The captures, which take place from November through March, allow researchers to perform health assessments and fit animals with GPS collars. The colder months are ideal for these operations, as lower temperatures help the animals recover more quickly from the brief but necessary stress of the process.

Big game species studied

The 1,901 animals captured this season included:

• Deer — 1,130
• Pronghorn — 363
• Elk — 195
• Bighorn Sheep — 107
• Mountain Goats — 54
• Moose — 52

Biologists use helicopters and net guns to safely capture the animals. Once on the ground, the animals undergo thorough health checks before being released.

“When we do capture work, we make a concerted effort to minimize chase times and to keep all capture-related stress to a minimum,” said Kent Hersey, DWR big game projects coordinator. “It’s a short one-time event for those animals and doesn’t have the same impacts as repeated disturbances that cause them to use up important fat reserves.”

What biologists are learning

The health assessments provide critical insights into the well-being of Utah’s big game populations. Data collected during captures include:

• Body fat measurements to assess nutritional health before and after winter.
• Disease testing to monitor overall herd health.
• Pregnancy checks on doe deer to evaluate reproductive success.
• Newborn tracking through transmitters implanted in pregnant deer, which notify biologists when and where a fawn is born.

Hersey explained that these efforts help biologists understand how well deer and other big game animals survive winter. “The amount of body fat a deer has going into winter influences how well they survive. The fat levels in female deer coming out of winter impact fawn birth weights and early growth rates, which ultimately affects overall population numbers.”

Promising results and pronghorn relocation

This year’s findings show positive trends for Utah’s deer population. Although adult deer were in average to above-average condition, six-month-old fawns showed excellent growth, with some December-born fawns weighing over 100 pounds. March captures also revealed a high pregnancy rate of 84% among does.

A key highlight of this winter’s efforts was the relocation of 310 pronghorn from the healthy Parker Mountain herd in Wayne County to bolster populations in northern, southeastern, and southern Utah. This marked the first pronghorn translocation in the state since 2014.

Using data to improve wildlife management

The information collected from these efforts plays a vital role in wildlife management. GPS data from collared animals is used to:

• Guide habitat improvement projects for better summer and winter ranges.
• Inform hunting permit recommendations.
• Support the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative, a program launched in 2017 to study migration patterns and improve wildlife movement corridors.

“The GPS collars provide crucial data that informs planning for sustainable land use, transportation, energy development, and wildlife crossings,” said Makeda Hanson, Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative coordinator.

As Utah’s big game populations continue to be studied and managed with cutting-edge technology, these efforts ensure that future generations will enjoy healthy and thriving wildlife across the state.