We studied the characteristics of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and elk (Cervus elaphus) mortalities associated with wire fences along roads in Colorado and Utah, USA, from June 2004 to June 2005. We estimated an average annual mortality occurrence of 0.25 mortalities/km for the wire fences studied (0.08 mule deer mortalities/km, 0.11 pronghorn mortalities/km, and 0.06 elk mortalities/km) or 0.5 mortalities/km of road. The highest wire fence-mortality rates in our study area occurred during August, which coincided with weaning of fawns. Mule deer and pronghorn jumped fences in .81% of observed crossings. Mortalities were largely caused by animals getting caught between the top 2 wires. Mule deer experienced higher fence-mortality rates than elk or pronghorn because they crossed fences more frequently (P , 0.001) and spent more time in road right-of-ways (P , 0.001) than the other species. Juveniles were 8 times more likely to die in fences than adults. Woven-wire fences topped with a single strand of barbed wire were more lethal to ungulates than woven wire with 2 strands of barbed wire above it or 4-strand barbed-wire fences (P , 0.01). There was a direct relationship between the frequency of fence mortalities and ungulate abundance (r 2 ¼ 0.83). Traffic volumes were inversely related to fence-mortality frequencies (r 2 ¼ 0.50) and ungulate densities along the right-of-way (r 2 ¼ 0.50). (WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN 34(5):1295-1305 2006)

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Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are found throughout the United States, wherever there is suitable denning habitat and food resources. Densities of these predators have increased throughout the Intermountain West as a consequence of human alterations in habitat. Within the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (hereafter, refuge), in northern Utah, USA, upland nesting habitat for ducks is limited to the levee banks and roadsides. Red foxes, raccoons, and striped skunks, which prey on upland nesting birds, are also abundant on the refuge. We studied red foxes, raccoons, and striped skunks' use of levees and the edges associated with them within a wetland environment. Red fox, raccoon, and striped skunk locations were negatively correlated with distance to the nearest dike (−0.78, −0.69, and −0.45, respectively). Animals incorporated more roads and/or levees into their home ranges than expected by chance (x̄ = 2.6; Z < 0.001); incorporation of levees was greater during the dispersal season than the rearing season (P = 0.03). Skunk home ranges (average size, 3.0 km2) were oriented along roads and levees (P = 0.03), whereas raccoon (average size, 3.6 km2) and fox home ranges (average size, 3.5 km2) were not (P = 0.93, P = 0.13, respectively). Fox home ranges in the refuge were more oblong in shape than reported elsewhere (P = 0.03). However, home‐range shapes of raccoons and striped skunks were similar to previous studies (P = 0.84, P = 0.97, respectively). The use of roads and levees within the refuge increases the possible travel distance and penetration of predators into wetland environments. This contributes to increased depredation of waterfowl nests and to decreased recruitment. Managers of similar areas might decrease depredation of waterfowl by disrupting the linear pattern of corridors, thereby decreasing the congestion of animal roads and levees. This would, then, decrease the encounter rates of predators and prey.