Washington biologists launching new black-tailed deer study

SEATTLE - Washington wildlife officials are launching a new study to better manage the state's black-tail deer populations, including during hunting seasons.

This effort from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began this month. Researchers seek to address the challenges posed by the densely vegetated habitats these deer inhabit.

"Black-tailed deer are hard to survey because of the densely vegetated habitat they live in," said Kyle Garrison, WDFW ungulate section manager. "You can’t count each individual deer over a large area, so we have to rely on other sources of information to monitor their populations. With this study, we will gather the data we need to develop and test new surveying and monitoring methods."

WDFW will employ a variety of advanced technologies to achieve this feat. GPS collars will provide real-time location data for collared deer, while strategically placed trail cameras will capture photos and videos of deer in the area. Additionally, proximity sensors will alert researchers when a collared deer is near a trail camera, even if the camera fails to capture footage.

"Improving our understanding of these populations and their characteristics will help us better manage this species into the future, including during hunting season setting," said Brendan Oates, WDFW ungulate specialist. "All of this information will help us create a model that uses multiple sources of information to estimate black-tailed deer populations in Washington more accurately."

The study will be conducted on state and private industrial forestlands east of Longview, within the boundaries of Game Management Units 520, 550, and 556. 

Biologists on the team will capture black-tailed deer, fit them with GPS collars, and release them back into the wild in January. Subsequent efforts this year will focus on deploying trail cameras and proximity sensors throughout the study area.

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