R. J. Warren

Our objectives were to determine population and ecological characteristics for an unmanaged white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd on Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park, Georgia, and to predict the potential for overpopulation in this herd in the future. We radio-collared 67 deer on the park over 4 years (1991-1994). An additional 295 deer were killed by vehicles on the park's roads, and 36 were collected for herd health analysis in August of each year (8-10 deer per year). The range of estimates for population density was 10-41 deer/km2. The deer herd was in good...

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a common shrub in the southeastern United States, but no studies have examined white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use of privet. We investigated the seasonality of deer use of privet browse and the effect of deer browsing on privet twig growth. We tagged and repeatedly measured about 200 privet twig clusters in forest and field-edge habitats at Chickamauga Battlefield Park (CBP) in northwestern Georgia during 2 consecutive years. Twig clusters were examined bimonthly for signs of recent browsing and measured in November, January, March, and...

A safe and effective muscle biopsy procedure that can be used to sample genetic variation in live white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is described. The validity of this procedure for estimating genetic variability was confirmed by sampling blood and muscle from 78 road-killed and 57 captured deer at Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park, Georgia, between June 1991 and June 1992. Six polymorphic loci were detected in muscle tissue and 2 polymorphic loci were found in blood using starch-gel electrophoresis. We compared levels of genetic variation in 3 sampling groups: road-...

Nine bobcats (Felis rufus) trapped from the Coastal Plain of Georgia in fall 1989 were fed weighed amounts of cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus), hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinesis), domestic rabbits, a juvenile feral hog (Sus scrofa), and adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to develop correction factors to convert mass of prey remains in scats to an estimate of mass of prey consumed for different prey types. Dry matter digestibility increased with increasing prey size except for white-tailed deer. For prey under 4.5 kg, we...

Gizzard fat (GF), wing fat (WF), eviscerated body weight (BW) spleen weight, and thyroid weights were analyzed in 84 ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) to determine area, sex, and seasonal variations. Birds were collected from 2 study areas in the Texas Panhandle during 4 seasons. Area differences in major grain crops and food habits were not reflected in the nutritional indices examined. However, differences in pheasant densities between areas were detected. Gizzard fat and WF were greater in hens than in cocks. Highest values for GF and BW occurred in February; lowest values...