Utah drought drives mule deer to urban landscaping

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally comes from Utah State Today and can be read in full on its website.

Mule deer that call Utah home have to be tough — freezing winters and scorching summers are part of a typical year. But as droughts in the West get longer and more severe, these animals are being forced to move further afield to find the resources they need to survive.

New research from Extension specialist David Stoner tracked movements of mule deer during drought and found that when water content in plants dropped to a specific low, it triggered the animals to abandon natural habitat for greener pastures — irrigated croplands and urban landscaping.