2018-2020 Fieldwork
2020 Field Season UpdateBetween January and March of 2020, we placed GPS collars on an additional 45 white-tailed deer in the study area. This year's field season (new collaring) was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of March 31, 2020, we have 87 deer with active GPS collars. Deer that were collared in 2018 have begun to drop their collars through a timed, automatic release mechanism. We locate these dropped collars using GPS and telemetry data and download the remaining data for analysis.
We will continue to monitor collared deer in real-time using GPS satellite technology, tracking movement and survival of each deer for up to 2 years. We expect the final collars will drop off in March of 2022. |
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2019 Field Season Update
Between January and May of 2019, we placed GPS collars on an additional 69 white-tailed deer in the study area. In addition to the 5 townships where deer were collared in 2018, we expanded into Westphalia and Riley townships during the 2019 field season. As of May 2019, we had 102 deer with active GPS collars: 31 males and 71 females. This included 35 deer collared in 2018 and 67 deer collared in 2019. Deer stop transmitting data for a variety of reasons, including hunter harvest and deer-vehicle collisions. All collars are equipped with a remote-enabled release mechanism that allows us to safely remove the collar at the end of the 2-year data collection period.
2018 Field Season Update
Between January and May of 2018, 28 male and 45 female white-tailed deer were equipped with global positioning (GPS) collars within 5 townships of central Michigan; Dewitt, Eagle, Meridian, Watertown, and Williamston. Deer also received yellow, uniquely numbered ear tags. The study area expands a developmental gradient from rural areas dominated by agriculture to suburban sprawls. Trapping efforts focused around areas where CWD-positive deer have been documented on the landscape.
Between January and May of 2018, 28 male and 45 female white-tailed deer were equipped with global positioning (GPS) collars within 5 townships of central Michigan; Dewitt, Eagle, Meridian, Watertown, and Williamston. Deer also received yellow, uniquely numbered ear tags. The study area expands a developmental gradient from rural areas dominated by agriculture to suburban sprawls. Trapping efforts focused around areas where CWD-positive deer have been documented on the landscape.
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