The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has deemed its deer capture project involving the Loyalton-Truckee mule deer herd a success.

This purpose of the capture and study is to help researchers better understand deer migration patterns and reduce the high number of automobile/deer collisions on a busy 25-mile stretch of Highway 89 outside the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Using tranquilizer darts, CDFW wildlife biologists captured 13 does and fitted them with global positioning satellite collars. Blood and hair samples were taken, length and weight measurements were recorded and general health inspections were conducted on each animal.

The GPS collars will record the location and send the information to researchers through a satellite. This will allow scientists to track the deer as they move from summer to winter ranges throughout the year often crossing Highway 89. Caltrans carcass data have confirmed that more than 1,000 deer have been killed along this busy road in the last 30 years.

The Loyalton-Truckee mule deer are a migratory herd inside the Tahoe National Forest. It is estimated that more than 2,000 deer occupy this area.