Selection of parturition sites by migrating and dispersing female white-tailed deer in Illinois

• Published in: Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science Vol. 105; no. 3-4; pp. 129 - 143
• Main Authors: Nixon, Charles M, Mankin, Philip C, Etter, Dwayne R, Hansen, Lonnie P, Brewer, Paul A, Chelsvig, James E, Esker, Terry L, Sullivan, Joseph B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springfield Illinois State Academy of Science 01.07.2012; Illinois State Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Behavior; Deer; Emigration; Emigration and immigration; Farms; Federal funding; Females; Parks & recreation areas; Radios; Social aspects; Toy industry; White-tailed deer; Illinois
• ISSN: 0019-2252

Emigration behavior by female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is an important attribute of population dynamics in Illinois. The factors influencing the process of selecting a new home range are largely unknown, yet may affect hunting success, other interactions with human activities, and deer social behaviors. Twenty-five radio-marked dispersing (N = 14) and migrating (N = 11) female white-tailed deer (4 adults, 7 yearlings, 14 fawns when marked) were followed from 3 sites (2 in central and 1 in northern Illinois) to the home ranges selected for parturition and fawn rearing. Dispersing deer (i.e, those making one-way movements to a new home range) moved an average of 44.9 [+ or -] SE 6.4 km whereas migrators (i.e., those moving to a new range) moved 14.0 [+ or -] SE 7.2 km from their natal ranges. Females moved rapidly in nearly a straight line to their new home range readily crossing roads, rivers, and under high tension power lines on their journey. Females marked in east-central and northern Illinois where forest cover totaled <5% of the landscape, selected sites with greater forest cover, grasslands, forest patch size and density, and total patch richness than were available in random locations. Habitats selected by females in west-central Illinois where more forest cover was available did not differ from random sites. Parturition ranges (used May 15-July 15) at all 3 sites contained fewer houses and roads and more forest patches compared with the natal ranges and the larger new range (used May 15-October 1). Migrating females survived longer than dispersing females, but female life span and fawn survival were not significantly affected by the habitat composition of the new home ranges.