OLYMPIA – Starting this month, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists will kick off a research study in southwest Washington that will help the Department develop a new method for monitoring black-tailed deer in the state.
“Black-tailed deer are hard to survey because of the densely vegetated habitat they live in,” said Kyle Garrison, WDFW ungulate section manager. “You can’t count each individual deer over a large area, so we have to rely on other sources of information to monitor their populations. With this study, we will gather the data we need to develop and test new surveying and monitoring methods.”
WDFW will use a variety of technologies to test the best ways to monitor Washington’s black-tailed deer. GPS collars will provide researchers with real-time locations of collared deer, while trail cameras can take photos and videos showing which deer were in the area. Proximity sensors deployed in the study area will let researchers know when a collared deer approaches within a certain distance of a trail camera, even if the camera doesn’t capture footage of the deer.
“Improving our understanding of these populations and their characteristics will help us better manage this species into the future, including during hunting season setting,” said Brendan Oates, WDFW ungulate specialist. “All of this information will help us create a model that uses multiple sources of information to estimate black-tailed deer populations in Washington more accurately.”
This study will take place in southwest Washington on state and private industrial forestlands east of Longview, within the boundaries of Game Management Units 520, 550, and 556. This month, biologists will capture black-tailed deer, fit them with GPS collars, and then release them. Later, efforts shift to deploying trail cameras and proximity sensors throughout black-tailed deer habitat in the study area.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.