Predicting White-tailed Deer Carrying Capacity Using Grazeable Biomass and Tame Deer
Density-dependent population models likely are inappropriate for whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) in southern Texas due to variable precipitation. We used a tame-deer technique to estimate carrying capacity and correlated results with precipitation and forage biomass. Carrying capacity estimates using digestible energy (DE) consumed by 12 deer were determined using 2 treatments (supplemented and non-supplemented) during 7 trials. Deer were placed in 14 0.33-ha randomly-located enclosures between May 1990 and May 1991. Mean estimates were 0.62 deer/ha/year (SE = 0.27) for...
