ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PARK — A mule deer doe huffed as Utah Division of Wildlife Resources workers rushed Wednesday to administer shots, measure its weight and check its health, all while pouring ice around the animal to ease its nervous, heated body.
“Oh, that’s great,” said Justin Shannon, DWR big game coordinator, as he ran his hand down the deer's back to feel a healthy layer of fat in its rump.
The deer's state hinted that it was in ideal shape for the journey it was about to take.
DWR workers readied the last of 100 female mule deer for relocation from Antelope Island on Wednesday. They had been working with a helicopter crew since Monday to airlift up to three deer at a time to a preparation area for checkups, vaccinations and, for some, tracking collars. The animals then were loaded into a truck to be transported to areas of Utah in need of more robust deer populations.
Antelope Island’s target deer population is 350, but more than 700 mule deer currently roam its lands, DWR wildlife biologist Chad Wilson said. Meanwhile, deer populations in Mount Dutton in Garfield County and Elk Ridge in San Juan County have dwindled.
“We don’t want the deer to eat themselves out of house and home,” Wilson said. “So not only are we solving the problem of a possible habitat crash out on the island, but we’re also helping areas of the state that appear to have the habitat to support the deer.”
Utah’s statewide deer population is low, he said. With a target population of 425,000 deer, 333,000 occupied Utah habitats in 2014.
The relocation of the 100 female deer will ideally increase the fawn production in Mount Dutton and Elk Ridge, said Dustin Mitchell, DWR wildlife biologist.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Mitchell said.
The DWR’s efforts to manage Antelope Island’s deer population is continuing from last year, when 100 of them were transported to Elk Ridge and the Oak Creek Mountains in southern Utah.
This year, most of the captured deer have been healthy, so DWR officials will be evaluating Antelope Island’s ranges this spring to examine the state of the habitat and to determine whether it may be appropriate to increase the island’s target deer population, Wilson said.
The results of the range evaluation and further examination of the data collected from the transported deer will decide whether the DWR will move another 100 deer next year, he said.
Shannon said the DWR works to maintain the balance of Antelope Island's unique habitat — home to not only deer, but also antelope, bison and bighorn sheep — so visitors can enjoy the island's environment and wildlife. Thus, Antelope Island's excess deer population is acting as a fitting resource to boost habitats statewide, whether it be for ecological or recreational purposes, he said.
"Mule deer are such an important component for wildlife in Utah," Shannon said. "People enjoy viewing them, and they’re always sought after for hunting. … So it’s very rewarding to be a part of an effort to restore these habitats."
Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com