ABSTRACT:The behaviour of sika and red deer during the rutting season is highly variable in relation to vocalization, habitat preference during the rut, and onset and termination of rutting. The red deer is a native species in Central Europe, but the areas where it lives in sympatry with the introduced sika deer have been increasing in the last three decades. Such situation can be found in the Doupovské hory Mts., where sika deer has been intensively spreading. Hybridization between the two species and changes in behaviour are the most important problems. In this study we prove the shift in the rutting period shown by both species. To evaluate the shift in the rutting season, we used a very extensive long-term data set on deer shot within the Military Training Area. These changes occur very slowly, however, and are very difficult to monitor and evaluate in the wild. Based on our results, the timing of the rutting season has converged at the mean rate of 0.62 day per year (rutting season starts later in the red deer and earlier in the sika deer).Keywords: shooting date; population density; military area; game management JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE, 60, 2014 (7): 272-280The timing and synchronization of the rut and subsequent period of producing offspring are fundamental determinants of reproduction in seasonal environments (Loe et al. 2005). This phenomenon is most frequently related to the timing of vegetation growth after winter. Synchronization of the rut and birth of the young are usually studied in connection with climate changes (Walther et al. 2002;Coulson 2003;Loe et al. 2005) or female body condition (Stevenson, Bryant 2000). The influence of climate changes on biodiversity and the related influences on phenology and life history traits are generally known (Plard et al. 2014). Animals living at higher elevations or latitudes and species with high plasticity also frequently exhibit adaptations of life history in relation to breeding phenology. Animals living in northern areas or at higher elevations usually have a more synchronized breeding season than do individuals of the same species living at lower elevations or closer to the equator (Loe et al. 2005). In this study we focussed on the timing of rutting season in the red deer (Cervus elaphus). Its breeding phenology is dependent on climate conditions. For example, the rut in Europe begins in the west and subsequently shifts towards the east, which is usually explained in relation to the continental climate of the eastern areas. The dependence of the onset of the rut on climate conditions has been demonstrated by Coulson et al. (2003) when in a red deer population on the Isle of Rum, Scotland, a 10-day shift in the onset of the rut occurred in connection with global warming over the period of 30 years. Nowadays the rut in this population begins earlier than in the past. When comparing breeding phenology of deer in France and Norway, Loe et al. (2005) concluded that temperature and the related spring onset of vegetation growth were essential for the timing...

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The estimation of wildlife populations is an issue currently being solved at workplaces on many levels. Knowledge of wildlife population and localization is not only very important for reducing damage to agricultural and forest growth, which arises from the local overgrowth of certain animal species, but also for the protection of endangered species of animals and plants.The article presents the results of a research carried out during 2017 as the first partial objective of a complex automated wildlife estimation project, namely the recognition of game in a free landscape without vegetation cover from an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). The paper describes a method of finding game animals in a selected area and identifies problems with the recognition of the animals hiding in the vegetation. These results play an important role in solving the overall complex problem of automated game recognition.

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