UC Studying Deer Crossings Along I-280

Don't get too alarmed if you see an armed person along Interstate 280 early this  month, the CHP says.

It's likely to be the state Department of Fish and Game officers toting tranquilizer dart guns to assist University of California-Davis researchers capture deer that frequent the corridor along I-280, according to Art Montiel of the CHP.

The Caltrans-funded project is to study deer movement in the area in hopes of reducing the number of deer-vs.-vehicle collisions. 

This is a CalTrans-funded project aimed at reducing deer-vehicle collisions on the I-280, according to Clara Laursen of UC-Davis. UC will study deer movement and activity in the area for an 18-month period and then submit a recommended action plan to CalTrans. Fish and Game personnel will help UC to capture deer and fit them with radio collars to track their movements and better understand how to keep deer from crossing the highway.

The capture dates will be December 2 - December 11. During that time 15 deer will be captured using tranquilizer dart guns and walk-in net traps. The collars will automatically drop off the animals approximately six months later, and another set of 15 deer will be collared, according to Rose Isarose. 

Due to the nature of the study, the deer have to be captured relatively close to the I-280. Motorists may see a Fish & Game vehicle pulled over on the freeway (to check nearby traps) or possibly witness a deer getting shot by a dart gun on a nearby road, according to Montiel.

All captures will be conducted from specially marked California Department of Fish and Game vehicles, but at a glance the dart guns may look like rifles.