Deer of Southern California

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are a relatively common yet understudied species throughout the southern California (SoCal) region. Mule deer have potentially strong impacts on SoCal ecosystem health as their foraging and grazing can significantly impact the vegetation structure of plant communities. They are also valuable prey species for mountain lions in this region. Due to a lack of information on SoCal deer populations, our team of biologists [Miguel Ordeñana (Natural History Museum of L.A. County), Erin Boydston (USGS), and Dan Cooper (Cooper Ecological Monitoring, Inc.)] have decided to study the distribution and population demographics of deer with the help of citizens throughout the SoCal region.

Our efforts began through a camera trap survey in Los Angeles via the Griffith Park Connectivity Study. However, despite our efforts to throughly survey the park with roughly 50 camera traps, we knew that we were not capturing all the deer. We not only want citizens to fill in gaps in information within Griffith Park but we also decided to expand our survey to all of southern California due to the lack of information about this species region-wide.

From a reasearch standpoint, this project will provide valuable baseline information about SoCal deer populations and will inspire more extensive research (e.g., genetic studies). From an educational standpoint, this project is an educational opportunity for SoCal residents to learn more about this fascinating species and its role in SoCal ecosystems. less ↑