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PA Deer Migration?

12K views 79 replies 20 participants last post by  grundsow 
#1 ·
Summer Homes – Part 1
Posted: July 15, 2016

http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/projects/deer/news/2016/summer-homes-2013-part-1-of-3

Gentlemen, Diefenbach just posted GPS locations of a PA Doe's home range that stretches 7 miles as the crow flies, between summer & winter range.

RSB must be doing summersaults.
Be carful though, it's only part 1 again.

Found it interesting that once again though, she does NOT confine herself to an evergreen valley/"wintering grounds".

Instead she is coursing from ridge to ridge thru clearcuts & shelterwood cuts, and avoiding areas identified by DCNR as "winter thermal cover" including the Thickhead Wild Area to the southwest.



DCNR Map:
http://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/bof/huntmap/index.html
 
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#2 ·
Amazing info. I know this area and I am surprised how far she has traveled. She has a cluster of locations on the Underwood trail then she traveled over the mountains and into the valley towards 322 that goes to State College. Just goes to show you how far they can go.
 
#4 ·
Anyone who believes free ranging deer do not travel, regardless of the seasons is in denial. 7 miles, yup and I think that we are just beginning to understand the travel habits of white tails. The PGC buck dispersal study found a buck that was collared traveled 27 miles from his turf where he was collared. And as a side note, he swam 2 major rivers to get there. A doe inside 7 miles is not a stretch, and not uncommon.
 
#12 ·
SRA-5C+ said:
The PGC buck dispersal study found a buck that was collared traveled 27 miles from his turf where he was collared. And as a side note, he swam 2 major rivers to get there. A doe inside 7 miles is not a stretch, and not uncommon.
Oh, but it IS uncommon for a PA doe's *ANNUAL* home range to span 7 miles. First time ever documented! Dispersal is something totally different.

What I find amusing is she lives most of the year down around 1,200 ft - raising fawns amoungst the farm fields. But then for winter she hikes uphill to 1,900 ft to over-winter on the mountaintop ridges deep in the forest.

People always tell me that deer do just the opposite.
 
#17 ·
Freytown said:
grundson, deer moving to a food source???? Up hill or down...does it really matter??
It does if you are promoting the idea that PA deer routinely drop off the ridges and down into their lowland "wintering grounds" when snow gets deep.

And it does if you insist deer will NOT benefit from increasing the annual tree harvest rate by creating additional seedling/sapling ALL OVER the mountains, and instead need yet more old growth forest.


Anyone who believes those things is proven wrong once again by the real GPS deer.
 
#18 ·
grundsow said:
Freytown said:
grundson, deer moving to a food source???? Up hill or down...does it really matter??
It does if you are promoting the idea that PA deer routinely drop off the ridges and down into their lowland "wintering grounds" when snow gets deep.

And it does if you insist deer will NOT benefit from increasing the annual tree harvest rate by creating additional seedling/sapling ALL OVER the mountains, and instead need yet more old growth forest.


Anyone who believes those things is proven wrong once again by the real GPS deer.
That may be true in those areas of the state where they don’t get deep snow for extended periods of time. But, anyone from up in this lake effect snow region of the state who knows anything about deer and what they do during those winters with prolonged period of deep snow know better. We have been watching the deer move off the ridges and plateaus for all of our lives. No matter who fails to recognize it or understand it happens and it most certainly effects the value of the ridge top habitat verses the wintering grounds habitat. It also appears to adversely affect the fawn recruitment rates the year following those harsh winters.

Perhaps they should do a deer study in the snow belt areas of this Commonwealth and see just how harsh winters effect deer where we do have some REAL winters. Maybe they would at least learn some things about deer movement and habitat values they don’t seem to understand yet.

Dick Bodenhorn
 
#21 ·
There are way to many variables to make a broad statewide statement about how deer react to winter in Pa, or anywhere for that matter. Habitat conditions, deer densities, seed crop, thermal cover, topography, snowfall, temps and herd health will all play a roll in how deer react to winter conditions. I've seen dramatic differences in deer movements and reactions to winter conditions within a few miles of each other. Way to many variables to stereotype winter deer movements in Pa.
 
#22 ·
There are way to many variables to make a broad statewide statement about how deer react to winter in Pa, or anywhere for that matter. Habitat conditions, deer densities, seed crop, thermal cover, topography, snowfall, temps and herd health will all play a roll in how deer react to winter conditions. I've seen dramatic differences in deer movements and reactions to winter conditions within a few miles of each other. Way to many variables to stereotype winter deer movements in Pa.
Along with human activity I think you nailed it.
Some only look at human activity as something that chases deer. Nothing could be more wrong in winter. Waugh!
 
#23 ·
Are we to change our general observations of deer movements based on the tracking of <span style="font-style: italic">one</span> deer?

Coupla years ago I watched a presentation that documented the travels of a GPS-collared bear that had traveled nearly half way across the state after being trapped/moved, only to suddenly turn around and make a beeline right back to where it had been trapped.

It spent months wandering around, mostly moving due west, before it headed for home again in fairly short order. One bear. Surprised the bear biologist, but even he said it was just one bear.
 
#24 ·
Goosehunter said:
Grund, any Winter Thermal Cover for this migrating deer?
We need another map.
http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/proje...orest+Blog)

This is yet another deer that is riding ridgetops thru winter. Early winter, he is hanging around some thermal cover, but by late winter when snow is deep, he leaves that to travel several miles away to a 1,700 ft. high ridge.

This poor buck lives in a section of Bald Eagle SF that has very poor forest management – practically ZERO cuttings/prime food available. A fair amount of “winter thermal cover” exists, and there is also the Penn’s Creek “Wild Area” just to the north east, but this buck displays no affinity to either habitat.

What I find more interesting is when the shooting starts, this buck leaves a DMAP area to take up residence in a non-DMAP zone. He relocated in 2014 right about the time of Oct muzzleloader/rifle season start, and in 2015 right at start of rifle season. And Diefenbach/Fleegle see no connection???

 
#25 ·
Thanks for the map.
It's truly difficult to argue with GPS results, these deer are moving around during different times of the year and none of the movements seem to be connected to snow, thermal cover or elevation. This is just more proof deer in PA do not have that "Yarding Mentality" during winter months.
I sure wouldn't want to try and convince Duane Diefenbach that deer yard up during the winter.

But now part 3 is out and if we had one more map it would complete the story.
Summer Vacations

Here's a paragraph from this link.

" What is eye-opening (and concerning) about this movement behavior is that these females are traveling 3-10 miles across the landscape several times a year. These deer aren’t traveling alone either – whatever diseases and parasites they have are taken along for the trip too."
 
#26 ·
Denny: no not just one deer. There are more and the information is released in small bites because the study is not done. It seems we are allowed a inside ride of how research takes place. Not a bad idea if you know you are along for a ride. The researchers must be having a field day watching our reaction to something they must acknowledge but not put too much weight on until all the pieces are put together.

Today's blog showed two more deer doing things we ( at least me) never really would think they do. Waugh!
 
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