush sea and high desert ecosystem for winter.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units
USGS mapping of western mule deer migration featured in new global atlas

USGS mapping of western mule deer migration featured in new global atlas

RESTON, Va. — The longest mule deer migration on record, the focus of a long-term USGS study, is one of 20 large mammal migrations included in the...

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Mapped: 33 new big game migrations across American West

Mapped: 33 new big game migrations across American West

RESTON, Va. — A new set of maps that document the movements of ungulates was published today in the fourth volume of the Ungulate Migrations of the...

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The Early Deer—and the Late Ones—Get the Herbs

The Early Deer—and the Late Ones—Get the Herbs

Climate change is messing with nature’s alarm clock. For animals that use seasonal signs from nature to start important activities like migration...

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Mapping Ungulate Migrations Across the Western U.S.

Mapping Ungulate Migrations Across the Western U.S.

Collaborations across State, Tribal, and Federal organizations help to enhance habitat quality for western ungulate herds.

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Home for the Holidays: Follow One Mule Deer’s 242-Mile Journey Across the Changing American West

Home for the Holidays: Follow One Mule Deer’s 242-Mile Journey Across the Changing American West

As the shortest day of the year arrives, many of us are traveling home for the holidays. Many migratory deer around the West are just arriving at...

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New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

LARAMIE, Wyo.—The USGS, in partnership with state and Tribal wildlife agencies, today published the third volume in a series of new maps of big game...

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Energy development in migration corridors affects mule deer access to best forage

Energy development in migration corridors affects mule deer access to best forage

Findings highlight the need for migration maps in future development decisions

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International team partners with UN to launch global initiative to map ungulate migrations

International team partners with UN to launch global initiative to map ungulate migrations

An international team of 92 scientists and conservationists has joined forces to create the first-ever global atlas of ungulate (hooved mammal)...

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Yellowstone's migrating bison manipulate springtime green-up

Yellowstone's migrating bison manipulate springtime green-up

On a typical June day in Yellowstone National Park, it’s not unusual to see hundreds of bison grazing in the Lamar Valley. The herds appear to...

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Wildlife Researchers to Give Public Close-Up, Real-Time View of Big Game Fieldwork

Wildlife Researchers to Give Public Close-Up, Real-Time View of Big Game Fieldwork

LARAMIE, WY — Seeking insights to help moose, elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep populations, researchers from the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming...
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