Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

forage for their nutritional requirements, indices such as body weight
and antler development are a function of the nutritive value of the plants
deer eat. Again, the nutritive value of these plants is a function of
natural soil fertility.
In certain areas of highly fertile soils, such as the Black Belt
Prairies and the Major Flood Plains and Terraces regions, deer harvest
data indicates better overall physical indices than in areas of low soil
fertility. Average deer weight and antler development are lower in the
deep sands of Alabama’s lower tier counties than in more fertile soil
regions of the state. However, deer of exceptional physical condition
may be found in areas of low soil fertility where there is an abundance
of agriculture and where deer density is relatively low. Conversely,
even in the most fertile soil areas, many deer exist in poor physical
condition as a result of overpopulation. Providing nutritious forage in
poor quality habitats through intensive habitat management can help
offset the limiting effects of poor soil fertility. Proper population management
helps ensure deer realize the full benefit of high soil fertility.
CARRYING CAPACITY OF DEER HABITAT
For the purposes of this discussion, carrying capacity (CC) is
defined as the number of animals a given unit of habitat can sustain in
good physical condition without causing damage to the habitat. The
term CC, as used in this section, should not be confused with the terms
absolute CC or CC K. These later definitions of CC are used by population
biologists to describe the maximum number of animals a unit of
habitat can support (the theoretical point in a population growth model
in which births equal deaths and the population stops growing).
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