Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
October 2000
Abstract
A better understanding of the manipulation of white-tailed deer movement patterns in response to bait has implications for future management of increasing suburban herds. We gathered radio telemetry data for 10 female and 1 male deer over a 1-year period with artificial feeding stations activated in spring and fall. Data were triangulated in the computer program Topo!, transferred into home range program CALHOME, and imported into Arc View for analysis. Mean annual home range size was 57.7 ha with mean core area of 8.4 ha. Spatial changes in behavior of all deer were witnessed in response to bait including core area shifts, addition of another core area closer to a second active feeder, and significant collapse of home range and core area around an active feeder. If bait site overlap is not desired for management purposes, we recommend distribution every 50-60 ha to reduce multiple feeder usage. We also recommend bait site placement in wooded areas to shift core areas away from residences if homeowner conflicts are prevalent.