Dataset Summary

This dataset includes high-resolution animal movement and environmental data used to evaluate prey behavioral responses to spatial and temporal risk from predators and humans. Data were collected between 2015 and 2022 across two ecologically distinct study areas in the American Southwest (Book Cliffs, Colorado/Utah and Pine Valley, Utah). The dataset supports risk-sensitive habitat selection and movement analyses by integrating information on animal space use, human activity, and landscape features.

Structure and Contents

Wildlife GPS Data: Location data were collected from GPS-collared female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Deer GPS fixes were recorded at 2-hour intervals. Each GPS location is associated with a phenological season (e.g., late gestation, rearing, hunting) and a diel period (day, night, crepuscular). To protect sensitive wildlife location information, all raw spatial coordinates have been removed or generalized. Derived environmental and behavioral metrics are retained for reuse. Full covariates are described in the README.

Environmental Covariates: Spatially explicit raster data include vegetation indices (NDVI), terrain ruggedness, and reclassified land cover categories (e.g., open, forested, shrub). These covariates were extracted for each animal location and included with the 'Wildlife GPS Data.'

Risk Surfaces: The dataset includes modeled probability surfaces representing the relative risk of human and cougar encounters, generated using resource selection functions. These covariates were extracted for each animal location and included with the 'Wildlife GPS Data.'

Derived Movement Data: Step lengths and turn angles were calculated between successive deer GPS fixes. These data were used in integrated step selection analyses to evaluate behavioral responses to risk. These covariates were calculated for each animal location and included with the 'Wildlife GPS Data.'

Reuse Potential

Raw human mobility data are licensed under a data use agreement prohibiting redistribution or public sharing. With permission only. Reuse potential statements in the associated publication refer to the full dataset, including withheld raw human mobility data, and do not apply to this data package.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Appropriate institutional animal care and use committees approved all animal capture and handling procedures and followed professional guidelines. The dataset also includes anonymized human mobility data derived from GPS-enabled smartphones and obtained via a third-party provider (Gravy Analytics). These data were collected from consenting users in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, raw human mobility data are licensed under a data use agreement prohibiting redistribution or public sharing. Users wishing to replicate or extend human mobility data analyses must secure access independently.