Sharing our habitat with wildlife is critical for the survival of migratory species like mule deer. Populations of two local herds are at 40% and 60% of what is needed for their continued survival. They are in our neighborhoods because they are stranded, and without migration, they will not thrive. Send these postcards to a […]
Migration between the upper elevations of summer ranges and the lower elevations of winter ranges is essential for mule deer survival. This graphic shows how migration occurs from the eastern Cascades in Central Oregon to the Fort Rock and John Day areas. Barriers disrupt this migration. Unless there is community support, populations of mule deer […]
Two important bills were recently passed by the Oregon State Legislature. House Bill 2829 establishes the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (separate from the General Fund) to support the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to meet growing needs for research and conservation management to preserve sustainable wildlife populations for all Oregonians. House Bill […]
As development and recreation grow in Central Oregon, migratory wildlife like Mule deer are losing out. Their habitat is being fragmented and their ability to move between summer and winter ranges is impeded by growing traffic volume, unregulated recreation 24/7 in the Deschutes National Forest and development of corridors and winter range needed for their […]
Wednesday, May 22 | 6pm – 8pm Join us for a critical look at the intersection of transportation and wildlife migration through a series of documentaries and a discussion with key partners working on behalf of wildlife conservation. Panel discussion with Sara Gregory (ODFW), Lauri Turner (USFS), and Sidney Bowman (ODOT). FILMS Cascade Crossroads: Chronicling […]
Read about how this year’s snow conditions are affecting mule deer migration in the March 27, 2019 issue of The Bulletin. Photo: Damian Fagan
Deer are designed to move across the landscape to find forage, shelter and genetic diversity. This is more difficult in summer months when there are thousands of vehicles traveling on Highway 97. In Deschutes county, this is an historic migratory corridor. Deer cross the highway and feeder roads to reach summer range in the Cascades […]
Summer – especially in May and June – brings mule deer, fawns and the babies of other species into our yards and in our recreation areas. It is easy to assume that these young fawns have been abandoned and are in need of human intervention, but the opposite is true. Does hide their fawns to […]
Deer need water, and they need a buffer between them and human disturbance. When a deer sights a human, it stresses at 200 meters and flees. This can cause many deer to permanently abandon much needed usable habitat. As wildlife habitat continues to degrade and fragment due to human disturbance, deer are having difficulty surviving. The […]
It isn’t obvious to most people that strings of lights, hammocks, pails, tomato baskets and fencing can be deadly to deer and keep them from safe passage. Every day, ODFW gets called out on at least one rescue call to free a deer from a yard hazard. Most can be quickly removed or modified. A […]
