Evidence for and Consequences of Deer Harvest Data Biases
Harvest data constitute an important source of information for the deer manager, but interpretation can be complicated by reporting bias, hunter selectivity, differential vulnerability, and aging errors. Daily harvest records for >165,000 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) taken during 1979-85 Illinois firearm seasons were examined for evidence of bias. Antlered males were apparently killed at a higher rate than other classes of deer; consequently, they became relatively less numerous in the herd and in the harvest as the season advanced. Yearling males, in particular, were...
