Study: Wyoming natural gas drilling harming Mule deer. [View All]

[NNadir]

"BILLINGS, Mont. - A new study suggests natural gas development in western Wyoming is forcing mule deer into less suitable winter range and affecting the animals' movements in an area known as the Pinedale Anticline.

The number of mule deer on the Mesa winter range dropped a "disconcerting" 46 percent from 2002 to 2005, according to the report from Western EcoSystems Technology Inc. Models and maps indicated that, through at least three winters, deer tended to favor areas further away from well pads.

Such behavior suggests that seasonal drilling restrictions may not be achieving what land managers had intended, the researchers said..."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051008/ap_on_sc/gas_fields_mule_deer