Reproductive Ecology of White-tailed Deer on the Welder Wildlife Foundation, Texas
Long-term reproductive, physiological, and population data are not commonly available for deer herds. In Texas, there is little data on populations that are not commercially hunted. Data were recorded from 943 white-tailed does (Odocoileus virginianus) collected from 1961-1992 on the Welder Wildlife Foundation. Age class, eviscerated carcass weight, kidney fat index, density, and rainfall were correlated with reproductive performance including birth dates, pregnancy rates, and counts of corpora lutea and embryos. Deer densities averaged 33/km2. Mean conception date was 22 November and 75%...
