Caribou, Deer, Elk & Moose - Sounds Wild
Deer On Camera

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Transcript

A handsome Sitka Black-tailed deer, sporting a three-point rack, is photographed by a motion-triggered trail camera on Douglas Island near Juneau, one of the most popular islands for deer hunting in Southeast Alaska. In 2021, a three-year project was launched to help Fish and Game biologists better understand how many deer - and of what age classes - live on the island. Similar studies are being done on Mitkof Island near Petersburg and Gravina island near Ketchikan, also due to their popularity with hunters.

Newly developed statistical analysis enables researchers to draw meaningful conclusions from the pictures captured by 15 carefully placed cameras. Camera sites on Douglas were identified using a winter deer habitat model - essentially a map of areas where deer would find food and shelter during times of moderate and heavy snow. A grid laid on the map defines areas for camera placement, each is two-kilometers squared, about twice the size of a deer winter home range. This reduces the likelihood of counting the same deer at multiple cameras. The results will help biologists manage deer on these Southeast Alaska Islands