Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts
Abstract We monitored 142 radiocollared adult (≥1.0 yr old) white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 3 study areas of Massachusetts, USA, to estimate annual survival and mortality due to legal hunting. We then applied these rates to deer harvest information to estimate deer population trends ov...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2011-09-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.40 |
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| author | John E. Mcdonald Jr. Stephen Destefano Christopher Gaughan Michael Mayer William A. Woytek Sonja Christensen Todd K. Fuller |
| author_facet | John E. Mcdonald Jr. Stephen Destefano Christopher Gaughan Michael Mayer William A. Woytek Sonja Christensen Todd K. Fuller |
| author_sort | John E. Mcdonald Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We monitored 142 radiocollared adult (≥1.0 yr old) white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 3 study areas of Massachusetts, USA, to estimate annual survival and mortality due to legal hunting. We then applied these rates to deer harvest information to estimate deer population trends over time, and compared these to trends derived solely from harvest data estimates. Estimated adult female survival rates were similar (0.82–0.86), and uniformly high, across 3 management zones in Massachusetts that differed in landscape composition, human density, and harvest regulations. Legal hunting accounted for 16–29% of all adult female mortality. Estimated adult male survival rates varied from 0.55 to 0.79, and legal hunting accounted for 40–75% of all mortality. Use of composite hunting mortality rates produced realistic estimates for adult deer populations in 2 zones, but not for the third, where estimation was hindered by regulatory restrictions on antlerless deer harvest. In addition, the population estimates we calculated were generally higher than those derived from population reconstruction, likely due to relatively low harvest pressure. Legal harvest may not be the dominant form of deer mortality in developed landscapes; thus, estimates of populations or trends that rely solely on harvest data will likely be underestimates. © 2011 The Wildlife Society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b9a73e853c2f45379a6c415b60da4947 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-b9a73e853c2f45379a6c415b60da49472025-08-20T01:56:27ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402011-09-0135320921910.1002/wsb.40Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusettsJohn E. Mcdonald Jr.0Stephen Destefano1Christopher Gaughan2Michael Mayer3William A. Woytek4Sonja Christensen5Todd K. Fuller6United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Drive, Hadley, MA 01035, USAUnited States Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003‐9285, USADepartment of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003‐9285, USA and Idaho Fish and Game Department, 99 Highway 93 North, Salmon, ID 83467, USADepartment of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003‐9285 and Bonneville Power Administration, 905 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232, USAMassachusetts Environmental Police, 251 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114, USAMassachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581, USADepartment of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003‐9285, USAAbstract We monitored 142 radiocollared adult (≥1.0 yr old) white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 3 study areas of Massachusetts, USA, to estimate annual survival and mortality due to legal hunting. We then applied these rates to deer harvest information to estimate deer population trends over time, and compared these to trends derived solely from harvest data estimates. Estimated adult female survival rates were similar (0.82–0.86), and uniformly high, across 3 management zones in Massachusetts that differed in landscape composition, human density, and harvest regulations. Legal hunting accounted for 16–29% of all adult female mortality. Estimated adult male survival rates varied from 0.55 to 0.79, and legal hunting accounted for 40–75% of all mortality. Use of composite hunting mortality rates produced realistic estimates for adult deer populations in 2 zones, but not for the third, where estimation was hindered by regulatory restrictions on antlerless deer harvest. In addition, the population estimates we calculated were generally higher than those derived from population reconstruction, likely due to relatively low harvest pressure. Legal harvest may not be the dominant form of deer mortality in developed landscapes; thus, estimates of populations or trends that rely solely on harvest data will likely be underestimates. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.40huntingmanagementMassachusettsmortalityOdocoileus virginianuspopulation |
| spellingShingle | John E. Mcdonald Jr. Stephen Destefano Christopher Gaughan Michael Mayer William A. Woytek Sonja Christensen Todd K. Fuller Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts Wildlife Society Bulletin hunting management Massachusetts mortality Odocoileus virginianus population |
| title | Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts |
| title_full | Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts |
| title_fullStr | Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts |
| title_short | Survival and harvest‐related mortality of white‐tailed deer in massachusetts |
| title_sort | survival and harvest related mortality of white tailed deer in massachusetts |
| topic | hunting management Massachusetts mortality Odocoileus virginianus population |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.40 |
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