Cross or bounce? GPS and video data reveal high road encounter rate and altered movement in a common ungulate
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background Roads are a major source of habitat fragmentation and wildlife mortality, yet quantifying fine-scale animal behavioral responses to roads remains difficult. For wide-ranging, mobile species like ungulates, understanding how movement and behavior vary in relation to roads is essential for reducing collision risk and maintaining landscape connectivity. Methods We combined high-frequency GPS collar data from 125 white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) across three landscapes in Illinois, USA (2023–2025) with a novel application of Barrier Behavior Analysis (BaBA), generally used for fence interactions, to classify road encounters into behavioral types. We then examined how these behaviors were influenced by land cover, road category, season, and diel period using mixed-effects logistic regression. Moreover, we analyzed over 250 hours of camera collar videos to assess behavioral context during road encounters. Results Deer exhibited frequent road encounters (up to ~ 3,700/year per deer; 0.06–10.33 per individual per day), with > 90% of encounters involving altered behavior near roads. Crossing probability was greatest during rut, post-fawning and twilight and lowest for large road classes and forested areas (Fig. 4.). Sites differed in road permeability, with suburban roads (e.g., university campus roads) showing higher crossing rates than agricultural or exurban landscapes. Camera collar data revealed behavioral shifts near roads compared to other locations; for instance, the deer were generally less likely to rest during a quick cross encounter event than deer that were not in close proximity to roads. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that deer responses to roads are complex and context-dependent, with implications for deer vehicle collision risk mitigation, landscape connectivity, conservation planning and economics. Integrating fine-scale movement and behavior data expands our understanding of wildlife-road interactions.
Source: Movement Ecology
Institution: Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,790
OpenAlex ID: W7223450550