GPS data standardization and segmentation
All location data were screened for outliers using the R (Team 2020, version 4.0.5) package ctmm (Calabrese et al. 2016) and filtered through multiple inclusion criteria, resulting in a sample size of 50 males and 9 female deer (Supporting Information). We used the R package AdeHabitatLT (Calenge 2006) to regularize trajectory segments from male deer to a 2-hour fix schedule and to a 1-hour fix schedule for females, and rediscretized data to constant time lags. Data were segmented into three seasons according to deer and I. scapularis life histories: deer pre-breeding (June 1 – August 31, larval and nymphal I. scapularis feeding), breeding (September 1 – December 31, adult I. scapularis feeding), and post-breeding (January 1 – May 31, adult I. scapularis feeding) (Etteret al. 2002; Ogden et al. 2007; Schauber et al.2015). The data spanned from breeding 2016 to the post-breeding 2021 season (excluding data during the pre-breeding 2017 season, Figure S1).