UW Research Looks at How Much Space Between Houses Keeps Big Game Moving

Researchers from the University of Wyoming and several state and federal agencies have released a new study examining how housing development impacts Wyoming big game habitat and migration corridors. 

During a recent appearance on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse, UW Director of Institutional Communications Chad Baldwin said the study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, analyzed GPS tracking data from mule deer, elk, pronghorn and moose in the Cody and Jackson areas. 

C. Baldwin 

Researchers found wildlife were less likely to move through narrow open spaces between homes, creating indirect habitat and migration corridor loss beyond the footprint of the structures themselves. 

The team introduced a new measurement based on the width of open space between homes rather than traditional housing density metrics. Researchers emphasize that houses themselves are only one factor among many – including roads, fences, big-game population size and human-associated food sources – that shape how wildlife can persist alongside growing human communities. For instance, many deer and moose spend a lot of time, particularly during winter, near people’s houses, but the benefits of this lifestyle to the health of big-game herds more broadly are still unknown.

Find much more on this study by clicking here. The online tool can be found by clicking here.