Washington Fish & Wildlife to Capture Mule Deer Using Helicopters for Fourth Year

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife will be using helicopters along the east slope of the Cascades in Okanogan, Chelan and Kittitas counties to capture mule deer for data collection.

Public Affairs Officer Staci Lehman said that for the fourth consecutive year the department will use aerial crews to spot deer in hard to see areas.

"From there they will have somebody who will use a tranquilizer gun to tranquilize the deer." Lehman explained, "We then have crews that go in on the ground to process them. They will run some medical tests and collar the deer."

The collars are programmed to remain on the deer for four years before dropping off.

"All of that data is gathered, and it kind of gives us some information on how animals are using the habitat." Lehman said, "Where they are going, what kind of preferred habitat they like. Also life span information and possibly what killed them if they don't die from natural causes."

Mule deer have lost winter habitat along the eastern slopes of the Cascades in recent years due to human development, drought, wildfire and invasive plant species.

Lehman added that the additional data will help confirm or contradict speculation that mule deer populations are healthy despite the loss in habitat.