Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

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does taken in reproductive collections were bred in February or later. However, most of these cases appear to be site specific and most likely the result of years of poor management practices. Sex ratios are unbalanced and buck age structure is often very poor on most sites where herds exhibit late breeding trends. Other indices, such as pregnancy rates and overall fawn production, tend to be poor as well. Conversely, on areas where genetic influence is not a factor (inherently favoring early breeding), well managed herds typically have mean conception dates in January—often with several animals in the sample having conception dates in late-December and none with conception dates beyond the month of January. Additionally, many of these well-managed herds display peak breeding times in early- to mid-January. Data from these reproductive collections suggest a correlation between harvest management and deer reproductive patterns. Presumably, deer reproduction is influenced by factors related to population structure and genetics. Many biologists contend genetic origin dictates a preset window of time in which breeding will normally take place. Whether breeding takes place early, in the middle, or late in this window is the result of deliberate management strategies or lack thereof. Data collected over a 15-year period at Auburn University’s deer research facility suggests no relationship between herd structure and reproductive patterns. Captive deer maintained at a 1:1 adult sex ratio did not show any shift in mean conception dates. Mean conception dates for these deer were in early to mid-February (Carroll and Causey 1995). However, in a 5-year study of free-ranging deer in Alabama, biologists observed a two-week advance in mean conception date under an inten- 56
sive quality deer management program. Mean conception shifted from January 14 to December 29 (Wood and Gray 2002). Despite this conflicting data, results from reproductive collections conducted on free-ranging deer continue to suggest harvest management does influence reproductive patterns. The possibility must be considered that deer in a captive setting may not display normal breeding patterns. Captive animals may gain no advantage in implementing strategies that provide earlier breeding opportunities. Breeding opportunities are more or less inevitable among captive deer. Under these conditions, it would be a waste of energy for bucks to engage in behaviors that may elicit earlier reproductive patterns (e.g., prolific rubbing and scraping). Many biologists involved with this study believe native deer in Alabama may never be managed into October/November breeding periods as is common in many southeastern states. However, it is believed most native herds in Alabama can be managed to breed and fawn during the earliest part of their genetically predetermined reproductive windows. What is unclear at this time is just how early the limits of this window are. Continued reproductive collections in areas managed to produce more “natural” deer herds may help answer this question in time. HERD MANAGEMENT POPULATION GROWTH POTENTIAL Deer have the ability to reproduce and expand their numbers at an almost exponential rate. A classic example of deer herd growth 57
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Biology and Management of White-tai
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Table of Contents PREFACE .........
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JAWBONE EXTRACTION ................
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors gratefu
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PREFACE White-tailed deer (Odocoile
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TAXONOMY The white-tailed deer is o
Page 15 and 16: darker winter coat. Fawns are born
Page 17 and 18: Deer have many glands that are used
Page 19 and 20: tiates antler growth. The secretion
Page 21 and 22: DEER BEHAVIOR VOCALIZATION AND COMM
Page 23 and 24: Among bucks, two males of equal sta
Page 25 and 26: out the Southeast have reported dis
Page 27 and 28: check their scrapes regularly to de
Page 29 and 30: The sex ratio of fawns at birth is
Page 31 and 32: (midges) are highest. To date there
Page 33 and 34: is extremely unlikely to fall prey
Page 35 and 36: and even fawn production—will be,
Page 37 and 38: and living body tissue. Many of the
Page 39 and 40: trace elements are important to a d
Page 41 and 42: are compatible with other objective
Page 43 and 44: tural crops may be used heavily as
Page 45 and 46: providing nutritious cool-season fo
Page 47 and 48: SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF HABITAT COMP
Page 49 and 50: Soil quality has a significant impa
Page 51 and 52: Determining CC for deer habitat can
Page 53 and 54: cycle of poor deer herd and habitat
Page 55 and 56: dam and her new fawns later in the
Page 57 and 58: POPULATION DENSITY The number of an
Page 59 and 60: determining exactly how many indivi
Page 61 and 62: searching for breeding opportunitie
Page 63 and 64: comes intense with improved buck ag
Page 65: the 1960s, deer were restocked in m
Page 69 and 70: factors such as reproductive succes
Page 71 and 72: egulation of deer populations ensur
Page 73 and 74: The above graphs represent the hypo
Page 75 and 76: acceptable hunting satisfaction bec
Page 77 and 78: proportioned. Clearly, all the elem
Page 79 and 80: hunters to see numbers of deer whil
Page 81 and 82: In suboptimal habitats, body weight
Page 83 and 84: changes occur in herd structure and
Page 85 and 86: product of QDM and not a major goal
Page 87 and 88: offset the influences of dispersal
Page 89 and 90: Two controversial questions related
Page 91 and 92: It appears removing spike antlered
Page 93 and 94: guarantee the superior bucks hunter
Page 95 and 96: Perhaps the most common cause of di
Page 97 and 98: tivity of the property (Woods 1999b
Page 99 and 100: may justify a modification of the d
Page 101 and 102: ces and make management recommendat
Page 103 and 104: A method for removing jawbones that
Page 105 and 106: extractor towards the deer’s nose
Page 107 and 108: spread, basal circumference, and ma
Page 109 and 110: LACTATION Checking a doe for the pr
Page 111 and 112: deer seen into more specific classi
Page 113 and 114: and harvest recommendations for the
Page 115 and 116: of the year as a comparable type fo
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during the spring and summer, but t
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HERBICIDE TREATMENT Another techniq
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TIMBER HARVEST Periodic removal of
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foods in any area. Fertilizer incre
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WILDLIFE OPENINGS Of all the manage
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areas. Very few of the crops common
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samples. These boxes are usually av
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ag of fertilizer, while soil test r
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Applying the Seed Seed should be ap
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cult. Many of these new crops show
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acre), and wheat (one bushel per ac
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using small portions of the opening
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able weight loss at the conclusion
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trace minerals. Another considerati
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Number 8. P-R Project W-35, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Volume 2, Page
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ings of the Role of Genetics in Whi
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APPENDICES 141
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Appendix 1: AVERAGE BODY WEIGHT, AN
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Appendix 3: AGING DEER USING TOOTH
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Appendix 3: AGING DEER USING TOOTH
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Appendix 4: SELECTIVE ANTLERLESS DE
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Appendix 5: GUIDELINES FOR AGING LI
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Appendix 5: GUIDELINES FOR AGING LI
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Appendix 7: FIELD OBSERVATION FORM
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Appendix 9: COOL-SEASON PLANTING GU
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CRIMSON CLOVER Planting Date: Septe
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RAPE Planting Date: August 15 - Nov
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SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER Planting Date:
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Appendix 10: WARM-SEASON PLANTING G
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COWPEAS Planting Date: May 1 - July
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RAPE Planting Date: April 15 - June
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Appendix 11: CONTACT INFORMATION FO
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Appendix 12: SUGGESTED READING AND
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Chris Cook receiv
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Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

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