When Dr. William Porter, the esteemed wildlife ecologist with the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at State University of New York, began his career roughly three decades ago, he said using cutting-edge technology to help expedite wildlife research was in its infancy.

"I remember how we used mini transmitters on wildlife," said Porter. "We've come a long way."

Indeed, 30 years later, a technological revolution has taken hold, a revolution that's at the center of a new white-tailed deer research project that Porter is overseeing. Let me explain.
Porter, along with two of his students who are seeking advanced degrees, will be tracking the seasonal movement patterns of several white-tailed deer in Central New York, in hopes of learning more about their habitats and how chronic wasting disease (CWD), the fatal neurological disorder, may be spread.

The students Porter says will doing most of the research's "heavy lifting" will use satellite information to document the comings and goings of deer fitted with collars that have Global Positioning System (GPS) capability. Deer movement, Porter said, will be marked every five hours for one year.