Welcome to this first “Curious About” series, created to help us all build new connections with the plants and animals who share our Wenatchee Valley home. My plan to feature one species at a time. By sharing lots of links and ideas, I will strive to trigger new life-long learning experiences for all readers.
First- some quick and fun places you can visit on the internet to learn about mule deer!
- Check out the “Living with Wildlife: Deer” website by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to learn about their life cycle and how to minimize human-deer conflicts.
- Explore the Burke Museum’s online resource, Mammals of Washington
- For elementary-schoolers, print your own colorful flashcards for mule deer, and for many other animals of the shrub-steppe. Another set of free flashcards for middle school learners featuring sets of species for all Western U.S. habitats is here. Older learners will enjoy this set of species descriptions that includes mule deer. Check out this species card suitable for all learners.
March is a make-or-break month in the life of a mule deer, especially for pregnant does. Maybe you read the recent article in the Wenatchee World, explaining why we all need to stay off the Sage Hills Trails during March – a critical time for mule deer to feed and gain back weight lost during winter. Check out my blog post to read more about mule deer foods and their seasonal migration patterns in Chelan County.
This past winter, local Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists (in helicopters!) launched a four-year study, successfully radio collaring female mule deer in Chelan, Okanogan, and Kittitas Counties. The data they collect will help them learn about seasonal movement of herds and how deer use habitats. This information will help WDFW prioritize habitat conservation and herd management in North Central Washington.
Mule deer are part of the food web, and cougars and coyotes are the main predators, preying mostly on old or sick mule deer. Or sometimes, winter starvation weakens a deer so tick parasites can be the cause of death. Look for sliced mule deer fur that shows how a cougar uses its sharp shearing carnassial teeth to remove the hair, in order to access the nutrition underneath. Check out my slideshow featuring common mammals of the Wenatchee Watershed that includes information about teeth type for all species, including mule deer.
This calcium-rich lower jaw with teeth won’t last long out in the shrub-steppe. Small rodents like mice and voles rely on bone as a rich calcium source.
Check out my bibliography to find suggested field guides books to mail-order from North Central Washington Regional Library. Spring with its soft soils and mud is an excellent time to start learning to recognize mammals by their footprints! You can start by learning to recognize domestic cat and dog prints, and then branch out to learn our native wildlife by their tracks!