Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

The Fort Knox Military Reservation began to show signs of overbrowsing eight years after stocking with white-tailed deer (Odicoileua virginianus). Data collected annually on the reservation's deer herd during the deer hunting season indicated a rapid decline of the deer's physical condition as the wintering population increased from 5,500 to 9,000 over the period 1962-1965 and the deer range became overpopulated. Average dressed weights of yearling bucks and fawns decreased 16-18% while those of yearling does decreased 11% from 1958-1965. Average antler beam diameters of yearling bucks deteriorated 18% and "spiked" yearlings increased from 10% to 24% from 1960 to 1965. The reproductive rate dropped 47% from 1960 to 1965. Selective buck hunting during conservative "any deer" seasons reduced the buck:doe ratio among wintering deer from 106:100 in 1962 to 68:100 in 1966.

Feeding trials, in which ten white-tailed deer fawns, five bucks and five does, were fed a balanced ration, were conducted over an 18-month period. The commercially available ration which contained not less than 13.0 per cent protein or 2.0 percent crude fat and not more than 9.5 percent crude fiber or 4.8 percent minerals was fed ad libitum. Daily food consumption of each deer was recorded to the nearest ounce and weight of each deer was determined at weekly intervals to the nearest pound. Analysis of the data indicated that seasonal variation in food consumption and body weight of the experimental deer was statistically significant at the one percent level of probability. Sex by season interaction in food consumption was highly significant. Buck deer averaged 10 percent weight loss and doe deer averaged a three percent weight loss during the second winter of the study.

An evaluation of published work on the deer track count census method indicates the popularly used 1:1 relationship between tracks across roads and number of deer on an area can be neither rejected nor accepted. The day-to-day variability in deer track crossings usually requires a large number of consecutive counts to detect changes in populations. Procedures for determining the required number of counts are presented. A perennial problem confronting game technicians is that of obtaining an accurate population census of wildlife. The deer track count method, commonly employed in the coastal plain of the Southeast, is a census technique that is in obvious need of careful analysis and possible refinement. A critical evaluation is required to determine its limitations as an estimator of animal numbers or to relegate it to more appropriate uses, if possible, such as an index to population changes or as a "show me" type indicator of animal presence.

Daily and seasonal variations in drinking habits of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were observed in the Coastal Bend area of Texas. Data were collected from February, 1961, to February, 1963, on the Welder Wildlife Refuge. Information regarding drinking behavior was collected by observing deer directly from observation towers located near lakes or water tanks and by making track counts on a cleared, 10-foot wide strip surrounding the water tanks. Both direct observations and track counts were made at all hours throughout the 24-hour period and at all seasons of the year. The following inferences regarding drinking activities can be made from my data. (I) Deer use any water available, but prefer that which is not within fenced enclosures. (2) Deer drink more often in hot seasons than in cold. (3) Peaks of drinking activity are at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4-6 p.m. (4) Deer do not have a specific time of drinking in relation to feeding.