Predation on White-tailed Deer Fawns by Bobcats, Foxes, and Alligators: Predator Assessment
Forty-eight white-tailed deer fawns (Odocoileus virginianus) were marked during the spring and early summer of 1981 and 1982. Forty-one (85.4%) of these fawns died, 26 (63%) due to predation. In 18 of the 26 predator-caused deaths, the species of predator could be determined. Bobcats (Felis rufus) accounted for 12 deaths, while red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) , gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and alligators (A lligator mississipptensis) were responsible for a total of at least 6 fawn deaths. Criteria for determining predator damage are discussed. Foxes and alligators have not previously...
