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Lecture: Mule Deer Migration
December 5 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MST
From Here to There and Back Again: A Mule Deer’s Tale
By Tony Mong
December 5, 2024
Noon–1 p.m.
Coe Auditorium
Join us for the December Lunchtime Expedition, From Here to There and Back Again: A Mule Deer’s Tale presented by Tony Mong, Wildlife Biologist with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.
The in-person talk takes place in the Center’s Coe Auditorium, with a virtual attendance option available. If you prefer to join us online, you may register in advance via Zoom webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_opFMuRoHQiOuYq3AJFgPkw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.
About the program
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are an iconic species of North American wildlife. They symbolize the diverse landscapes of the western United States and play a critical role as an indicator of ecosystem health. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), home to one of the most intact and ecologically significant ecosystems in North America, has long been a stronghold for mule deer populations. However, recent decades have seen significant challenges for mule deer populations across the GYE, driven by factors such as habitat fragmentation, climate change, disease, and increasing human-wildlife conflict.
Through the use of GPS collars, trail cameras and video collar technology, researchers are now able to monitor the migratory patterns, habitat use, environmental interactions, and behavioral changes of deer, providing invaluable insights into how these animals navigate an increasingly fragmented landscape. By understanding the factors influencing mule deer movement, we can better inform conservation efforts and habitat management strategies aimed at ensuring their future in the wild.
The Upper Shoshone mule deer herd located west of Cody, Wyoming, is not immune to the increasing challenges facing all mule deer populations. In the minds of many wildlife managers it is at a pivotal point that will impact the management of this herd into the future. This presentation explores the unique challenges facing mule deer populations within the Upper Shoshone mule deer herd and gives the audience a unique view into the life of the mule deer that lives a life of antithesis—immersed in both human development and remote, untouched wilderness.
About the speaker
Tony Mong earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science in 2001 from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology from Kansas State University in 2005.
From 2005 to 2009, he managed a research project that determined the demographic, survival, and harvest rates of mourning doves in a landscape managed for their hunting. In 2010, Mong began his career with Wyoming Game and Fish as a Senior Wildlife Biologist in Baggs, where he worked coordinating research on ungulates including elk, pronghorn, and mule deer. He has held his current position in the Cody District since 2017.
Mong has been fortunate in his career to work with all the big game species of Wyoming through research and management. He has had the privilege recently of becoming part of many collaborative efforts to manage wildlife on the landscape.
Upcoming Lunchtime Expeditions
The series generally continues on the first Thursday of each month from February through December.
• The Lunchtime Expedition series resumes in February.
Have you missed a Lunchtime Expedition?
The talks in this series are gathered in YouTube playlists by year:
• 2024 Lunchtime Expeditions
• 2023 Lunchtime Expeditions
