The Deschutes Land Trust recently helped the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) with an ongoing elk research project.
Efforts are currently underway in the Central Oregon Cascades to monitor migration and habitat use of female Rocky Mountain elk. This study, when completed in a couple years, will help ODFW identify key migration routes and seasonal habitats used by elk, according to Andrew Walch, District Wildlife Biologist for ODFW.
How did the Land Trust help? ODFW was able to deploy two GPS collars on female elk this spring at Paulina Creek Preserve. These collars collect location information five times a day, helping move this study forward. In fact, it is the first time GPS collar data on elk has been collected on the eastern slope of the Central Oregon Cascades.
The Land Trust is happy to collaborate in small ways, and looks forward to the results of the study!
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