You are here:
CHARACTERISTICS AND MIGRATION PATTERNS OF MULE DEER ON THE NEVADA TEST SITE
Citation:
Giles, K. AND J. Cooper. CHARACTERISTICS AND MIGRATION PATTERNS OF MULE DEER ON THE NEVADA TEST SITE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/4-85/030 (NTIS DE86006957).
Description:
When NTS deer migrate, the majority of the animals stay within the confines of the NTS or the Nellis Bombing Range, and present little potential for radiation transport off the NTS. Also, the few deer that leave the NTS area do so during the winter when they cannot legally be hunted in Nevada. The one exception from the apparent migration pattern was a buck that was followed by telemetry until the end of April, when the animal could no longer be located, and was harvested the following fall in the Kawich Peak area about 120.9 km (75 mi.) northwest of the study area. The makeup of the deer herds on the NTS is quite different from that of deer in offsite areas. The large buck population indicates that an aged pristine herd exists on the NTS. In general, it should be noted that the deer populations are tied to the available water sources, although a vast area of excellent deer range is present but unavailable to the deer because of the lack of available water sources. This range condition has been maintained because of the periodic changes of available water due to construction activity, therefore resulting in a browsing rest rotation system. 11 refs., 5 figs. (ERA citation 11:020951)