Whitetail Elevation Question

[Nambaster]

I have been hunting Whitetails in central Idaho and I have heard that Whitetails are non migratory, meaning, they have a home range of about a couple miles. This has me questioning: will they only be at low elevations due to the snow levels in the winter?

Is the whole non migratory thing a hoax?

If it is true, I wouldn’t even be looking for Whitetails above 7000’ due to snow levels in the winter. Can anyone confirm this? It’s definitely different from hunting mule deer all the way up to 10,000’ in the summer.

 

[antlerradar]

Hoax, Even in Eastern Montana there are some whitetails that migrate 15 miles to winter.

 

[El Jason]

Agreed. Hoax.

You’ll find whitetails up to 6 or 7k, but they may migrate down in elevation in winter.

 

[Perlodid]

Whitetails will definitely migrate.They have been shown to migrate in a variety of environments with distinct summer and winter ranges. Here's a relevant excerpt from a master's thesis abstract in the 90s. Further north but still worthwhile.

"Winter habitat selection patterns of white-tailed deer
(Odocoileus virginianus) in the Priest Lake watershed of
northern Idaho were studied during the winters of 1990-91
and 1991-92. Twenty-five radio-collared deer were monitored
on 4 geographically distinct winter ranges within the
watershed. White-tailed deer displayed a strong preference
for low elevation (< 820 m ) , densely forested sites with
mean tree ages ranging from 65 to 91 years. All study
animals avoided non-forested sites and selected stands of
mature timber with overstory canopy coverages exceeding 80%.
Preferred winter habitats of whitetails in the Priest Lake
watershed were predominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) and grand fir (Abies grandis) overstory trees
with an admixture of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) ,
western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and western hemlock
(Tsuga heterophylla) . Understory plant communities were
depauperate and characterized by shade tolerant species on
all winter ranges. Twenty-four of the 25 study animals were
migratory. Spring dispersals peaked in mid-March following
a period of increasing temperatures and reduced snow depths.
Spring migrations ranged from 6.8 to 59.1 km (X = 27.3 km,
S.D. = 16.4). All migrating animals moved northward to
higher elevations.
Fourteen clearcut sites were used to evaluate spring and
summer use of low elevation clearcuts by white-tailed deer
in the Priest Lake watershed. Pellet-group densities were
used as an index of deer use. White-tailed deer use of
clearcuts adjacent to winter ranges declined significantly
from spring to summer. I believe spring dispersal of deer
to higher elevation summer ranges is responsible for this
decrease in use. The structure and composition of seral
plant communities was highly variable between units and no
correlation between pellet-group densities and unit size or
age was found."

From: Secord, Mark L., "Winter habitat use migration and spring and summer use of clearcuts by white-tailed
deer in the Priest Lake watershed of northern Idaho" (1994).
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Professional Papers. 6424.

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6424

 

[westbranch]

There is updated study around Priest Lake that was started a few years ago. I do not recall seeing other updates. News release:

White-tailed deer collar data picks up migrations prior to fawning

Kiira Siitari\IDFG For the first time since the early 1990’s, Fish and Game has collars on white-tailed deer in game management unit 1 in northern Idaho. Biologists use GPS collars to better understand deer movement and survival, answering the call from hunters for more data on one of the...

idfg.idaho.gov

I remember some articles in MN that talked about deer migrating 10-15 miles between their summer and winter ranges. Even in parts of the state with milder winters.

 

[Libby85]

I have been hunting Whitetails in central Idaho and I have heard that Whitetails are non migratory, meaning, they have a home range of about a couple miles. This has me questioning: will they only be at low elevations due to the snow levels in the winter?

Is the whole non migratory thing a hoax?

If it is true, I wouldn’t even be looking for Whitetails above 7000’ due to snow levels in the winter. Can anyone confirm this? It’s definitely different from hunting mule deer all the way up to 10,000’ in the summer.

 

[Libby85]

I have found the migration theory to hold true but just my experience

 

[Nambaster]

By the sounds of it. It would appear that they prefer lower elevations.

 

[El Jason]

It all really depends on the location.

Some deer will go two miles but drop 3k feet. Others will winter on the timber. Others will migrate.

 

[atlas]

This Buck Swims Across the Mississippi River and Back Every Year During an 18-Mile Migration
Seems like mountains and harsh weather aren't always a requirement for migration.

 

[Hunter4Life78]

I agree with the migration being a hoax. In talking with landowners it's one of the things they tell me. "You're gonna find em up high, they haven't migrated down here yet, and they will travel to get here where they got feed, water, .... usually how the conversation goes.

 

[Drummond33]

The deer I grew up hunting in Michigan make an annual migration to their winter yarding grounds that can be as much as 12ish miles one way. Come February, there was not a track to be found in the places we hunted in November.

 

[Boarmaster]

I never hunted whitetail in real mountains but any deers got to eat.

 

[Ben Long]

Some Radio collared wtd in NW Montana regularly move 20-30 miles, one up to 40 miles, between summer and winter range. Others live in my backyard until they grow old and die.
In the Idaho panhandle, one of the biggest booners I ever saw was at timberline at 7000 feet. No way he was up there past November, as snow there was 10 feet deep at least. MOST whitetails live within a mile of where they're born. That's the trouble with generalizations, there are always exceptions. Sounds like you've found one of the exceptions.

 

[Nambaster]

I am planning on hunting above 6000’ this weekend and I’ll be looking to fill an elk tag. I am just curious if the Whitetail will be up that high. I see Muleys at all elevations but the Whiteys are kinds spotty. If my elk Tag is not notched by the weekend I had better drop a bit in elevation.

 

[westbranch]

What is central Idaho to you? Based on details provided I assume you are north of the salmon river. So whitetails above 6k feet would be normal. More whitetails than mule deer as you head north.

 

[Nambaster]

Unit 14… I have been taking advantage of all the CWD surveillance hunts. I usually hunt Mulies, but I can’t turn down all the extra tags.

 

[Nambaster]

Thanks to all who chimed in. I found the sweet spot and filled both tags.

 

[Potsie]

Cool. How long will it take to get test results back?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Whitetails will definitely migrate.They have been shown to migrate in a variety of environments with distinct summer and winter ranges. Here's a relevant excerpt from a master's thesis abstract in the 90s. Further north but still worthwhile.

"Winter habitat selection patterns of white-tailed deer
(Odocoileus virginianus) in the Priest Lake watershed of
northern Idaho were studied during the winters of 1990-91
and 1991-92. Twenty-five radio-collared deer were monitored
on 4 geographically distinct winter ranges within the
watershed. White-tailed deer displayed a strong preference
for low elevation (< 820 m ) , densely forested sites with
mean tree ages ranging from 65 to 91 years. All study
animals avoided non-forested sites and selected stands of
mature timber with overstory canopy coverages exceeding 80%.
Preferred winter habitats of whitetails in the Priest Lake
watershed were predominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) and grand fir (Abies grandis) overstory trees
with an admixture of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) ,
western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and western hemlock
(Tsuga heterophylla) . Understory plant communities were
depauperate and characterized by shade tolerant species on
all winter ranges. Twenty-four of the 25 study animals were
migratory. Spring dispersals peaked in mid-March following
a period of increasing temperatures and reduced snow depths.
Spring migrations ranged from 6.8 to 59.1 km (X = 27.3 km,
S.D. = 16.4). All migrating animals moved northward to
higher elevations.
Fourteen clearcut sites were used to evaluate spring and
summer use of low elevation clearcuts by white-tailed deer
in the Priest Lake watershed. Pellet-group densities were
used as an index of deer use. White-tailed deer use of
clearcuts adjacent to winter ranges declined significantly
from spring to summer. I believe spring dispersal of deer
to higher elevation summer ranges is responsible for this
decrease in use. The structure and composition of seral
plant communities was highly variable between units and no
correlation between pellet-group densities and unit size or
age was found."

From: Secord, Mark L., "Winter habitat use migration and spring and summer use of clearcuts by white-tailed
deer in the Priest Lake watershed of northern Idaho" (1994).
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Professional Papers. 6424.

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6424

Thank you, I just really enjoy this stuff.