Deer 255 Repeats Her World Record Long-distance Migration: From the Tetons to the Red Desert

DEER 255 REPEATS HER RECORD LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATION — FROM THE TETONS TO THE RED DESERT
Of all the mule deer we have tracked in our migration research, no animal has gone farther - or inspired us more - than Deer 255. She winters in Wyoming's Red Desert with many other deer we are tracking, but unlike the rest of the herd, she summers in Island Park, Idaho. That is a 242-mile one-way journey! In 2019, she unexpectedly summered near Moran, Wyoming, right outside Grand Teton National Park and a little short of Yellowstone National Park. Even so, that meant she had roughly a 200-mile journey to get home to her winter range in the Red Desert near Superior, Wyoming.

Deer 255’s fall 2019 migration stats:

Started fall migration: October 4, 2019
Arrived on winter range: December 11, 2019
Migration duration: 68 days (2 months, 7 days)
Age: As of December 2019, she was 6.5 years old.

Our Wyoming Migration Initiative team, along with collaborator Dr. Kevin Monteith from the @HaubSchool and biologists with @wyogfd and @blmWyoming caught up with Deer 255 earlier in March 2020, and we’re happy to report she wintered well, and is in good body condition. She is also pregnant…with TWINS, again! (More on that below.)

University of Wyoming Doctoral student Anna Ortega reports it was a favorable winter for Deer 255. She started winter at 11.02% body fat, and in March she was down to 5.9%. In this 1,000-strong Red Desert herd, that’s pretty good in terms of maintaining energy reserves. It was helpful that, in the Red Desert at least, winter 2019-2020 has been somewhat mild, despite the early cold snap we got in October. Deer 255 should have plenty of energy reserves until new plants sprout and she starts migrating north again.

Having just been out in the field, we’re seeing lots of melting snow, and shoots of new grass emerging. As any Wyoming resident knows, it will probably snow a few more times, but spring migration season is not far away. Here’s hoping Deer 255 and all our mule deer have a successful spring migration and productive foraging season in summer 2020.

Cartography animation by Joanna Merson, Alethea Steingisser, and Jim Meacham, our collaborators at University of Oregon Geography Department.

Produced by Gregory Nickerson, Joanna Merson, and Matt Kauffman.
Migration video and stills by Joe Riis, Tanner Warder.

[stevenpope]

This is what hunting pays for. Hunting is why we have such a rich and diverse wild life population. Great video and great information.

[benlundell]

Great to see the migration initiative catching on. I've seen other states joining in. Much needed research to preserve these areas. Thanks for the info.

[sheerwillsurvival]

Ya have to respect these amazing animals that beat the odds wolves, bears, lions, the elementals and humans .. I respect the ones I hunt

[tacey]

What is the life expectancy of these deer? Thanks for posting!!