Deer take flight: Utah wildlife officers conduct helicopter round up

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) – Officials with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recently rounded up mule deer on Antelope Island with a helicopter and fitted them with GPS tracking collars to better understand where the animals roam and the overall health of the herd.

“We want to see how they’re moving and using the island because of different changes in the vegetation,” said DWR district wildlife biologist Eric Anderson.

Right now, Anderson said the mule deer population on Antelope Island is around 400 to 500, split up into numerous herds that fluctuate and change throughout the year.

They want to collect data on where the deer go and see how that corresponds with where the vegetation grows. They also know that the deer have moved around because of fires in recent years.