Volunteers help with WGFD mule deer study

an effort to help the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), a large number of volunteers gathered in Saratoga April 6 to retrieve abandoned mule deer radio-collars across the Platte Valley.

Nearly 30 volunteers, coming from as far east as Laramie and as far west as Kemmerer, donated their time Saturday morning to gather abandoned GPS radio-collars, which were placed on 50 local mule deer does from the Platte Valley herd. The electronic tracking radio-collars were fitted on deer by the WGFD in January 2011, and programmed to fall off April 1, 2013.

“All together we located 15 collars, and even though we still had a lot more to pick up, a lot of those are in tough-to-get-to places,” said Saratoga Wildlife Biologist Will Schultz. “About seven of those we found were down in Encampment.”

WGFD researchers studying mule deers planned to track their seasonal movements, learn about their specific habitats, and study how the mule deer density in the Platte Valley has changed. Volunteers split into several groups and scouted surrounding rural land in or near Saratoga and Encampment.

For an easier search, volunteers used GPS devices and specialized detectors that helped track where the abandoned collars were, and the detectors set off a beeping signal when one was near. The information stored inside the retrieved collars is going to be downloaded and studied by WGFD researchers.

Schultz said he was grateful for the number of people who came out to help the WGFD.

“We really appreciate the volunteer support, and we’re glad that so many folks came out to help,” he said. “We’re also glad that the private landowners gave us access to private lands to find the collars.”