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We investigated causes of antler deformities in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) bucks from the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah, US. A total of 10 hunter-harvested and nine live-captured bucks with antler deformities and six hunter-harvested and 43 live-captured bucks with normal antlers were included in the study. All were screened by serology for exposure to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) types 1, 2, and 6, bluetongue virus, Brucella abortus, Brucella ovis, caprine arthritis, encephalitis virus, and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) types 1 and 2. Serum testosterone and trace minerals concentrations were measured, and whole-blood counts evaluated. Testicular tissue from the hunter-harvested bucks was tested by quantitative PCR for EHDV-1, -2, and -6. All bucks with antler deformities had low to non-detectable serum testosterone concentrations from end-stage fibrosing orchitis, and EHDV-2 was detected by quantitative PCR in one of the testicular tissues tested. All bucks with antler deformities were seropositive for EHDV-2. In comparison, only 53% of bucks with normal antlers were EHDV-2 seropositive. More than 67% of hunter-harvested and live-captured bucks had antibodies to BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, probably because of high cattle exposure in the area. Our results support previous research linking infection with EHDV-2 to development of antler deformities; however, it remains unclear why some infected bucks develop testicular fibrosis, and others recover from the infection., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2022.)

Monitoring dispersal, habitat use, and social mixing of released ungulates is crucial for successful translocation and species conservation. We monitored 127 female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) released in three populations from 2000 to 2009 to investigate if augmented bighorns expanded and shifted seasonal ranges, used different habitat compared with resident females, and if animals mixed socially. Augmented bighorns in all populations expanded range use compared with residents by shifting utilization distributions. Size of utilization distributions, however, were smaller for augmented females compared with residents in all areas except one. Overlap of seasonal utilization distributions between augmented and resident bighorns and use of slope and elevation differed across populations. In two populations, differences in size and overlap of seasonal utilization distributions and use of slope and elevation supported the hypothesis that habitat use of bighorns in their source area influenced their habitat use after release. Mixing between resident and augmented adult females occurred on average during only 21% of sightings and was similar across populations. Our results clarify how augmented bighorns mix with resident animals and how habitat use is modified following augmentations. Such information is needed to improve bighorn sheep augmentations and can be applied to augmentations of other ungulates.