![]() Wild About Utah, Lyle Bingham’ Wild About Utah Postings Photos: Courtesy & Copyright Lyle Bingham, Photographerįeatured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Friend Weller, Utah Public Radio upr.org Videos: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources This is Lyle Bingham, and I’m Wild About Utah and our 15 years on Utah Public Radio. They demonstrate a few ways the DWR and UDOT are working together to preserve human and animal lives. When on I-15, I-80, I-70, or in our canyons, watch for overpasses, underpasses, one-way gates and exit ramps. Then, to encourage faster adoption, contractors have found they can walk a herd of cattle through the structure, overpowering human scents Tall fences are effective in guiding animals toward structures and preventing roadway access. Passage is also possible using creek beds or culverts crossing under roads. Videos show a variety of animals who successfully traverse that overpass.īut escape ramps and overpasses aren’t the only tools available. More recently, a larger overpass was built in Parley’s Canyon on I-80. UDOT explains: “Studies have shown there is a 90% reduction in wildlife/vehicle collisions when there is a crossing structure and fence in the area.” Since 1975, when UDOT built its first wildlife overpass near Beaver, Utah, deer, moose and elk, along with bear and mountain lions have begun to use wildlife underpasses and overpasses. However, escape alone does not solve the driving force of migration.Ī more effective way to handle migrating animals is to guide them above or below the road. These mounds enable a one-way jump to safety. Climbing a hill is more natural to deer than pushing through a metal gate. When USU researchers studied escape mechanisms in Sardine canyon, they found earthen escape mounds were superior to one-way, metal gates. As noted, fencing alone does not work consequently, highway managers have had to find ways to get trapped deer across and away from fenced roads. ![]() Joshua Coursey wrote in the Deseret News, that the “estimated cost of collisions with mule deer in Utah reached close to $50 million in 2021.” That’s why the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) have worked for decades to reduce wildlife/vehicle encounters. Some estimate the deer are worth more than $2,500 each. Beyond the loss of life, it is also an economic problem, not only for wildlife management but also for vehicle owners. Robert Frost wrote that “Good fences make good neighbors.” But neighbors need to cooperate to maintain a fence, and even with fences in place, what if the neighbors are animals? The problem is how to keep migrating deer from jumping fences and causing accidents.Īnimal/vehicle encounters cause over 5,000 animal deaths in Utah each year. ![]() In this case, the problem is mostly with mule deer, because they comprise 90% of the animals migrating in Utah. However, with the introduction of fenced highways and their increased speed and traffic, problems quickly arose. When people drove horse-drawn wagons and slower vehicles, wildlife could easily pass without a problem. Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 3:31 | Recorded on July 3, 2023Ĭourtesy & Copyright Lyle Bingham, PhotographerĬourtesy & Copyright Lyle Bingham, PhotographerDeer and other wildlife have been migrating across our state much longer than humans.
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